Welcome to day one and we got us a doozy for you. Not only is day one a cask strength one but it’s also a bourbon. Trust me though this is not any old bourbon. This bottle is part of the Knob Creek Single Cask line and is an exclusive cask bottling for BC Liquor Stores. This cask was aged in warehouse E on the 4th floor. Then bottled at 60%
Take some time today and relax kick your feet up and enjoy this fine dram. Then get on to whiskydev.slack.com #advent-calendar and start a discussion.
If you enjoyed this whisky and are lucky it can be purchased here.
Story
Knob Creek is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced by Beam Suntory at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. It is one of the four Jim Beam small batch bourbon brands targeted for the high-end liquor market. Its siblings in the line are Booker’s, Baker’s, and Basil Hayden’s.
The primary expression of the brand is bottled at 100 proof (higher than the typical 80 that is the minimum required by U.S. Federal labeling requirements). Knob Creek was formerly aged for nine years, but is now sold with no age statement.
Knob Creek comes in a rectangular bottle with a corked or twist-on cap and wax-sealed top. The bourbon has a dark, golden-brown color. According to the company, this is due to the relatively long aging process, which allows it to absorb more sugar from the wood than is the case for the other Jim Beam Small Batch brands. The company describes the flavor as “rich, sweet, woody, full-bodied, almost fruity”, and the aroma as “toasted nuts, grain, oak”.
In 2009, Beam ran a campaign to publicise their shortage of Knob Creek bourbon. Demand exceeded the 2000 forecast, when the stock began the ageing process.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Very sweet. Brown sugar and caramel hit first, with apple and toffee that follow.
Taste: rich and creamy sweetness You’ll definitely notice the 120 proof,vanilla, maple syrup and brown sugar that the nose foreshadowed.
FInish: Hot and long lasting. Full of cinnamon, oak and leather.