Knob Creeck Binny's Single Barrel Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $45

- 120 Proof

- 15 yrs

- Bottled 2020

- Kentucky

This is the last of what felt like a series of well-aged Knob Creek private selections that Binny's was getting in on a regular basis for a couple years.  I was lucky enough to pick up numerous Knob Creek picks that were 13 to almost 16 years old, and all for very modest prices.

You see those posts on social media of Pappy Van Winkle just sitting on shelves, priced at less than $100, posts harkening back to a better time before the bourbon craze really hit full steam.  These bottles kind of do that for me.  They were one of the big distilleries, with well-aged bourbon at high proof, single barrel private selections, and only $45!!!  I should have been buying cases of this stuff!  And now, 5 1/2 years later, it's all finally gone.  It would be a sad day for me, if it weren't for the fact that I got to thoroughly enjoy this great bourbon!

The nose on this was great, with strong notes of toffee and dark chocolate.  There was also a distinct unsweetened vanilla note, and all of these rich notes were balanced out by a decent amount of oak. It really just smelled like a well-aged, really good bourbon.  Aside from that, I did get something along the lines of a cola or even a root beer note, adding to the sweet aromas.

As to flavor, this really checked all the boxes for me.  It starts with a dark caramel or toffee note right up front. There is no question this was caramel forward, and that was punctuated by a definite cola note that seemed to take over.  I also got up front sweet notes of butterscotch candy and even milk chocolate. It certainly hit sweet right away.

But, it didn't seem to remain that way, as that sweetness gave way to notes of rich dark chocolate, as well as a healthy amount of oak. Neither made this overly bitter by any stretch, but it certainly kept this from becoming too sweet or landing in the dessert-bourbon zone.

It also had a good amount of spice to it, with cinnamon spice leading the way, but there was also a peppery spice, particularly on the finish, that seemed to linger for quite a bit.  The thick, oily mouthfeel of this bourbon also allowed those toffee and dark chocolate notes to coat my mouth as well, leaving me with fond memories and lasting impressions of my most recent sip, at least until I went back for another (which, in all honesty, was a relatively short-lived moment).

I miss this bottle already, not only because it was the last of a bygone era, but also because it was really damn good!!

Grade: A