Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon Whiskey

A 14-year-old store pick called "Lost Dutchman" from Gilbert, AZ. This bourbon is quite enigmatic, much like its namesake legend. Extensive searching revealed no establishments named "Lost Dutchman" in the Arizona area. The origin of this pick remains a puzzle, which, admittedly, enhances its appeal, especially considering these older Knob Creek picks are artifacts from a past era. The nose is truly exceptional, featuring cherry, sweet oak, caramel, vanilla, a subtle note of corn, brown sugar, cinnamon bun, candied ginger, a musty cellar scent, and citrus. It's amazing. The ethanol presence is surprisingly low for the stated proof. The palate is more oak-forward than the nose suggested, also presenting black cherry, cola, barrel char, bananas foster, leather, smoke, and orange peel. The flavors are intense. The finish is lengthy and includes flan, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, and more sweet oak. The mouthfeel is delightful; both velvety and simultaneously tingly/effervescent. This is a perfect complement to the flavor profile. I believe I paid $79.99 for this, and it was certainly worth it, though similar picks were available for around $55 in the past (a lamentable change). Nevertheless, this is quite impressive and narrowly misses a perfect score.

This 14-year store selection from GCM Liquor in Gilbert AZ is for my notes and likely only useful to those in the AZ area. The aroma is absolutely divine, featuring cherry, caramel, vanilla, and sweet oak. It doesn't offer much more, but frankly, it doesn't need to; sometimes, classic bourbon notes in perfect harmony are sufficient. The ethanol is pleasantly low. The taste provides more classic notes like black cherry, caramel flan, vanilla custard, burnt sugar, walnut, and barrel char. The flavors are bold and well-balanced. The finish is a slow transition into cocoa nibs, cherry cola, red hots, and some of the smoothest, softest oak I've ever encountered. It lingers seemingly forever. The mouthfeel is on the thicker side of medium-bodied and very oily. There's a slight sharpness, which is a minor flaw. Absolutely fantastic. I believe I paid $80 for this, and considering the increasing rarity of these 14-15 year selections (this was bottled in 2019, and I found it in 2022), I have no regrets. Liquid gold. If you happen to find a selection of this age, don't hesitate to grab it.

This is a familiar one, the standard release, 9 year 120 proof. I've often considered the store selections but ultimately chose rye over bourbon. Their prices increased from $50 to $60 to $70 in three years. This is a superb whiskey, but the price hike is excessive. I enjoy Knob Creek, but when the 12 year old went from $60 to $72 in my area, that made Knob 12 an unviable option, especially with ECBP at $75 or LCBP at $65. Both are superior. So, I observed that the Circle Liquor Single Barrel Knob was $49 and decided to purchase it. This is intensely caramel. Dulce de leche throughout the nose and palate. Vanilla is also present. The finish then offers a touch of tobacco leaf. A hint of oak. That's it. Not incredibly complex, but the strong flavors make buying it worthwhile. It's the best single barrel store selection I've encountered. Period. Damn, that's my shortest review ever. Regular readers are aware I'm verbose. I've twice received dismissive "too long didn't read" replies from rude individuals. But you know what, screw them. This is a review platform for you. A whiskey journal for me. This is my space. A whiskey record. And I'm sticking to it.

This selection, from Warehouse 1, Floor 6, Rick 61, was bottled on 11-16-2023 after aging for 9 years, 8 months, and 27 days. Opened 3 months. Aroma: Rich brown sugar, toasted vanilla bean, sweet oak, orange, allspice, and moderate ethanol. Taste: Sweet, oily oak, brown sugar, cinnamon coffee cake, chocolate orange, rye bread, and white pepper. The finish is long with peppercorn mix, musty grain, sweet oak, cinnamon sugar, slightly dry rye spices or oak tannins, cocoa powder, and moderate ethanol. I previously stated I was finished with these selections. However, an employee who assists with many of the picks mentioned this was considerably better than their two previous available selections. They were correct. This is an excellent pick, reminiscent of much older versions. I'm considering upgrading it to 4.5 stars, but it's not overly complex. It's simply a damn good bourbon representation for a great price.

Knob Creek Single Barrel Select (Kroger Wine & Spirits Pick). 120 Proof. Bottled 11/10/2011, selected 6/24/2022. Warehouse Z, floor 4, rick 22. Appearance - Tawny. Nose - Notes of marshmallow and roasted nuts. Maple syrup. A faint trace of dark chocolate. Palate - Flavors of peanuts and caramel. This one has a strong burn, and it requires some effort to discern the flavors. A touch of astringency. Dark chocolate. Possibly smoky leather as well? Finish - A medium finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate and nuttiness. Overall - I've been enjoying this bottle for the past nine months. It has a rich and dense texture. I find it lacks the complexity on the palate for me to fully appreciate and rate it higher. The aroma is interesting, and the finish is adequate, but I'm not detecting much beyond three or four of the more typical characteristics associated with Jim Beam/Knob Creek bourbon.

Special selection "Boomin' Nova" from Cassanova liquor in Hudson, Wisconsin. This bottle is 9 years and 2 months old. Nose is fantastic. Oak, caramel sundae, and graham cracker are prominent. Palate is very smooth for a 120 proof bourbon. This selection is much sweeter than I anticipated. Knob Creek can be excellent across a range of ages, but they can be very sweet and dessert-like when a bit younger. Flavors are straightforward but bold, with Oak leading. There's some cherry, simple syrup, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and nougat. Finish is a little brief, but it offers hints of leather and oak with a touch of maple syrup. It provides a pleasant warmth in the chest, yet you'd never guess from the palate that this is 120 proof whiskey. Truly a fantastic bottle!!!