Peter (the owner of The Well of OKC ) and Zed (the Store Manager) visited Jim Beam recently and took part in a Knob Creek private barrel selection. To hear Zed talk about tasting this bottle after it arrived is amazing, here is what he had to say…
“I closed my eyes as I drank it because it reminded me of that morning of 45 degree temperature in the first floor of the rickhouse. The Kentucky air was clean and brisk and as soon as we entered the rickhouse, temps dropped 5 degrees. So cold on that first floor! I was shivering and shaking until I sampled the barrels”
This is barrel #3181. The barrel was taken from the middle of the rickhouse, the fifth floor to be exact.
You can check out my review of the normal Single Barrel for more information on Knob Creek, and to see what I thought of the original, which I really enjoyed. Let’s see how this one compares!
Company: Beam Suntory
Distillery: Knob Creek Distillery
Location: Clermont, KY
Mash Bill: 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% barley.
Age: 9 years.
ABV: 60% (120 proof)
Release: Limited. The Well of OKC.
Price: $30
Color: Amber girl
Nose: Loads of oak, vanilla, caramel, baking spices, and fruity, cherry-like. Little cinnamon and butterscotch. Not a lot of ethanol, very nice nose.
Taste: Tastes of clove, oak, pepper, caramel, dark chocolate bitterness. The balance of sweetness and heat is nice, tipping slightly closer to heat and bitterness on the scale.
Side note: I normally drink all of my Bourbon neat, especially when reviewing, because when you add a drop of water, for me things tend to get spicer. And, that’s the same with this Bourbon, it does pull out more oak flavor, but also a lot more spice. So, for me it’s not worth it, but to each their own! ALL THE BOURBON NEAT PLEASE.
Finish: Medium finish, has a bit of pepper heat that lingers for a bit on your tongue, but not long. If finishes lighter than you would expect.
Overall: This is a fairly heavy Bourbon and brings a lot of punch to the table, but thanks to that little sweetness, I really enjoy it.
I’ve been really impressed with all of the Knob Creek’s so far and this one isn’t any different. I suppose I should tackle that rye here in the future.
The Well did a great job hand selecting this Bourbon and its on sale right now for $30, which is ten dollars cheaper than the regular single barrel! In comparison to the original, this one is a little better, but that one is great too. Go buy this now! Do yourself a favor. You can’t beat that sale price for a good Bourbon.
Rating: 4/5