BOTM, 6/05: Knob Creek

[jeff]

Bourbon of the Month, June 2005:

Knob Creek

You've asked for it, and here it is, the first Straightbourbon.com bourbon of the month!

Post your comments, tasting notes and anecdotes here. This thread will stay pinned throughout the month of June, at which time another bourbon will be chosen for the follwing month...etc.

Sound off!

[Bamber]

I've been toying with buying a bottle of this stuff for over a year having had quite a few pours of it in a local pub. Nice but it's got that Jim Beam licorice edge, which puts me off ever so slightly. It's on the to 'get list' but not high up.

In the UK 'Knob' is slang for a man's 'little guy', which makes ordering a 'large Knob Creek' nigh on impossible

[jeff]

I don't get licorice so much as I do Maple in all Beam bourbons. For me the flavor works best in Baker's, but it's pleasant enough in KC as well. Initially I found KC to be rather hot and astringent, and I went about 2 years between bottles. I must admit that my impressions have changed considerably. I'm really enjoying this latest bottle.

[AVB]

One of the better Beam variations IMO. I always have some around and think it is way ahead of their Basil Hayden's.

For future reference, just what are the standards for BOTM? Is it a popularity contest or just what you decide?

[jeff]

For future reference, just what are the standards for BOTM? Is it a popularity contest or just what you decide?

All the kinks have yet to be worked out, and for now I'll try and pick bourbons that are pretty well available everywhere. Eventually I think a board-wide poll of several nominated bourbons might be fun. That, or whichever distillery gives me the most money to pimp their product

[Chaz7]

Knob Creek is one of my faves, although the Pappy Van Winkle family blindsided me with some truly great stuff. I will pick up a bottle of KB when it goes on sale for $20.00 or less. Retail (750ml)in Colorado can swing from $22.95 to a ridiculous $34.95. But, since EWSBV 1995 is usually around $20.00, I've not picked up a bottle in a while. But at bars and resturants, everyone seems to have the "family" (Booker, Basil,and the boys) I will usually go for the KB, once in a while, Basil. KB was my first exposure to good sipping bourbon; although I don't count my earlier flings with Wild Turkey, the "party bourbon" of my youth

Chaz

[bourbonmed]

Beam has done a nice job on Knob Creek pricing -- often on sale for $19.95 in South Florida. A local bar recently had a 2 for 1 Knob Creek special...$5.50.

Now that's a happy hour.

Omar

[TrueBarrel]

IMHO when on sale it's a good value. It has a bold, spicey full-bodied taste that I find very satisfying, especially after a meal or with a cigar. It's not the most complex bourbon, so it's good when you want a flavorful bourbon but don't want feel like you're wasting a complex bourbon by not fully concentrating on every sip, such as while watching a game or reading a book.

[dougdog]

My first taste of Knob Creek was at the “Whiskies of the World†exposition two years ago in San Francisco. There was a seminar titled “The Great Whisky Debateâ€. The two speakers were Richard Patterson of “The Dalmore†from Scotland and Fred Noe representing the U.S. from Jim Beam and I sat on the front row. Our whiskies were neatly arranged for the tasting that was about to begin.

The “Debate†began. Both speakers were hilarious and very entertaining, and among the many antics, Fred demonstrated how smooth his bourbon was and proceed to break the seal of a 750ml bottle of Knob Creek and start chugging....after which, he solicited the attention of the audience to observe the fact that he didn’t grimace or make a face!

After the seminar ended and things quieted down a bit and I asked Fred (sitting across from me) to observe me while downing the remaining portion of the Knob Creek in my glass. He noted that I made a face, I enquired, respectfully curious, as I thought I had completed the task flawlessly...he said...â€you made a faceâ€....â€You smiledâ€.... I was pleasantly “Bustedâ€!

Soon after, I purchased a bottle and it remains to this date unopened... adding to my bunker full of “deferred gratificationâ€.

I wonder how long I will have to bunker this bottle until it becomes rare and collectible?

Your thoughts?

(I should mention here, how wonderful Richard was too. He had brought a cask sample of the 62yo Dalmore, for part of the demonstration at this seminar. I stayed later than most of the others and just prior to the hotel closing that room, he poured a wee dram of that magnificent old malt into my glass, I savored that whisky the rest of the evening. What a treat!)

[gr8erdane]

I just have to ask if everyone is seeing KC signed bottles EVERYWHERE like me? Just about every store I've been to lately has Fred Noe's signature on the bottle. I'm starting to wonder if Fred is working off a major case of writer's cramp now or if this is printed on the bottle in gold script.

Still Knob Creek has to be one of the most advertised bourbons I have seen out there. I see adverts in magazines that cater to Scotch more like GOLF. Well done Beam marketing, keep it up.

As far as the taste, It's pretty much middle of the road for me, not something I sit around and think about. Of the small batch bourbons, I rank it third behind Bookers and Bakers. Will have to try to change that this evening when I settle down in front of the PC or TV.

The most memorable thing about my current bottle is how hard it was to get open. The wax on this one was extremely hard to cut through and I had to whittle it off with a pocket knife.

[jeff]

Dane,

My first bottle was dificult to open as you described, but the one I bourght a couple weeks ago opened effortlessly. I think they changed the formulation of the "wax" seal"

[AVB]

There were 12 bottles of 62 year old Dalmore bottled. One was kept by the distillery, one was auctioned for charity, afaik one was sampled and 9 were available for sale. You can buy one here if you want.

I truely envy you for that once in a life time tasting. However, I've sampled the 50 year old so I can at least guess what the 62 may be like.

[Geo]

Knob used to be my favorate pour until I found Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 107. I love the wheat bourbons. My favorate for the price is Old Weller Antique 107. For $20, it cant be beat and ORVW 10yr 107 is great for $28.

[Gillman]

I've just had a shot of Knob Creek. It's good but a little "corporate"-tasting in my view, a little too bland. It has almost no smell or taste of charred wood, which comes as something of a surprise considering its years in new charred oak. I wonder if that palletized warehousing may be dumbing down the product a bit. Certainly a good whiskey but not what I recall when originally issued.

Gary

[Hedmans Brorsa]

in my view, a little too bland

Indeed, even if you take into account the fact that palates become hardened over the years, you simply cannot escape the fact that KC, very much like the famous Scotch Talisker has been blanded down in recent years.

KC was one of the first premium bourbons that I tried and one of the characteristics that almost instantly appealed to me was that spicy attack that refused to leave the tastebuds alone and contributed to its complexity. Of this, only a faint echo can be noted in my current bottle.

The case for the defence : it is certainly one of the most refined bourbons out there. IMHO, only Hirsch and 20yo Pappy rank higher within this special field. Apart from this I have to say that the nose has improved dramatically. The first bottles I had around 5-6 years ago came with a beautiful fruity scent which unfortunately disappeared after only 30 seconds or so, leaving only a dry, sawdusty and decidedly uninspiring smell. Nowadays longevity thankfully rules and you can catch a number of scents like cinnamon, fruit, honey, peppers etc.

Final verdict : a highly sophisticated bourbon perhaps lacking a little in terms of individuality. I prefer Booker´s and Baker´s but all three are mandatory for the true bourbon aficionado.

[BrbnBorderline]

Knob used to be my favorate pour until I found Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 107. I love the wheat bourbons. My favorate for the price is Old Weller Antique 107. For $20, it cant be beat and ORVW 10yr 107 is great for $28.

Weller Antique is my favorite too. Soooo much caramel flavor......yummmmm.

As for KC, I think it is a bit dry, but still pleaseant, with the characteristic maple flavor. I like Booker's and Baker's better, tho.

[TNbourbon]

I'd not had Knob Creek since a tasting event with Fred Noe last November. Retasting it last night made me realize I don't miss it. It's okay bourbon -- but I've got plenty of those. I am put off up front by the burnt caramel taste that strikes me. I like caramel a lot, just not burnt. After it sat in the glass, the burnt sensation wore off for me, and after 20 minutes it was a pleasant drink, with the basic maple and vanilla undertones to the caramel. But there aren't too many occasions when I'm going to pour a drink and the let it sit for 20 minutes before sipping.

[ratcheer]

I opened my new bottle of Knob Creek last night while watching a Grateful Dead special/movie on public television. Talk about memories!

First, the pull tab on the black wax cap cover worked, perfectly. They have obviously put some effort into fixing that old problem.

The initial aroma was almost nothing but alcohol, with a touch of sweetness. Maybe a hint of vanilla. After I had finished the drink, I detected a fairly pronounced maple syrup aroma in the glass. But this was a bit too late to be meaningful. Maybe my nose was off, last night.

I agree wholeheartedly with what a couple of others have said in this thread. This was basically a decent drink, probably more refined than the KC of two or three years ago. But, I really missed the old balls-to-the-wall rye spice attack I used to get from KC.

In old postings, I remember saying KC would be the perfect bourbon if you were in a cozy lodge out in the forest on a cold winter night. That thought would never come to mind with this current bottling. It is much better than "bland", but not close to what it used to be.

KC used to be my favorite of the Beam Small Batch Collection. Two years ago I would have rated Booker's second and Baker's third. Now, I don't know how I would rate them because I wonder if the others have changed as much as KC?

Also, KC is quite expensive, here. I am glad to have gone back and tried it again for this thread, but I wish I had my $32 (plus sales tax) back. It is certainly not very good for that kind of money.

Tim

[TNbourbon]

...Also, KC is quite expensive, here. I am glad to have gone back and tried it again for this thread, but I wish I had my $32 (plus sales tax) back. It is certainly not very good for that kind of money...

Ah, yes -- I failed to mention that, too! I shake my head when you guys report it's 'on sale' for under $20. I don't think I've ever seen it in Middle Tennessee under $27, and you can add 9.25% sales tax to that. Usually, it closer to $30, sometimes higher. As Tim notes, it doesn't stand out in that price category.

[gr8erdane]

Just inside the front door at Lukas Liquor Superstore in Manchester MO is a HUGE display of KC for 19.99. Has been there at that price for as long as I remember. They either keep it filled to the brim or it goes untouched, I can't tell as I only get there about once a month. They have good prices on what they have in bourbons but that's not a whole lot more than the basics.

[musher]

I assume we're all talking about prices for the 750ml size (which I can usually get on sale every few months for about $19.99).

I noticed the liter size showing up in my favorite store lately, but I didn't note the price. With that rectangular bottle, it sure looks a lot bigger in the full liter than the 750ml. More noticeable than the difference between the 750 and liter sized regular bottles like Wild Turkey.

[BourbonJoe]

Knob Creek is an o.k. bourbon, but nothing special to me. It is also expensive here in PA. I like Bookers better.

[Chaz7]

I've got a couple of tidbits to add. First, it's unfortunate there is such a disparity in pricing around the country. I usually feel Colorado is expensive, but on occasion, I've found KC for $17.95 (of course, I've seen it for $34.95 as well). As far as the wax, I had bought a bottle of Makers Mark in Texas to fend off a cough. When I got back to Colorado, the wax had remelted, with the pull cord of course gone! I had a good laugh, and figured I would have to be desperate to get another drink out of the bottle! Actually, it's not at all that bad of an inexpensive bourbon. But with all these wax bottles, be careful leaving them in warmer places for extended periods. Chaz

[mike1]

Knob Creek is ok. It has a nice char to it, although a little rough around the edges. I had some today, and after the Knob Creek had a pour of Buffalo Trace, and there was no comparision. The BT was smooth with a nice vanilla. The Know Creek had alcohol overtones that were dominant. So it is just ok in my book.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

it's unfortunate there is such a disparity in pricing around the country.

Well, you can always move to Sweden. Here, prices are all the same and always expensive!