Knob Creek 25th Anniversary

Thanks to /u/devoz for sharing this sample with me.

Anniversaries are an interesting thing. In theory we shouldn’t give a rat’s puckered butt about how long anyone has been doing something unless we know them. However time and time again people celebrate anniversaries that they have little invested in.

I think it’s part of the human experience. We know that doing something for a long time is worth celebrating. As such, we celebrate when anyone hits any anniversary.

I know no one at Jim Beam. I’ve met some, however they probably wouldn’t wave to me on the street, mostly because we’ve met once, and not due to some hatred of bald people.

Knob Creek 25th Anniversary was made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Booker Noe bottling the first batch of Knob Creek. Knob Creek states this started the small batch movement. So please lineup to the microphone we’ve setup to argue that, we’ll try to get through as many of you each day, and remember it’s the Internet, so hyperbole, calling people out, and generally showing no nuance is awarded.

Knob Creek 25th Anniversary is a limited edition, unfiltered (save for quality screened to remove pieces of charred wood), and cask strength, all from a single barrel. According to Knob Creek, this is their first ever bourbon bottled at barrel strength.

So congrats on being able to continue in what I’ll call a rough niche high end market that sees new competitors each year. That’s not easy. And none of that is sarcasm, truly, way to go.

But how does the whisky taste? Let’s see, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Kentucky

Age: 13 years, 4 months

Abv: 62.1%

Colour: 5YR 5/8

Nose: Cherry/almond butter, kola nut, honeydew melon, brine

Initial nose is a lot of almond flavours. Which immediately makes me realize that I really, really like marzipan.

Time gives it more of that strong kola flavour, accompanied by some nice melon. Not like that bad melon you get in fruit salads that are sold on discount. I’m talking when the melon is in season and chosen by someone who gives a damn. A little bit of brine rounds it out.

So far so good. I sure do hope it doesn’t go down hill…

Taste: Cinnamon, peanuts, honeydew melon, lemon, brine

Simpler taste. Initially quite hot, with a lot of spice. Keeps up with the melon… which has lost some of it’s luster.

Simpler taste. Water makes it more lemon and brine, and less nuts. In my mouth. Make you’re own joke, it’s been a long week (at the time of writing this, I have exams, which is the academic equivalent of the university putting nuts in my mouth).

Finish: Alcohol, moss, mint, white pepper, oak

Finish is rough. Mostly heat, more heat, some vegetal heat, and some oak to round out the heat.

Conclusion: Great nose, the rest goes downhill sadly. I’m happy that Knob Creek is still around after 25 years, however I think this single cask was all nose and no taste, like a big nosed phoney person.

Take that big nosed phoney people!

The taste is mostly a parody of the nose, and the finish is heat and pain. I enjoyed the nose, it was nice, and saves the score. However I’ll be looking for better cask strength single barrels in the future.

74/100

Bourbon review #212, Kentucky review #133, Whiskey Network review #1301