Knob Creek – Small batch (9 yr) 100pf

A true novice’s review

I performed my 1^st ever bourbon review on this 375mL bottle purchased from my local Powhatan ABC store for $18.90.  I chose Knob Creek as my 1^st review because it seemed to be a good value (not cheap) and I’ve heard good things from friends.  After finishing the bottle I realized I should’ve jumped to at least a full 5^th.  I tended to struggle detecting some of the components and before I knew it, the bottle was empty (apparent in the blurred picture I took in haste).  I attribute most of my struggles with my inexperience, which would obviously affect my review so I tried to compensate by breaking the review into 2 parts; performance against label claim and performance relative to my personal likes/dislikes (the former of which should be taken with a grain of salt).

My review

In general my 1^st review was a bit chaotic as I was making it up as I went along.  I did learn a lot along the way.  So instead of walking you through that “process” step-by-step to share my experience, which Josh did such a good job of in his review of EC, I decided to simply list the attributes measured and applicable grades.  Hopefully you find it somewhat useful.

My tasting was at room temperature, neat with a couple of sips after being diluted to 92 pf (0.5 tsp/oz.).  Before I thought to test it with ice I had about 3 swallows left so I’ll have to test that out next time.

Label Claim
Knob Creek describes this 9yr small batch as, “a dark amber product with expansive notes of maple sugar, toasted nuts and oak and a taste that takes over your palate with big notes of oak, caramel and fruit.  The finish is long and smooth with more kick than most.”

(Grades:  Label Claim/Personal)

Color (A/B+) – Moderate to dark amber (I personally like the appearance of the deep mahogany/red colored bourbons.  This was very close although I feel I don’t have a good standard to measure the color consistently yet)

Aroma (B/B+) – Initial sweet sugary oak with a masked aroma that could be described as toasted nut after some breathe time (or after proofing to 92).  Nice smoky oak or nutty aroma intensifies with more sitting time (Difficult to describe the aroma without knowing the label claim, but a good overall aroma with some character to help distinguish it from others.  I liked it, which is why I should have gotten the 5^th!)

Taste (C/B-) – Smooth with a generic sweetness initially, and a smoky taste (maybe oak/nut) that lingers a bit and strengthens after holding in your mouth.  Slight bitter taste in the back of the throat that tends to mute other flavors, but doesn’t linger too long (Difficult to taste the “big notes” of caramel and fruit even after proofing to 92 and allowing to breathe.  This grade is expected to improve some with experience)

Feel (na/B-) – Initially smooth (like water) on the tongue with some spicy heat that builds very slightly and lingers on the tongue and lips a bit.  Didn’t really coat the mouth.  Heat is briefly overshadowed by a moderate throat burn, but the heat does come back to play a bit in the finish (Grade mostly affected by my desire for more spiciness and a rich coating)

Finish (B/B) – Moderate in length and intensity - Pleasant with a slight spicy kick and slightly bitter after taste that fades relatively quickly with a moderate throat burn (at 100 and 92 proof) – (any bitterness is not desired, although it is expected to decrease with an additional dilution.  Overall happy with the finish, but nothing to write home about)

Value (na/B) – Fairly good value for the quality and age, but a bit high for a small batch bourbon.  Although a fair price in Virginia, would recommend a good barrel proof or single barrel at this price point.

RESULTS

Label Claim – B (Primarily affected by the lack of fruit and caramel detected in the flavor profile, which is suspected to be at least partly due to my inexperience)

Personal – B (more spice, a better coating and a bit less bitterness (not significant) would likely have bumped this up a letter grade)

Overall – B (I would recommend the 9yr. Knob Creek small batch as a solid option for someone who isn’t looking for a rich, spicy bourbon, but would like a nice smooth bourbon that could be enjoyed neat or in a mixed drink)