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Knob Creek Single Barrel Question


Ruffin51
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On Knob Creek Single Barrel Store Pick bottles, there are sometimes side stickers that indicate extra age as compared to the unchanging nine year front label. I noticed some stickers also denote that the bottles have entry proofs well above the front stated 120. My question is, are they simply stating the entry proof and it has been watered down to 120 for bottling, or is the juice inside actually higher than 120 proof?

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My understanding is it is the proof when it was dumped prior to "proofing". So not entry proof, which is the proof it goes into the cask at, and also not bottling proof.

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5 hours ago, Ruffin51 said:

On Knob Creek Single Barrel Store Pick bottles, there are sometimes side stickers that indicate extra age as compared to the unchanging nine year front label. I noticed some stickers also denote that the bottles have entry proofs well above the front stated 120. My question is, are they simply stating the entry proof and it has been watered down to 120 for bottling, or is the juice inside actually higher than 120 proof?

As kevin said above, that's the dumping proof. It steel gets downproofed to 120.

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For the age statement you’re allowed to say nine years as long as it’s at least nine years (which most of the private selects are older). 

 

As as for the proof they need to have that exact. If they were bottling at barrel proof they would t be allowed to use the 120 on the label. 

 

Asgar as as I know KC 25th is the only barrel proof KC (although I think most bottle are pretty close to the 120). 

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Makes sense. Thanks for the clarification, all! I figured this was the case but wanted to be sure. A 13+ year, 120 proof single barrel for $40 is already pretty awesome, but all that and 130+ proof would truly blow my mind.

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I have participated in several Knob Creek private barrel selections.  Virtually every barrel I have sampled was older than 9 years, most were in the 11-12 year range, with a few 13+ years.  Likewise, every barrel was of a higher proof than 120, believe I have seen one as high as 139 when sampling.  Now that is hot!  Yes, whatever barrel you end up picking is reduced in proof to 120 and uses the standard 9 yr label, with a plaque added designating it as a private selection by your store.  Right now you can generally be sure that if you are purchasing a private barrel selection, it is definitely older than just 9 years.

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I just purchased 2 different Barrel Selections.  Outside of a sticker on the side is there any way to determine the age via the SKU or other secret codes on the bottle?  BTW the few i hav tried hav all been fantastic.  

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31 minutes ago, GreggJ said:

I just purchased 2 different Barrel Selections.  Outside of a sticker on the side is there any way to determine the age via the SKU or other secret codes on the bottle?  BTW the few i hav tried hav all been fantastic.  

I suppose you could email Beam, I haven't seen one locally labeled like the ones other people post either, just the silver Private selection label on the front.

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Not really a Beam guy but a couple local shops have barrels. Might pick one up as my next relationship maintenance purchase. 

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On 11/1/2017 at 12:27 PM, GreggJ said:

I just purchased 2 different Barrel Selections.  Outside of a sticker on the side is there any way to determine the age via the SKU or other secret codes on the bottle?  BTW the few i hav tried hav all been fantastic.  

Not from the bottle that I know of. If you're buying them in person, you can ask if they have the physical barrel in the shop. On the barrel there'll be an alpha-numeric code (like C04J13) that can be used to ballpark the age. The second and third digits (04 in the example code) indicate the barreling year, the 4th digit is the month (J is the 10th letter of the alphabet, indicating October) and the final two digits are the barreling day.

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27 minutes ago, Kpiz said:

Not from the bottle that I know of. If you're buying them in person, you can ask if they have the physical barrel in the shop. On the barrel there'll be an alpha-numeric code (like C04J13) that can be used to ballpark the age. The second and third digits (04 in the example code) indicate the barreling year, the 4th digit is the month (J is the 10th letter of the alphabet, indicating October) and the final two digits are the barreling day.

Thats good to know.  This was a Barrel pick from the state of NH.  So the Barrels wouldn't be available as there are numerous stores sharing bottles.  The nice thing is that they have 12 different barrels with tasting notes.  The first one I opened was very good.  I think most Barrel Proof offerings benefit with air and feel it could round into something excellent.  

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12 minutes ago, GreggJ said:

Thats good to know.  This was a Barrel pick from the state of NH.  So the Barrels wouldn't be available as there are numerous stores sharing bottles.  The nice thing is that they have 12 different barrels with tasting notes.  The first one I opened was very good.  I think most Barrel Proof offerings benefit with air and feel it could round into something excellent.  

It's nice that they at least provide tasting notes. And they have 12 different barrels to boot! I don't think all the stores near me have 12 different KC barrels combined.

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On 11/1/2017 at 12:27 PM, GreggJ said:

I just purchased 2 different Barrel Selections.  Outside of a sticker on the side is there any way to determine the age via the SKU or other secret codes on the bottle?  BTW the few i hav tried hav all been fantastic.  

If you know someone at Beam like I do, you can ask them and they will find out. Outside that, there's no easy way to find out. You can try emailing Beam with barrel info and maybe will get a response. I don't know of anyone trying this, but I do know people who have emailed Four Roses when they had a Private Selection single barrel with incomplete information and Four Roses answered them with the info.

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BT also answers questions about barrel picks quite thoroughly. Would be interesting to know whether Beam does or not. 

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I was told by two different store managers that the proof on the side label is what the juice inside the bottle is.  I give that explanation very little weight.  

 

However, in the review of the KC 25th Anniversary on Breaking Bourbon they mention that the PS Single Barrels selections are also bottled at barrel proof.  

 

http://www.breakingbourbon.com/knob-creek-25th-anniversary.html  See the last two sentences of the italicized introduction paragraph.  

 

An email to Beam went unanswered.  

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1 hour ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

I was told by two different store managers that the proof on the side label is what the juice inside the bottle is.  I give that explanation very little weight.  

 

However, in the review of the KC 25th Anniversary on Breaking Bourbon they mention that the PS Single Barrels selections are also bottled at barrel proof.  

 

http://www.breakingbourbon.com/knob-creek-25th-anniversary.html  See the last two sentences of the italicized introduction paragraph.  

 

An email to Beam went unanswered.  

 

Are you referring to this part of the review?: "Incidentally, the standard Knob Creek Single Barrel is released at 120 proof, however the smaller volume samples offered via the barrel selection program are bottled at barrel proof, which is often around 130 proof (based on experience)"

 

If so, I think he means the samples they send when you're choosing a single barrel are bottled at barrel proof, not that the eventual selection is bottled at barrel proof.

 

They did allow a small number of retailers to select "25th anniversary barrels", and those were bottled at barrel proof, but they were priced in line with the other 25th anniversary barrels released ($120+) so it'd be dark to mistake one for a "regular" KCSB store pick.

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2 hours ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

I was told by two different store managers that the proof on the side label is what the juice inside the bottle is.  I give that explanation very little weight.  

 

However, in the review of the KC 25th Anniversary on Breaking Bourbon they mention that the PS Single Barrels selections are also bottled at barrel proof.  

 

http://www.breakingbourbon.com/knob-creek-25th-anniversary.html  See the last two sentences of the italicized introduction paragraph.  

 

An email to Beam went unanswered.  

Just did a Knob Creek pick today. I can assure you they only bottle at 120. Kyle explained it above well.

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Plus...the KC website states: "This is our first ever bourbon bottled at barrel strength." when referring to the 25th Anniversary Edition. 

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Sounds good thanks for clarifying! 

 

Either way from an age/Proof perspective these are a nice value at $40 imo. I have had several different picks and were are all solid. 

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  • 2 years later...

Grabbed my first 2 store picks of this yesterday  - 14.5 yr olds 

 

Freaking outstanding - esp for $39

 

Very much hoping to find more of these in the future - although I fear a price hike will be coming soon 

 

 

Edited by chippinNsippin
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  • 5 months later...

So KC picks state on the label the Barrelled Date and the Selected On Date.

 

Does Beam dump the selected barrels the day their picked?

 

Just curious if the age of the bourbon would coincide with the Selected On Date.

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2 hours ago, Houston_TX said:

So KC picks state on the label the Barrelled Date and the Selected On Date.

 

Does Beam dump the selected barrels the day their picked?

 

Just curious if the age of the bourbon would coincide with the Selected On Date.

They do not dump on the same day they are picked. It can be anywhere from 1 -3 months after the pick that they get dumped.

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4 hours ago, flahute said:

They do not dump on the same day they are picked. It can be anywhere from 1 -3 months after the pick that they get dumped.

Are you sure, bro? They dumped our GBS pick right after. 

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55 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

Are you sure, bro? They dumped our GBS pick right after. 

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When was that pick? The very first Bourbon Crusaders picks whet like yours. I wasn't there for it but as I recall you actually got to participate in bottling?

Since then all of our subsequent picks have gone like other distilleries. You pick the barrel and then 'wait in line' for your spot in the dumping and bottling queue and then the barrel goes through whichever retailer you indicated.

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I’ve seen them dumped on the same day, but I know that often they can also be held for several months before they’ll be dumped.  I think it depends on how long it’s been since your last pick, as some limitations can apply as to when they will bottle for you again.  Essentially, you may pick two barrels but may only be eligible for one to be bottled.  They will then hold the other barrel for you until you’re back in the distributors eligibility queue.

Edited by Paddy
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