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Knob Creek 12 Year Small Batch Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
April 28, 2020 (edited June 20, 2022)
Knob Creek 12 YR
Pours into the glencairn a nice mahogany. The age is definitely evident in the color. Clings nicely to the sides of the glass before forming skinny slow legs.
NOSE: Heavy Oak/Barrel Spice. Sticky Burnt Sugar. Fall Spices-Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom. Dry Roast Peanuts. A little heat. Simple, but definitely Not Subtle.
NEAT: WOW. A sledgehammer to the palate. An immediate Burst of Heat. Mouthfeel is Thick and Clingy. Much like the nose, Simple but far from Subtle. Lots of Oak. Heavy Vanilla, Karo Syrup, Tingly Black Pepper, and Cinnamon. A Medicinal Cherry along the sides of the tongue and cheeks. Long, Drying Finish with a deep KY Hug. Heavy Oak coating and layering on the palate. Drinks like a Barrel Proof.
SPLASH: A little water adds Floral and Lemony Citrus notes to the nose. The Medicinal Cherry note becomes a little more prominent on the palate and the Heat is turned down a notch or two. The Oak takes on a more "Musty" quality.
VERDICT: Is the 3 extra years over the newly released KC 9YR worth an extra $20? My first impression is YES. This is my favorite KC release to date. It straddles the line between oaky and astringent very well. I think I liked it a little more than the standard 9YR Single Barrel, and can understand now the love for some of their older store picks. This is just very good bourbon.
60.0
USD
per
Bottle
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A lot of the recent 9-year KC 120's showing up as store picks have been in the 12-13 year old range. If it's just about that extra age you might still save the 20$ in some regions. Either way now I have something new to look forward to. Cheers!
@Benji-Robert I think you’ll like it.
@Scott_E yeah it snuck up on me. It was just sitting on the shelf beside the 9year. Just happened to see it.
I am intrigued. And priced reasonably, it looks. Haven’t seen this near me. Will keep my eyes open now. Nice review.
excellent writing thanks for posting. apparently I've been lucky to skip any since the cask% rye but will DEFINITELY be looking for this one.
@dubz480 I passed on this the first time I saw it in favor of the new Single Barrel Baker's. Mistake. THIS is what I was expecting the Baker's to taste like. Big, bold oak and spice notes out of the glencairn. More subdued with floral and citrus out of a traditional glass. KC had really fallen out of favor with me after the decline in quality after the removal of the Age Statement. The NAS Small Batch was mediocre at best. They have rebounded quite well with the 9 and 12.
@dubz480 Yeah I've been very impressed with Knob Creek. The flavour profile isn't always me but great quality at very fair prices especially when you factor age. The 2010 CS sample LeeE gave me was amazing quality. Although not my favorite of the 12 best VFM hands down given the higher rated drams were a couple to several hundred $$ more a bottle
💯 agree.... been singing the praises of this one as well, folks are skeptical. but tasting is believing!