When people turn 25 years old, they finally get to rent cars without an outrageous fee. The only time you really benefit from that is when you’re on vacation. Not to say renting a car isn’t cool, but it isn’t nearly as cool as what happens when a distillery turns 25. Knob Creek has introduced an anniversary bourbon celebrating a quarter of century, allowing scores of people to partake in their celebrations.
Knob Creek 25th Anniversary Bourbon is an exclusive and limited edition release that was crafted by seventh generation master distiller Fred Noe to honor the legacy of his father, Booker, and the Knob Creek name, which began in 1992. At that point in time, craft bourbon was hardly a thing, and you’d be hard-pressed to find bottles of bourbon that were going to cost you what some craft bourbons do today. (There’s nothing wrong with that, but thinking about this makes it seem like such a simpler, better time, if you ask us.) It was in that environment that Booker Noe first started crafting the small-batch, Knob Creek bourbon that we know today (as well as Knob Creek’s future siblings in the portfolio, Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s, and Booker’s).
For this milestone, the distillery went big with the bourbon. Like, real big. The new Knob Creek is an unfiltered, single-barrel bourbon, coming in around 120 proof. The price is pretty big, too, at $130 per bottle. As far as age goes, the Anniversary Bourbon also takes it to a higher level, including bourbons up to 13 years in age. (The standard Knob Creek used to carry an age statement of nine years, though that was taken off the label in 2016).
As with every other part of this release, the flavor profile is big. Intense oak flavors — the result of spending a significantly longer time in barrel — mix with your typical vanilla, caramel, and spice notes that you’ll find in other bourbons. The cinnamon carries through from nose to finish in a wonderful way, balancing out the sweet corn that rides along on the tongue. Using an ice cube can come in handy. Aside from keeping the bourbon cool, it’ll allow some of those flavors to open up and make it a little more accessible.
If you love Knob Creek bourbon, then this is definitely something to check out, because you’re going to get everything you expect from the brand, but better.
