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Knob Creek Small Batch Bourbon

AVB

AVB

Jesus of Cool, I'm bad, I'm nationwide
Joined
Nov 14, 2003
Messages
23,646
Location
Near York, PA.
Knob Creek 9 yo Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, short rectangular bottle, no other packaging, 750 ml, 100 proof, about $25.

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A review for Lemon if he hasn't cracked his bottle open yet. :D

One of the four small batch bourbons put out by Jim Beam, this is the second one I'm reviewing and it has to be an improvement over the poor showing Basil Hayden did.

I came home to a dark house with only a message flashing on my machine. The wife is working late and I'm on my own....what better time to have a nice drink and enjoy the peace and quiet. Knob Creek has a good strong spicy rye nosing with just a little charcoal in the background. The tasting starts out with marshmallow and hazelnuts, slowly fades to rye bread and ends with a touch of cocoa on the sides and back of the tongue. A very busy flavor profile but one that doesn't seem to get mixed up, almost like every flavor knows when it's turn is. The finish is one of spicy bourbon vanilla and lasts a long time with a very slow fade on the flavors.

This is more like it! Bourbon should be this good and while it would be a killer at 15 years, 9 seems enough to bring out plenty of flavors and tone down the rough edges. Fairly reasonably priced for a "small batch" bourbon it should be one of the ones you think of along with Elijah Craig when you need to upgrade from the standard Jim Beam. This is good stuff. :thumbs:
 
Hmmm, may have to give this another try. Last time was about 2 years ago and the charcoal overpowered everything else, which made it less than interesting. If I'd been making fruitcakes, this would have been ok to soad them with. :)

The state system must have decided that the market for small batch bourbon is dying; they used to have a nice selection, now all I could find was the Knob Creek and something new called Copper Corner 8 year old. But, they're still carrying Evan Williams 7 yo, although it's on the bottom shelf so who knows how long it will be around. :(
 
Everybody has his or her own taste and I’m not the final arbitrator of what is good or what isn’t. However, if you have tried some of the stuff I’ve reviewed in the past you have an idea what my tastes are and can adjust accordingly to fit what you like or dislike. That’s the beauty of having a large bunch of data from the same person plus it gives me an excuse to have a glass or two :) :)
 
AVB said:
Everybody has his or her own taste and I’m not the final arbitrator of what is good or what isn’t. However, if you have tried some of the stuff I’ve reviewed in the past you have an idea what my tastes are and can adjust accordingly to fit what you like or dislike. That’s the beauty of having a large bunch of data from the same person plus it gives me an excuse to have a glass or two :) :)
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That is a flawed analysis of your reviewing abilities. While you are a connisuer of fine liquors, that fact that there are few that can comment on the liquors you indulge in leads to an injudgeable conclusion. For the reviews that others comment, sheds light on some of the more readily available brands. But few can judge based on your reviews because they don't understand the fine intricacies that you can distinguish. I know I am sharp shooting you, but I mean no harm by it. You have a trained nose and palate, where as a majority of non whiskey drinkers won't be able to appreciate the flavors you detect. Just my 2 cents.
On a side note, keep the reviews coming! I love em. I can live vicariously through you!
Emo
 
It is only flawed if there really are few who can comment. In truth I have reviewed a fair number of scotch and bourbon that others have or have tried. The ones that do comment seem to agree (more or less) with me. If that is indeed the case then one could safely believe if I say something is oaky, it most likely is. That doesn't mean there won't be discrepancies between myself and someone else as psyktek pointed out in his comment. JMHO, YMMV ;)

emodx said:
That is a flawed analysis of your reviewing abilities. While you are a connisuer of fine liquors, that fact that there are few that can comment on the liquors you indulge in leads to an injudgeable conclusion. For the reviews that others comment, sheds light on some of the more readily available brands. But few can judge based on your reviews because they don't understand the fine intricacies that you can distinguish. I know I am sharp shooting you, but I mean no harm by it. You have a trained nose and palate, where as a majority of non whiskey drinkers won't be able to appreciate the flavors you detect. Just my 2 cents.
On a side note, keep the reviews coming! I love em. I can live vicariously through you!
Emo
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AVB said:
It is only flawed if there really are few who can comment. In truth I have reviewed a fair number of scotch and bourbon that others have or have tried. The ones that do comment seem to agree (more or less) with me. If that is indeed the case then one could safely believe if I say something is oaky, it most likely is. That doesn't mean there won't be discrepancies between myself and someone else as psyktek pointed out in his comment. JMHO, YMMV ;)

emodx said:
That is a flawed analysis of your reviewing abilities. While you are a connisuer of fine liquors, that fact that there are few that can comment on the liquors you indulge in leads to an injudgeable conclusion.  For the reviews that others comment, sheds light on some of the more readily available brands. But few can judge based on your reviews because they don't understand the fine intricacies that you can distinguish. I know I am sharp shooting you, but I mean no harm by it. You have a trained nose and palate, where as a majority of non whiskey drinkers won't be able to appreciate the flavors you detect. Just my 2 cents.
On a side note, keep the reviews coming! I love em. I can live vicariously through you!
Emo
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I haven't read all the reviews, nor can I recall all the ones that that were responded to. You have to go back and look at was responded to. If it is the Whiskey that is readily available, then the data is flawed. But once people can corroberate the lesser available stuff, then your reviews hold more salt. Follw me>

Emo
 
The more popular the higher the incidence rate should be. From that point you can trend out to items that have a lower rate. Another way to look at it is as a population and from there is it a straight statistical anaylisis. What is the confidence that X is true. The higher amount of samples (people who agree) will define a trend and a level of confidence no matter where on the popularity chart they fall. However, the more esoteric items will have a greater smoothing effect on the curve overall then the popular items.
 
Love to continue this but I'm gone until Sunday, have a good weekend. :)
 
How did I miss this thread for so many days ??? Well, this thread made me open the bottle and try some. Pouring some in the glass now.

First of all, none of my whiskeys have been sealed like this one. Really gives a nice feel to it all. When I nose (ooh, I feel like an oldschool reviewer ;)) it, it smells like Jim Beam, a sweet smell. It's like toffee with vanilla (wouldn't have thought of this without AVB's review). The taste is like something spicey mixed with toffee. I'd agree with "busy flavor profile", I can't say much else about the taste, but it's good! And that's always positive. I think the 50% alcohol volume is what keeps the taste and feeling in my mouth for quite some time. I sip this in small amounts, otherwise the spiciness would hide the taste, I think. I definately think this is better than Jim Beam, which I've lately liked less and less. My conclusion: probably the best bourbon I've had, perhaps a bit tough to judge for a beginner.

On a sidenote, I just acquired some Maker's Mark which also can't be bought in Finland. Got it from Estonia, payed about 30 euros for a 750ml bottle (that's about 36 dollars). I also like Maker's Mark a lot so far. The trip to Estonia is 15 euros back and forth, might go there and stock up on this nice bourbon :)
 
After gettin' totally pissed off about how expensive Scotch had become last year I dedided to give bourbon a try. I asked the clerk to recommend something good but not a mint.

I guess I really lucked out becuase they recommended Knob Creek. I have gone through 3 bottles of this stuff this year and it is just fabulous for the money.

I totall agree with your, "A very busy flavor profile but one that doesn't seem to get mixed up, almost like every flavor knows when it's turn is." Another bourbon I recently purchased was Old Rip Van Winkle 15 year old. All the flavors in this bourbon rushed out at once which totally overwhelmed me. I wish I would have bought 2 bottles of the Knob Creek instead.

-Matt-
 
I have the RVW 15 and although I haven't reviewed it yet, I didn't find it to be the same as you did. Different strokes and all that....

Did you read my review of the Van Winkle Family Reserve 20?


txmatt said:
After gettin' totally pissed off about how expensive Scotch had become last year I dedided to give bourbon a try. I asked the clerk to recommend something good but not a mint.

I guess I really lucked out becuase they recommended Knob Creek. I have gone through 3 bottles of this stuff this year and it is just fabulous for the money.

I totall agree with your, "A very busy flavor profile but one that doesn't seem to get mixed up, almost like every flavor knows when it's turn is." Another bourbon I recently purchased was Old Rip Van Winkle 15 year old. All the flavors in this bourbon rushed out at once which totally overwhelmed me. I wish I would have bought 2 bottles of the Knob Creek instead.

-Matt-
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If you see anything on my "looking for" list (here) let me know and maybe we can make a deal.

Lemon said:
The trip to Estonia is 15 euros back and forth, might go there and stock up on this nice bourbon :)
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Never heard of Johnnie Walker, Bowmore, Macallan, Chivas Regal, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Dewar's, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Jack Danials, Elijah Craig or W.L. Weller? You need to get out more. :D

Eshaw99 said:
Knob Creek is my favorite! Nice to finally see a review of an alcohol I've heard of :cool:
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Bringing up an older review.

I have to say today was the first time that I have tried Knob Creek. It is hard to believe that I made it through college without trying it, if I scratch the memory hard enough I think being near broke always came into play.

Any way, I didn't read AVB's review till after I tried a couple of big shots, straight, sipped slow. The spice really caught me off guard at first, then the sweetness hit along with a multitiude of other flavors. The more I drank the better I liked it. I just have the feeling that I will be drinking more of it.

Anyone have any cigar combinations to go along with it?
 
You weren't even here two weeks when I did this review so chances are you didn't even notice it. Glad you found one you liked and perhaps you'll look into some of the others I've posted. :)
 
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