Today, I’m reviewing one of the more well-known brands from one of the more well-known distilleries in whiskey – Knob Creek 12 from Jim Beam. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve had from Beam, and there’s a lot of love in the bourbon world for Knob Creek, so I’m excited for this one.
I’ve read that some who have been drinking bourbon for awhile had bad first impressions of this product when it was first released in limited quantities in 2019 – that it was seen as a younger bourbon being priced higher than the Knob Creek products that were available in stores prior to 2019 or so. I came into the bourbon world after those mythical Knob Creek products of the 2010’s and so missed that bad first impression.
As always, I drank neat out of a Glencairn. Let’s get into it!
KNOB CREEK 12
Cost: $65-$75 MSRP (some stores might charge more)
Proof: 100
Nose: Rich caramel, vanilla, cherry, orange peel(?), spiced apple pie, apple juice, light oak, dark chocolate
Palate: caramel, cherry, oak, vanilla, baking spices (cinnamon specifically)
Finish: Sharpie, caramel, baking spices, oak, light apple, dark chocolate
This, to me, is an incredible nose. There’s a variety of rich notes here. The caramel and vanilla carry the day, but I sense the presence of several other delicious things – apple juice made itself known, as well as some dark chocolate. I smell what I think of as citrus (I guess orange peel, though that’s probably too specific) which is an interesting note for a bourbon. I didn’t find the peanut note so many attribute to Jim Beam products, but there are some less sweet notes here. I sense the oak and the bitterness of the dark chocolate. A well rounded, delicious nose.
The palate is less sweet than the nose, though still very good. Oak has a heavy presence – not in a dominating way, but certainly noticeable. I also taste what I think of as cinnamon, which is a big plus for me. Additionally, a cherry note enters, which again is a win. I love a good cherry note in a bourbon. Finally, caramel and vanilla are there, though not as present as in the nose. Definitely a good palate, though slightly disappointing compared to the nose.
I’ll be straight – I really like this whiskey. It has all the classic notes you’d want in a bourbon, with caramel, vanilla, oak and cherry all being present. There are other more unique notes as well – I really enjoyed the light apple and dark chocolate I found. There’s a vibrancy and richness to this bourbon I don’t think is common, and I wish I found it more. The notes are clear and easily perceivable. The nose is the strongest part, and it truly is nice. The palate and finish, while still being quite good, don’t quite meet the expectation the nose sets for me. Again, I don’t mean to say the palate or finish is bad, but fall just a little short of where the nose told me they’d be.
I understand this can be difficult to find in some places. But if you can find it for its retail price ($65-$75), I would absolutely pick it up. I even paid a little above retail ($85) and don’t regret it. I can’t speak to what Beam was putting out in the Knob Creek line before 2020, but taken on its own merits, this is really good bourbon.
Rating: 4.3/5
