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Knob Creek Small Batch Bourbon (NAS)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
March 30, 2020 (edited May 16, 2020)
THE AGE STATEMENT IS BACK!! Picked up a bottle of the new Age Stated version of KC Small Batch tonight and decided to test it head to head with the NAS version (I was gifted a couple 375s over the holidays).
KC 9YR
COLOR: New Penny (Identical)
NOSE: Spice. Hay. Old Oak. Fall Spice. Peanut Shell. Light Citrus. A general "gooey" Sweetness.
NEAT: Medium Mouthfeel. Vanilla. Oak. Caramel. Cola. A building Pleasant Heat. Long'ish Finish with Oak and Vanilla coating the palate.
SPLASH: Made this all Oak and Vanilla.
RATING: 4
KC NAS
COLOR: New Penny (Identical)
NOSE: Spice. Hint of Floral. Light Hay, Citrus. Dry Roast Peanut.
NEAT: Thin to Medium Mouthfeel. HOT. Vanilla. Peanut. Spicy Oak. An Immediate Heat. Long Spicy Finish with Pepper, Oak, and Peanut Coating.
SPLASH: Tamed a lot of the heat. Becomes mostly Peanut and Oak.
RATING: 3.5
Verdict: The NAS had an immediate prickly heat, while the 9 year had a pleasant building heat. The extra age obviously helps. Smooths out some of the rough edges and reduces the signature Beam peanut funk as well. Kudos to Beam for bringing the Age Statement back. My final rating is for the 9YR. It is between a 3.75 and 4, but I'll round up.
38.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@Guitar_mann I didn’t know the Beam Single Barrel was getting a reboot. Good to know. I’ve never had it, but have been tempted. I may pick up a bottle now just so I can try before the new one hits.
@BDanner. The 9yr Sm Bat has not arrived in the triad yet, but the new Jim Beam Si Bar has. Repacked with a new bottle, lable, and higher proof...same NC price...for now...(until the old bottles are gone I'm sure). Beam-Suntory is nothing if not busy. I have some minis of the old 9yr. I can't wait to have a blind taste of all 3 offerings
@Zachary-Robbins haven’t seen the new Baker’s yet.
@BDanner Yup there were 6+ Belle, 4 Cooper's, 4 FR SB Select, 4 Kentucky Owl, 10+ Booker's, 15+ Baker's new and old. Definitely have to make a return trip in a couple weeks to see what else pops up.
@Zachary-Robbins I think some of the rarer stuff is sitting because people are buying “staples”. My local store still has the Cooper’s, Belle Meade, and Four Rose Small Batch Select sitting there. Ventured a little further toward Wilmington to pick up groceries and saw three bottles of Kentucky Owl Confiscated sitting on the shelf (I passed @$125).
@BDanner Oh interesting, but I'm guessing there's a slight difference in how Brunswick Co populous is reacting compared to Chapel Hill. The university closed March 20 halfway into Spring Break so a lot of people just didn't come back. I actually went to ABC in the middle of a weekday last week to avoid people and pick up a couple things to tide me over. The shelves were fully stocked, probably the best selection in a while of things I rarely available. I picked up the new Cooper's Craft release, first time I've seen it in stores.
@Whiskey_Hound If you like the NAS, you won't be disappointed by the 9yr. The differences are subtle, but there definitely is a difference. I have a bottle of the OLD 9yr from right before they dropped the Age Statement. I'd like to compare that with the new Age Stated release and see if there is much difference.
@Zachary-Robbins From the look of the shelves, apparently you are the only one avoiding the ABC store at the moment.
thats great news
Whoa nice, I'm not the biggest fan of the small batch but I've only had the NAS and the single barrel is fantastic. Gotta grab this next time I can visit the ABC without a hazmat suit.
Good stuff @BDanner! I'm actually a big fan of the NAS, but it's great to see the restored age statement