Knob Creek 12 Year 100 Proof

Knob Creek 12 Year BiB

Cost: $59 at local liquor store (South Carolina)

Age: 12 years

Proof: 100

Mash Bill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

Appearance: Tawny, with super fat legs that don’t want to run down the side of the glass. Very viscous looking!

Nose: There’s an earthiness that hits me first (Some would call it “peanuts.” To me, it’s just earthy.) There’s a heavy ethanol profile that lingers and burns a bit. Once getting past that, there are more delicate notes of vanilla and caramel.

Palate: This is very oily and as thick as it appears. Big bold oak, barrel char, and burnt brown sugar hit right away. Digging in further are vanilla, some cinnamon and peppercorn, and a dirty earthiness. The ethanol that I got in the nose isn’t nearly as noticeable on the palate. This has considerably more “aged” notes than the standard Knob Creek 9 year.

Finish: This has a long, but not powerful, finish. The sweeter notes of vanilla and brown sugar are the most prominent along with a touch of oak. There’s not much of a hug to speak of. There’s a little bite in the back of the throat and a tingling that last on the palate for quite some time, but nothing deep down in the chest. As time goes by, the tingling on the palate somewhat transforms from a pepperiness to an ethanol sting. Not harsh, but just enough of a change to make you realize it wasn’t the ethanol making your palate tingle, but also a pepper note.

EDIT: Thanks to a comment on reddit, I tried this the following night with a splash of water and it changed it quite significantly for the better. Again, about a 2oz pour in a glencairn, but this time with a small splash of water by eye (maybe a 1/2 tsp). I then gave it a swirl and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Wow! This drastically cut the ethanol to the point I don't even pick it up on the nose. I get a lot more brown sugar on the nose and at the forefront of the sip. The oak stands out a lot more on the palette as well. That earthy note still dominates towards the back end of the sip and going into the finish. The finish is still a bit weak to me though. Overall though, a dash of water in a pour of KC12 did a world of difference for me! If you try it neat and it's not jiving with you like it didn't for me, try a little water with it.

Rating: 5.5/10 neat, edit: 6.2/10 with a dash of water

Overall: I’ve never been a big fan of Knob Creek. It’s simply okay. I got the 12 year offering figuring I’d see if the extra age makes a significant different to me. While this 12 year offering definitely steps up the game from the 9 year, it doesn’t significantly move the needle for me. I thought this was very nice on the palate, but the nose and finish certainly leave more to be desired. With this being a 100 proof bourbon, I also was not expecting so much ethanol throughout the experience – less on the palate, but definitely on the nose and finish. To me, this almost made it feel younger than it actually is. Lastly, I want to notes that I truly think the “earthiness” note that I picked up is different than the “peanut” profile that people always talk about with Beam product. This one really wasn’t so much “peanuts” as it was just “dirt.” I personally like it. Could be that the extra years in the cask helped mellow out that “peanut” note into more of a mild, earthy note.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect