Knob Creek Single Barrel Store Pick - L-03-022

Store pick Knob Creek Single Barrels have been a repeat purchase for me recently. Every time I grab one I am impressed, and this one is no different.

Neat in a Glencairn, this barrel is from warehouse L, floor 3, rick 22. It was barreled on Feb 8, 2011 and bottled on May 27, 2020. Bottle opened for 3 weeks and is 80% full.

Nose: Nose is a bit closed at first, since this is a recently opened bottle I let the glass sit for 30min. Ahh, that's better. Lot's of clove, honey, strawberry, and chocolate mocha mixed in with a pretty rich, sweet whiff of hazelnut. Then some lovely cigar box at the end. The more I nose it, the more the cigar box comes out and it's really nice and complimentary to the other chocolate sweetness notes. This is the lightest nose of any KCSB I've tried among what is usually pretty rich, dark notes. This is rich and sweet, but still light. I know that is somewhat contradictory in bourbon, at least for me anyway, but that's the best explanation I have.

Palate: Lots of milk chocolate and coffee; so mocha I guess. Very rich. Honey and vanilla join in as well. The cigar box that I loved on the nose is very much in the background here and I wish it was more front and center along with the other notes to balance the chocolate mocha sweetness. The more I chew this, some black liquorice and spices come to play. Think cinnamon, and maybe a bit of cumin? Enjoyable, part of me wishes there was more of that cigar box and spice to balance out what is a very chocolaty sweet palate.

Finish: The transitions of flavor after I swallow is what I wish would happen on the palate. It starts with rich honey and chocolate, then transitions nicely to that oak cigar box that I adored in the nose.

Overall: Another worthwhile recent KCSB store pick. This was on the sweeter side and I wish that cigar box note was more "there" to balance things out. I really liked that flavor. These have been intriguing whiskies full of flavor. While I think Elijah Craig barrel proof and JD Barrel proof are slightly better, I don't go spend $70-$80 on a whisky very often. At $49USD, I think these represent good value (I'm sure I said that on the other recent review too). I've heard that they may be dropping the 9yo age statement from the standard single barrel line. If that's the case, I will only buy the store picks that have barreled and bottled dates.