Bourbon Heritage Month 2020 Day 20: Knob Creek Single Barrel Select “Man of Few Words” Bourbon Pursuit and Keg ’n Bottle Pick

Knob Creek Single Barrel Select “Man of Few Words”

I SO want to call this a 13-year-old bourbon, but it falls short by 9 days. This was the second KC barrel pick I got and damn is this a good one. 

With the release of their 12-year and 15-year regular editions (even if the 15 is being called “limited”) it’s more and more likely that the older barrel picks are being phased out. Several friends of mine have reported receiving 3-pack samplers of all 9-year-old selections. What a shame…I’d really trade off Jim Beam adding $10, even $15 to a pick and keep the 12-15 YO picks coming rather than keeping that older stock just for their regular releases. For now, grab those picks while you can. I’ve never had a bad one (from a reputable picker, at least).

Jim Beam

60% ABV/120 Proof

12 YO, 356 Days, Distilled 10/13/2005 and Bottled 10/4/2018 

Warehouse W-W, Floor 3, Rick R-TT Tier 3, Lot 05J13, Barrel 7776A

Short barrel of 126 bottles

Eye: Thick, syrupy rim and legs. Dark caramel in the glass. 

Nose: Sweet oak and dark chocolate-covered cherries. Some bitterness from oak.

Palate: Lots of oak spice but also a lot of chocolate-covered cherries…the heat and sweet go back and forth on your palate. Ultimately, the chocolate dominates, but in doing so it highlights those great JB flavors - think roasted nuts and toasted caramel. Mouthfeel is rich and coating without being syrupy.

Finish: Medium-long finish lets the alcohol dissipate on the tongue and the bourbon flavors take over. 

Overall: An incredible bourbon. Rich, coating, and while I consider the heat and sweet to be bouncing off each other rather than balancing, the fight is a beauty. 

Rating: 8.5

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)