Knob Creek Single Barrel Review

If you were take a poll in the bourbon community of the most loved Beam product, I’m pretty confident the winner would be Booker’s. There’s just something about Booker’s that appeals to people and I understand the sentiment because I am quite fond of the product myself. There’s a lot to be said about barrel proof bourbon that is readily available, age stated, and not absurdly expensive. The thing about Booker’s though is you really have to be in the mood for it. Batches of Booker’s average anywhere from 6-7 years old which is slightly on the young side of most barrel proof products. Combine the youngish age, high barrel proof, and the notorious nutty notes that Beam yeast is known for and sometimes a pour of Booker’s can taste like molten peanut butter and bananas. That’s Booker’s for you though - it’s the quintessential unapologetically brash “put hair on your chest” whiskey.

But what if I told you there was an older, cheaper, and only slightly less proofed version of Booker’s that doesn’t really get a whole lot of attention? If you think about it that doesn’t really make a lot of sense but it’s true. Knob Creek Single Barrel is the same mashbill as Booker’s, 2-3 years older (50% older than some batches!), costs 20% less, and is on average about 4% less ABV. On paper it certainly looks like it has Booker’s trumped. But does it?

60% ABV; 9 years old; $47

Notes: The nose is very woody with some nutty caramel around the edges. It breathes hotter than it should and it’s rather flat underneath all the ethanol so the nose isn’t going to win anyone over. Things improve dramatically on the taste though. It’s sweet, woody, and warm but not overly hot with a nice richness to it. Towards the back of the palate and finish some sweet maltiness and rye spice comes in. It’s got some nice layers of depth and the age is doing wonders to tone down the sometimes off-putting nutty Beam yeast funk notes. The proof is in a really good spot here as I never feel like it’s going to burn my face off even with the modest rye content. Overall, I think it’s a really good balance of wood, heat, sweet, and spice.

Thoughts: Obviously this is a single barrel so your mileage may vary but I think this is every bit as good as the specs indicate it should be. I’m willing to say I like this more than Booker’s. It’s a more refined product with better wood depth, deeper sweets, and less untamed heat. It lacks the finesse and elegance of something like Four Roses Single Barrel but I’m ready to go so far as to say this is the best product in the Beam lineup.

Rating: B / B+

Updated Thoughts March 2016: I’ve since been through a couple of different bottles of these since my review and sampled maybe 1-2 more. The above review represents the best bottle I’ve had of the bunch. One bottle was such a hot mess that I couldn’t even drink it and adding water only made it a watered down mess. The rest have all been consistent but a touch too bitter. I’d go back to saying Booker’s is probably worth the extra premium and being a small batch, the more reliable product in the Beam lineup.

Updated Rating: B / B-