Knob Creek 12 Year Small Batch Bourbon

The mash bill for this spirit, like all Knob Creek expressions, consists of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley. It's bottled at 100 proof, and a fifth cost me $69.99 at a local liquor store. Naturally, it carries a 12-year age statement. In the glass, it displays a dark copper hue. AROMA: Initially, I detected honey butter with cinnamon. This was followed by a musty corn scent, smoke, milk chocolate, hot vanilla, candy corn, photo cocoa, a subtle citrus note, vanilla icing, and a floral element. After the initial sip, a burnt wood aroma also emerged. MOUTHFEEL: Smooth and somewhat creamy. TASTE: Spring water and fresh flowers (these are more impressions than tastes), cinnamon, dark chocolate, and a hint of oak. While I don't perceive as much on the palate of a complex whiskey as I do in the aroma, I had the sense that there were notes just beyond my perception, which others might detect. FINISH: Long, starting with oak. Semisweet chocolate appears, then fades into a lingering combination of oak and chocolate. OVERVIEW: This is unmistakably a Knob Creek bottle, yet it differs from both the 9-year and the store pick Single Barrel Select I've sampled. My initial impression was an overpowering oak presence, but it has since opened up significantly, and that excessive oak is no longer noticeable. I encountered aromas in this bottle that I've never experienced before, and I believe I would have detected more nuances on the palate if my senses were more attuned. The price is high for me, but the spirit is worth it – it's exceptional. RATING: On my personal scale of eight levels, with 8 being the highest, I rate this spirit an 8, which I consider Mighty Fine. This is comparable to a five-star rating, or 100/100 or 10/10.

Do you recall the (typically superb) 120 proof Single Barrel Select store picks available between 2018 and 2020 for about $60? Those sometimes aged 13, 14, or even 15 years? They were often rich, creamy, sweet, dry, and perfectly balanced? Well, this is not that. However, it comes quite close. The aroma is caramel, vanilla, and Bit-O-Honey smoothly transitioning to dried peanuts and toasted oak. It's not particularly exciting, but it's considerably better than most other readily available American whiskeys. The taste is rich, creamy, and sweet. It doesn't just coat your mouth; it climbs your tongue. Dark caramel, brown sugar, burnt honey, fresh nougat, and maraschino cherries flood the palate. Just as it seems about to become overly sweet, it shifts to dry, dark chocolate, and the wood finally makes its presence felt with a subtle oaky ash and tannic sharpness. The finish is medium-short, concluding with a pleasing caramel note. A pleasant, flavorful, and balanced drink. It's equally suitable for unwinding at the end of the day, quiet reflection, or a special occasion shared with friends. Two points to consider: 1) This requires aeration. It benefits from time in the glass and also improves significantly with oxidation in the bottle, and 2) I've observed this priced at $120, and it is absolutely not a $120 whiskey. If you can find it for under $80, I do recommend it.

Cherries on the nose, and it feels very balanced on the tongue. Buttery toffee, apricots, cherry, shifting to baking spice, and toffee. On the first swallow, the toffee becomes black pepper, oaky, charcoal, a cinnamon burn (a little hot for a low proof but perfect in my opinion) as the afterburn fades, it ends with cocoa to dark chocolate to hot chocolate by a smoky campfire. The ending was the best part for me. I would definitely rank it in the 88 to 90 range. The age of the spirit is definitely noticeable in the feel and flow. Loved it, very savory and robust.

Aroma: somewhat subdued but the sweet oak and marmalade come through. Taste: That 50% ABV is spot on, with vanilla custard and a smooth, creamy texture not found in the standard nine-year bourbon. Finish: slow and smooth with the characteristic spice associated with the brand. This is a well-balanced and sophisticated version of Knob Creek. It retains the powerful flavors and spices without being overwhelming, unlike the standard bottle, and isn't excessively oaky like older single barrel expressions.

For the initial pour, it was quite smooth, offering light, subtle flavors that weren't overpowering but were a bit faint. It seemed somewhat diluted. Despite being 100 proof, it had an oily texture that coated the mouth. A touch of pepper lingered on the finish. This would serve well as an introductory spirit for newcomers to whiskey. Revision: As it sat, it developed a more authentic character, with flavors becoming more pronounced. A pleasant cherry note emerged. I might reconsider the rating after further tasting.

Smells of burnt brown sugar, vanilla, and oak. Taste is very vanilla-forward, then some spice and a honey-sweet finish with orange peel. Much more oak on the palate than the 9 year, but not in a bad way at all. Finish is just slightly shorter than I'd prefer, but a great sipper overall.