Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Review: Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey   94/100
a review by Chip Dykstra (AKA Arctic Wolf)
Posted on September 02, 2023

Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was originally promoted as part of Jim Beam’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection. This collection is composed of Knob Creek, Booker’s, Baker’s  and Basil Hayden’s bourbon whiskies. Although Jim Beam Distillers no longer promotes the Small Batch Collection, I would like to suggest that this selection of premium bourbon played no small part in the explosion of popularity of the spirit for whiskey enthusiasts. (It certainly has a positive impact on me.)

Knob Creek is the oldest of these small batch whiskeys, and is aged a full nine years in newly charred oak barrels, then bottled at 100 proof or 50 % alcohol by volume. The whiskey brand is owned by Beam Global and is produced at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.

In the Bottle 5/5

Knob Creek arrives in the rectangular bottle shown to the left. I like everything about this bottle presentation. The small rectangular bottle has a funky old school look; the label (which you customize on the Knob Creek Website) is original and eye-catching; and of course the wax sealed cork at the top with the easy to use tear strip is a good touch.

In the Glass 9/10

When I pour a small dram of Knob Creek into my glencairn glass, I see the whiskey has a rich copper colour which has started along its way to bronze. When I twirl and tilt that glass, I see nice medium-sized legs dribbling down back into the whiskey. The initial aroma is deep and rich with smells of fresh oak chips dripping with sap. Honeycomb, barbequed corn on the cob, baking spices (vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon), brown sugar, and fresh maple toffee all make an imprint upon my nasal senses. Indications of caramel and chocolate as well as cola rise in the breezes along with rich pipe tobacco and toasted walnuts.

Knob creek is a rich bourbon with a nose that one should stop to enjoy before sipping!

In the Mouth 56.5/60

This is a full flavoured bourbon which brings both heat (from its 100 proof bottling strength), and the rich flavour of fresh oak. The combination ensures spicy heat throughout the delivery with flavours of spicy wood sap, black pepper, cloves and cinnamon. As spicy as this is, there is also plenty of vanilla and brown sugary sweetness which gives the whiskey a rum-like feel as flavours of Demerara sugar, rich caramel, and sticky orange marmalade provide a firm counterbalance to the spicy heat and alcohol push. Tasty baking spices (nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves), hints of chocolate and toasted walnuts add to the rich flavour.

When ice is added, the force of the 100 proof bottling strength is tempered and the whisky is a joy to sip.

In the Throat 14/15

The finish is both sweet and spicy with maple toffee and spicy wood sap doing a bit of a dance down the throat. The tonsils are left glowing with the residue of wood spice and cinnamon, and the palate is left with lingering flavours of baking spices, vanilla, caramel and chocolate. A touch of bitterness right at the very end seems to compliment the lingering sweetness.

The Afterburn  9.5/10

Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is simply a wonderful bourbon whiskey. It carries a full flavour which features a balance between the sweet brown sugars flavours and the spicy wood sap which is just about perfect. And even though the whiskey carries a lot of the spice and heat, it is very easy to sip and enjoy with or without ice.

You may read some of my other Whiskey Reviews (click the link) if you wish to have some comparative reviews.

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As always you may interpret the scores I provide as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74   Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79   You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84   We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89   Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94   Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+        I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be more familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)