Knob Creek 12 Year - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
$65
Knob Creek 12 Year – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 100
Age: 12 Year
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery / Beam Suntory
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Barley
Website: Knob Creek
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Nothing crazy on the nose, but it has a very solid balance of the following flavors: Caramel, Vanilla, Mild Oak, Red Delicious Apple, and Nutmeg spice. Overall rich and sweet on the nose.
Taste/Palate: Very mild at the beginning and surprising for a 100 proof. It’s smooth and rich at the beginning starting with a mixture of sweet and mature notes. Caramel, Vanilla Frosting, Mild Oak with little Char and Wet Leather. In the midpalate you pick up a little more of that 100 proof heat but it’s still tame by comparison and you get introduced to some mild spices of Pepper and Nutmeg again. Mostly sweet and the spices are subtle.
Finish: Overall sweet finish of Crème Brule. In the background leather and oak carry over a little bit into the finish with a touch of baking spices.
Verdict: (See additional details in “My Summary” below). This is a great bourbon and it’s worth every penny at the 60ish that you commonly find it for. I don’t believe it belonged in the top 5 of Bourbon lists in 2020, but I get into that opinion later in My Summary. As I look back at my list of bourbons I tried in 2020 there are more than 5 that I’d pick over Knob Creek 12. I do feel that it belongs in the top 10 however. From start to finish KC 12 delivers and you can’t go wrong with having this on your shelf.
The Story: I first found Knob Creek 12 early 2020. It was a nearer release of theirs and the liquor store I was in had a stockpile of them. I snagged 1 and moved on. After cracking it open I really liked it and it moved to the top shelf. All of the sudden Breaking Bourbon named Knob Creek 12 their whiskey of 2020. Whiskey Advocate also put Knob Creek 12 high on their list at #2 for 2020. As many of you might know getting a whiskey of the year on any influential reviewers list can be the kiss of death. True Bourbon fans run out and grab 1 or 2 bottles to try for themselves. Bourbon “skelpers” run out and try to buy as many as they can so they can try to turn a profit on a secondary market. The same thing happened when McKenna 10 snagged whiskey of the year at the San Francisco World Spirits competition with notable Judge Fred Minnick. McKenna was almost impossible to find. Knob Creek met the same fate for a year.
It’s now late 2021 and the dust has settled.. A little. I now find Knob Creek 12 and McKenna 10 on a regular basis. But I put both in the “toilet paper shortage crisis of 2020” category. Hopefully the hoarders have stock piled enough bottles that they are satisfied and the secondary market for both McKenna 10 and Knob Creek 12 and softened enough that it’s not worth the time to be a greedy bugger and turn a profit on these. I compare these to the toilet paper crisis because that’s now hopefully over, but every now and again I run into Costco and find TP to be out of stock because people have made another run on the market.. very similar to Knob Creek 12 and McKenna 10.
The Distillery’s Story (My Summary): Beam Suntory has been cranking out quality Bourbons for quite some time (and many other brands outside of the Bourbon spectrum). They are well known for their rail Jim Beam bourbon and as you climb the Beam quality ladder you notice Basil Hayden, Makers Mark, Knob Creek, Bakers, Bourbon deLuxe, and Bookers. It’s a very impressive line-up that covers the market from rail to premium. They are now getting more and more into the highly sought out expressions with rare limited release versions found with higher age statements and Cask Strengths.
Specifically relating to Knob Creek. They crank out their juice in Clermont, KY under the Beam umbrella. They have been climbing in popularity at a very fast pace. It took me a while to find their Smoked Maple version. Knob Creek is most notable for producing quality bourbon with character. They also have their standard line-up with a clear age statement (Knob Creek 9 and 12). Knob Creek started with their 9 year age statement and the Knob Creek 12 came out as a limited release. Now the Knob Creek 12 is part of their standard line up and their Knob Creek 15 is now in the limited release category. I’m curious if the Knob Creek 15 will enter their standard line-up and a higher age statement will be the new limited release in the future. I fully support it if that’s the master plan. But remember extra age doesn’t always mean a better pour.
In Summary: I love Knob Creek 12 and I think it’s a great bourbon. Is it the “best” bourbon that I tried in 2020 or 2021. No. If you want me to be completely honest, I firmly believe that Knob Creek 12 was moved up the list because it was a standard expression. There was an uproar when McKenna 10 single barrel won the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Not because it was bad, but because it was one of the first times something was picked that wasn’t super expensive or very limited or rare (I.E. Pappy). While McKenna 10 wasn’t super rare, what created the most uproar was that a single barrel was picked. The odds of getting your hands on the specific barrel that was picked was finding a needle in a haystack. You might have noticed that I have mentioned McKenna 10 a lot in an article focused on Knob Creek 12. All of this is relative in my mind. I don’t think it’s coincidence that a widely available solid bourbon took home the prize in 2020. This is what one might consider a “market correction” in the Bourbon review world.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Nose, Palate, and Finish I rank regardless of cost. Value (recent addition) is ranked based on taste vs price.
Reviewer: David S
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