Knob Creek Single Barrel Side by Side Showdown!

May the better Beam win

Knob Creek Single Barrel Selected by – California Food Mart – Harry’s Barrel (CFM)

DISTILLERY	Jim Beam
REGION	Clermont, Kentucky
AGE	9 Years & 7 Months Warehouse: 1 – Floor:5 – Rick:4
STRENGTH	60% ABV (120 Proof)
MASHBILL	77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
MSRP	$50

Knob Creek Single Barrel Selected by – K & L Wines

DISTILLERY	Jim Beam
REGION	Clermont, Kentucky
AGE	9 Years & 4 Months Warehouse: 1 – Floor:6 – Rick:025
STRENGTH	60% ABV (120 Proof)
MASHBILL	77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
MSRP	$50

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GLANCE

CFM – Clear with medium intensity and lightly polished wood hue

K & L – Clear with a medium to a deep intensity and a rich brown hue

NOSE

CFM – Sawdust, fresh peanuts, wet oak, vintage leather and pine. Some notes of graham cracker and uncooked marsh-mellow. Clean with pronounced intensity

K & L – Toasted walnuts, caramelized sugars, sweet oak and peanut brittle. Some brown sugars. Black tea, orange spice, with a wet soil like aroma in the background. Clean with pronounced intensity

California Food Mart (CFM) Pick

K & L Pick

PALATE

CFM – Bright flavors upfront. Orange/rinds marmalade. Strawberry covered with dark chocolate and sweetened oatmeal. Mouth filling and silky texture, medium sweetness with pronounced intensity

K & L – Here I got notes of cocoa powder, pound cake with ginger and coffee notes in the front of the palate. The nutmeg, roasted peanuts with cocoa powder appear. Mouthfilling, sweet with pronounced intensity

FINISH

CFM – Long and simple. Barely with some honey

K & L – Long and simple. Cocoa powder with sweet oak

CLOSING REMARKS

This was a fun side by side. There were different distinct differences which made it fun to analyze. Being almost identical in age and same proof helps with leveling the playing field. The KC SB from CFM has a brighter nose and palate along with the nutty & sweet flavor profile of Knob Creek. The KC SB from K & L had hefiter flavors and skewed towards the stewed jams, sweet and spice flavor profile. The latter felt more balanced and pleasing on the palate. The KC SB from CFM though had more diversity in the flavor profile, on the palate it didn’t feel well balanced. Finish on both were not complex but long in length. A thing to note is that the K & L barrel was selected from a floor higher than the CFM. This has an impact on the aging as the heat rises. As the temperature increases more of the distillate is given to the angel’s share. This further concentrates the flavors the liquid in the barrel, increasing the ABV as well. Though just a floor higher, the appearance on the K & L barrel was slightly darker and the flavors were darker/less light fruit forward.

The winner of this SBS goes to the barrel picked by K & L!