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    ModernThirst
    Knob Creek Single Barrel 90/100
    Bourbon/Whiskey Reviews

    Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Review

    BillBy BillJanuary 21, 2014Updated:January 22, 201818 Comments3 Mins Read

    Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve

    90 Excellent

    The flavors of the bourbon mixed with the spicy finish are a welcome addition to the Knob Creek line, and the promise of finding this regularly on shelves at under $50 is exciting.

    [amazon_link asins=’B00H143UXW,B016YPDI3A’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’modernthirstc-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’5fd76d64-8352-11e7-b4ba-4ba8c9ca927a’]

    What it is:

    Photo Courtesy of Jim Beam Brands
    Photo Courtesy of Jim Beam Brands

    Knob Creek has, for some years now, been a staple of many bourbon diets. The entry level offering to Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection, Knob Creek offers good flavors, 100 proof, and very good value for a top-shelf bourbon. It’s been the mainstay of my own bourbon shelf for the past several years. So it was not with a small amount of excitement and not without some pretty high expectations that I got to try the Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve. I found this at the Jim Beam American Stillhouse gift shop for $47.99 after touring the distillery, but it should be in stores already.

    Unlike the standard Knob Creek, the Single Barrel Reserve is bottled from a single barrel of Knob Creek as opposed to blending multiple barrels together into a batch before bottling. This can lead to slight nuanced differences from one bottle to the next, adding some variety between bottlings due to the conditions of the location in each warehouse in which the individual barrels are aged.

    The Single Barrel Reserve, like its standard sibling, is aged 9 years. Unlike the standard, however, the Single Barrel Reserve clocks in at 120 proof (60% alcohol).

    Aroma/Taste:

    This bourbon is very dark, with copper and amber tones throughout. On the nose, there are extremely strong hints of caramel and smoke with a creamy vanilla undertone. It begs to be tried neat, so that’s what I did. The first finger pour produced an initial nutty flavor that developed vanilla notes on the middle of the tongue, and turned to a spicy and surprising cinnamon flavor on the back of the tongue. It finished long, with just enough burn, and the cinnamon seemed to linger long after.

    For taste #2, I tried it over filtered ice. Surprisingly, this high proof bourbon does better neat. Initially, I liked the juxtaposition of cold bourbon with a hot-spicy finish. But as the ice melted a bit, the water actually dulled the cinnamon notes just a touch. That spiciness on the finish is where this bourbon truly shines, so I recommend drinking this neat despite its 120 proof.

    Synopsis:

    The folks at Jim Beam have hit a homerun here. The flavors of the bourbon mixed with the spicy finish are a welcome addition to the Knob Creek line, and the promise of finding this regularly on shelves at under $50 is exciting. The only negative I can find in this bourbon is that it will make it extremely tough to go back to the standard Knob Creek on an everyday basis.

    ModernThirst.com Score: 90 out of 100 points

    What does that score mean?

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    Bill
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    Bill is the Co-Founder, Editor-in Chief, and official Bourbon-o-Phile for ModernThirst.com, and Founder and Chief Blending Officer for Four Gate Whiskey Company. He is a native of Louisville, KY in the heart of Bourbon Country. He attended the University of Kentucky in the mid to late 1990s. He has also been published on Liquor.com. He has conducted various bourbon and whiskey tastings in cities across the country, and consulted for multiple national labels. He is married with two daughters, and lives in east Louisville. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter @BillStraub and email him at [email protected]

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    18 Comments

    1. Pingback: Giving Bourbon as a Gift | ModernThirst

    2. Matt Gates on January 31, 2014 3:03 pm

      Just tried the barrel number 597 selected by DEP’s. Agree with your review. Long cinnamon finish! I also agree that ice makes it a little less complex, but I actually like it better that way, mostly because that is how I normally enjoy my bourbon. I think i will try it with stainless whiskey ‘stones’ next time.

      Reply
    3. Matt Gates on January 31, 2014 4:27 pm

      The stones did make it better. I think I would still mostly gravitate towards ice.

      Reply
      • Bill Straub on January 31, 2014 7:09 pm

        Ice or neat for me. I can’t wait to try that again.

        Reply
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    8. Alan Wagner on March 21, 2017 4:01 pm

      Does anyone have a phone number to the Knob Creek distillery? I have a lable discrepancy question. Thanks

      Reply
      • Bill on March 21, 2017 4:07 pm

        Knob Creek is made by Jim beam. I don’t have the number off hand, but what is the discrepancy?

        Reply
    9. Justin H on March 25, 2017 12:10 am

      I’m just a novice bourbon drinker and feel somewhat not worthy. This bourbon being drinkable at 120 Proof is a feat on it’s own. It doesn’t burn your mouth but rather hot and spicy. I really enjoy it neat . This pre – prohibition strength whiskey separates the men from the boys . I am going to try it along side the Knob Creek small batch as well for contrast.

      Reply
      • Bill on March 29, 2017 1:06 pm

        Hi Justin, thanks for commenting!

        If you enjoy whiskey, you’re certainly worthy! The Knob Creek Single Barrel bottles tend to vary greatly from barrel to barrel, since they’re obviously single barrel releases, and I happen to think they’re some of the best value purchases on the market today. Cheers!

        Reply
    10. Lisa Marston on April 8, 2017 11:09 am

      I have been given a bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel bourbon and it has a silver label on it, “Barrel #4112 Hand Selected by Fred Noe All Hallow’s Eve 15 YR Old”. What can you tell me about this?

      Reply
    11. Joe Schmo on November 25, 2017 10:58 pm

      Best bourbon on the retail shelf, in my area anyway

      Reply
    12. george_jacques on January 31, 2018 8:52 pm

      Has all the attributes of a great ++++= Kentucky bourbon

      Reply
    13. Bill M on June 3, 2018 12:21 am

      Hard to argue with the nose on this bourbon.

      Reply
    14. R.Taylor on June 10, 2018 10:48 pm

      Taste, balance, etc .. and price. Beam has it wired with this bourbon. ++++++

      Reply
    15. polly frazer on June 29, 2018 10:55 pm

      The nose on this bourbon is so deep

      Reply

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