Knob Creek Limited Edition 2001

Neat. Final review of the bottle. Batch 1.This bottle has been a companion for some time, but all good things conclude. It's my daughter’s 7th birthday, and I've chosen to finish the last 4 ounces tonight. An ideal moment for a review. A remarkable cherry note at the start, accompanied by vanilla frosting and a hint of nuttiness. It evokes memories of my grandparents and their preferred cafeteria eatery. They served a vanilla pudding with cherry pie topped with crushed peanuts. The graham cracker crust is also present. I adore this aroma. The mouthfeel is exceptionally oily yet slightly thin. The oiliness becomes more prominent later, however. I'm experiencing a strong impact from the oak tonight. It begins light and bright with the vanilla, and then the oak descends like an anvil. Vanilla persists, and the cherry emerges more on subsequent sips. The nuttiness is extremely, extremely subtle. Still a superb dram. Since acquiring this bottle, a steady supply of 14-15 year old 120 proof store selections has become available in my region. While I appreciate the aroma of this, the taste is merely adequate compared to those store selections. This slightly lowers my rating.

Let's start by mocking whoever gave this a 95 on distillers. Anyway, following the significant disappointment of the 25th anniversary, I thought it would be interesting to try the 2001. As we are all aware, Knob Creek has become highly regarded for its exceptionally good store picks, often featuring 14-15 year age statements. This 14-year-old at 100 proof, however, is likely to be a major letdown. It's bourbon, so appearance is irrelevant. Nose is classic bourbon. Slightly nutty, vanilla, oak, light fruit notes, and perhaps a hint of custard. The flavor profile presents a lot of oak, not aged, rich leather oak, but rather a significant amount of freshly cut oak, vanilla of course; it's a really good quality bourbon. Finish is medium, again, nothing remarkable. Essentially, this is Knob Creek 9-year-old with a bit more oak and quality. It's nothing more than that, though. The standard single barrels are often superior, not even considering the older store picks. That being said, unlike the 25th, this is very good bourbon. It's just $120, which is outrageous.

I recently acquired a bottle of batch 4, having enjoyed some other Beam limited releases this year. I was aware it didn't receive great reviews initially, but had heard that later batches were superior. Let's see. Aroma - dried oak, peanuts, cinnamon, cherries, vanilla, and barrel spice. A rather typical KC bourbon aroma. Taste - A little thin for 100 proof, with peanuts, oak caramel, vanilla and baking spices. Some faint fruit notes. The finish is more of the same, but doesn't linger long enough to coat the palate. So, it's a decent bourbon, and representative of the Knob Creek profile. It just doesn't merit Limited Edition status (or price). This actually reminds me quite a bit of the Knob Creek 12 yr that began shipping this year. Perhaps the 2001 is slightly drier/oakier (but not by much). The issue with that is the 12yr is easily available for half the cost. Therefore, in that respect, this 2001 is a disappointment for me.

Body: appears quite substantial and coats the glass. The color is a rich dark brown, similar to lighter maple syrup. Aroma: Caramel, apples, vanilla, cinnamon rolls. Taste: Upon initial contact on the tip of my tongue and lips, it offered notes of aromatic tobaccos. An exceptionally smooth mouthfeel. Sweet corn, toasted oak, and nuts. Very little burn, and the sweetness persists with a range of tobaccos, oat, and just a trace of rye. Adding two drops of water revealed more char and vanilla caramel notes. Absolutely outstanding. Finish: Cinnamon, a very robust and pleasing toasted oak, and fried apples. Overall: I regret opening this, yet I am simultaneously thrilled with the product. It’s delicious, and I wish it were more accessible. If it were, I would consume this bottle rapidly and immediately seek another. As it stands, I will savor it.

The aroma is potent, but delivers some classic bourbon flavors. There’s honey, caramel, and sugar. The body is softer and mellower initially, then hits with significant heat. That shift in mouthfeel is interesting. I'm not sure how they achieved that. The flavor in the body is subtle. A hint of cinnamon, some tea leaves. A touch of lemon in the sharpest moments. The finish delivers on the citrus flavor, with strong cinnamon. I'm always fascinated when a bourbon can surprise you. Aroma has caramel? Screw you man, the body is going to have citrus. The mouthfeel transition during the body is also captivating. Booker's has done some strange things like this over the years, but this Knob Creek is something special. Very glad I got this bottle!

Delicious! Found this at a whiskey bar in North Carolina (hunkering down and having a glass while waiting for Florence) with a live jazz band. Rich maple syrup and vanilla on the nose with no burn whatsoever after opening up for about 10 minutes. On the palate, it is similar to the nose with just a little spice and mild heat. Reminiscent of a wheated bourbon like Weller 12 in my opinion. Finish is medium if not a little short. My only complaint was that it is too easy to drink and my glass was empty way too quickly. Higher price point but worth it if you have the money to spend.