Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch review and tasting notes
The Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch is a harsh and honeyed bourbon, old-style: according to the intentions of the producers, the same as the Jim Bean, they tried to recreate the old American bourbon before Prohibition, when whiskey was not yet was flattened by the excessive industrial production that followed.
It is always delicate to talk about bourbon. The more whimsical, pyrotechnic, and baroque it is, the more appreciated, and this Knob Creek is truly a bomb of spice, sweetness, wood, and caramel. What is striking is the alcoholic strength, since it was bottled without being stretched, and the sweetness, the suggestions of the famous butterscotch, a type of toffee, a kind of toffee, although not quite the same thing. The process and the ingredients change, but we don’t care.
It is not a fine and delicate whiskey, not at all! It is a dragon punch in the face, almost a close fight between smokiness and crazy sweetness, but it has its charm. It finds a balance and a way to flow and satisfy the palate. After all, bourbon does not want to be an ethereal and slender product. It is not in its strings and never will be due to the method of production and aging in wood, which is always very aggressive.
But this Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch has a sense of its own, a purpose, it is exaggerated in an American way, so if you are looking for a docile Speyside-style whiskey or a marine one like Caol Ila, here we are on another planet. This is a brutal and exaggerated cowboy whiskey in every component.
The bouquet
Monolithic, woody, nutty nose (full of walnuts, hazelnuts), very spicy, with warm and almost tropical fruit, tones of peach, melon, candied oranges, then some hints of mint and pepper, and again the smoky tones that dominate.
What does Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey taste like?
Ample and alcoholic in the mouth, very powerful, smoky, but balanced by sweet and zesty returns that play down the alcoholic arrogance. It should be drunk very calmly, without haste. It is a structured whiskey that hits hard. However, it is not very dynamic or has excellent liveliness. It is well made, solid, stylized, certainly, but enjoyable. The finish is long and woody but with spicy returns and touches of fruit in maple syrup.
The price
Thirty-five euros is a fair price for a particular bottle of whiskey, suitable for lovers of intense flavors. If you are fond of smoked foods and barbecues, it becomes an excellent accompaniment for robust dishes.
Cocktail to do with the Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
All the great immortals: Boulevardier, Old Fashioned, Irish Coffee, Mint Julep, Sazerac, Godfather, Rusty Nail, Rob Roy, Old Pal, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Toronto, Penicillin.
Food Pairings
Spoon desserts, trifle, chocolate, salmon terrines, brisket and pulled pork, chocolate salami, apple pie, tiramisu, and creme brùlée.