March 28, 2025 • 66 mins
Knob Creek 9 Year serves as both an incredible value at $35 and a meaningful journey marker for bourbon enthusiasts seeking authentic whiskey experiences without breaking the bank.
• Knob Creek was established in 1992 as part of Jim Beam's small batch collection created by Booker Noe
• The name pays homage to Abraham Lincoln's childhood home in Kentucky
• After temporarily losing its age statement in 2016 due to inventory shortages, the 9-year age statement proudly returned in 2020
• The classic mash bill consists of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley
• Knob Creek's single barrels come in at a robust 120 proof while the standard 9-year holds steady at 100 proof
• For its modest $35 price point, Knob Creek 9 delivers a flavor profile that rivals bourbons costing substantially more
• The nose presents distinct vanilla ice cream cone notes while the palate offers vanilla frosting that transitions to caramel with leather on the finish
• Jim Beam allows their barrels to age naturally in Kentucky's climate without rushing the process
• The current batch earned an impressive 15/18 rating, demonstrating exceptional quality for its price point
Remember, good friends and good bourbon equal good times. Drink responsibly and live your life uncut and unfiltered.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Middle West Spirits was founded in 2008, focusing on
elevating the distinct flavorsof the Ohio River Valley.
Their spirits honor their rootsand reflect their originality
as makers, their integrity asproducers and their passion for
crafting spirits from grain toglass.
Their Michelon Reserve linereflects their story from the
(00:23):
start to the bottle, to yourglass, With unique weeded and
rye bourbons and also rye andwheat whiskeys.
The Michelon brand is easy tosip.
It might be a grain-to-glassexperience, but I like to think
of it as uncut and unfilteredfrom their family to yours.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
All right, welcome back to another podcast of the
Scotchy Bourbon Boys, tiny, hereTonight.
Ct was trying to make it.
I don't think he's going to,but if he pops in will, uh.
But we are doing that's kind ofcool.
But I, you, I bet you I'mmaking you all nervous when I do
that one, but we are doing knobcreek tonight, so I want to.
(02:16):
It's going to be a fantasticpodcast.
I have actually this brand isthe brand of Jeff Mueller, or
Jeffrey Mueller or Tiny myself.
This is the brand that when Iwas, my father drank Jack
(02:41):
Daniels and I'll get into oursponsorship and everything in a
couple seconds.
But when my father drank JackDaniels, I was working as a
computer artist in our familycommercial arts studio and he
drank Jack Daniels and I triedeverything to do it to get by it
.
But we had Jim Beam in about1995 as one of our design firm's
(03:04):
customers.
So we worked on a lot of JimBeam but Knob Creek was one of
those bottles.
I used other bottles of KnobCreek to make a bottle of Drew.
I did this.
What would you say?
Pixel picture, pixelillustration of the Knob Creek
bottle.
And when we did that we weregiven one the bottle as
(03:27):
reference, you know.
So we had reference to it.
So that was really kind of cool.
A bunch of you know it's likefantastic bourbon, whatever, but
I thought it was strong.
But, um, we'll go through the.
We're going to go through thehistory like for the nine.
What you got there, it's 100proof and when you deal with
some of the single barrelsthey're 120, which is really
(03:49):
cool.
All single barrels are 120.
But this brand kind of definesmy what would you say?
I want to say this brand, theKnob Creek brand, defies my
journey as the start of drinkingbourbon.
At first I wasn't sure, but asI went through and whatever,
(04:14):
it's become just a favoritestaple of mine.
So tonight I'm excited to doKnob Creek 9.
Now I'm monitoring bothFacebook and YouTube right now.
David said he has a couple of15 plus years stash of the
single barrels and so that'skind of cool.
(04:34):
And then we got Walker Randy sofar Randy Ford and Walker Terry
Dan there's a bunch of peopleon tonight, hopefully Gordon.
Walker Terry Dant there's abunch of people on tonight,
hopefully.
Feel free to comment whilewe're going.
Grab a Knob Creek 9 if you canand sip along this.
(04:56):
Actually my son is a fan ofKnob Creek 9.
I was able to flip him, Ibelieve, with the combination of
William Dalton and Knob Creek.
Those two are what I got inthere and kind of cool, so I
mean, I was excited about that.
Let's see if I get that one inthere.
All right, so we'rewwwscotchiebourbonboyscom for
(05:17):
all things Scotchie Bourbon Boys.
We got t-shirts, we've got GlenKarens.
This one needs to be shined upa little bit.
Uh, my, I hadn't done any ofthe polishing.
There we go.
That's pretty good, because I'mgoing to show you this and if I
don't do the polishing, thatreally doesn't help.
(05:37):
But anyways, um, on the websiteyou can get that, or you can
contact me direct on facebook oryoutube.
Leave a message and I willarrange for you to get one of
these awesome Glen Karens orT-shirts of the Scotchy Bourbon
Boys.
All your support, we love.
We are on Facebook, instagram,youtube and X, and then also on
the major podcast formats ofApple iHeart and Spotify and
(06:00):
anywhere else that you mightlisten to, we're there, and
anywhere else that you mightlisten to, we're there.
But no matter if you listen orwatch us, make sure you like,
listen, comment and leave goodfeedback.
Comment, like, listen,subscribe.
(06:20):
That's it.
Here we go, subscribe, comment,like and leave.
Good, I can't believe I'mscrewing that up.
Like, listen, subscribe,comment and leave good feedback.
There you go Like, listen,subscribe and leave good
feedback.
There we go.
(06:40):
That's awesome.
So we're ready to go.
We're ready to go.
I'm excited.
Uh, much to my wife'snon-approval, I haven't had a
bottle of the nine in a while,so this is straight off the the
(07:02):
the shelf.
So this is what we're going todo.
I'm going to open it right nowbecause one of the cool things
about it is the wax label.
Now I have done, if you go andyou do it at the distillery.
I've done it twice.
We did it on our ScotchyBourbon Boys bus tour, but
(07:24):
that's actually the Scototchiebourbon boys.
This actually was our.
We'll get into this.
I got so much to do and thenI'll put that right there.
There's so many differentbottles, but this one right here
on our bus tour this is signedby sandy no, because she came
along with it and one of thethings is you bottle your own,
so it's a 120.
(07:44):
You can see that really cool.
And then it's got the knobcretesmall batch right there.
Uh, this is a single barrel andit's nine year and then if you
look on the top, you get to putyour thumbprint so and you get
to dip it.
So you dip it and put yourthumbprint, so it's really kind
of cool.
You can see that it's not, butlook at that little stamp right
(08:08):
there.
That's cool.
This one, I'm sure you can seethe difference that one was
ragtag right here.
And look at how smooth that oneis.
But the same thing, no top.
But you can see that.
How nice that that topper isopposed to the one that we did.
So that's really kind of coolhow that works.
(08:30):
Um, I've got a lot of differentstuff on this tonight, so just
bear with me.
I've had a lot of singlebarrels and, um, I went.
My very first barrel pick thatI ever went on was, um, was Knob
Creek single barrel for theKentucky Bourbon Festival, so
(08:51):
that was really kind of cool.
I have one bottle of that.
I purchased two, drank one, andI have another one put back
from that.
Uh, and that would have been, Iwant to say, for the.
I want to say it was for the30th or let's, it was 2020.
It's right here.
This was the 30th anniversaryand it was 2021.
(09:20):
No, is this yeah, for the 30thanniversary.
So I went on that pick.
Now I have another one from.
I got the 2022 knob creek fromthe festival and that's just
(09:41):
right there.
Kentucky burb justin fromjustin's house of Bourbon.
That was kind of cool to havethat 2022.
So there's so many differentbarrel picks, but I'm going to
go through the timeline as we goand I've got some cheers Matt,
good to see you.
Um, randy, senator, garrison,brother, okay.
(10:02):
So I've got Michael Jackson'sWhiskey, the Definitive World
Guide that you can hear about, alittle bit of history on the
actual.
I'm going to get this righthere.
And so Booker started making thesmall batches.
(10:24):
So Booker started making thesmall batches In 1992, booker's
was introduced in 1988 as anuncut, natural-proof and
non-chill-filtered bourbon.
But in 1992, the complex OakeyBooker's was joined by three
more bourbons in the collection.
One was the Baker's, one wasthe basil hayden but twist my
(10:51):
hand and balance and the and therobust knob creek, a
nine-year-old, 100 proof whiskeynamed after abraham lincoln's
childhood home in kentucky.
So when, when Booker started tomake his small batch collection
, he basically, you know, gotthis going and one of the things
(11:15):
uh, it was pretty cool what andand once he got it going.
Fred, who is almost, is one ofthe co-distillers at the
distillery right now withfreddie now, um, he really got
the small batch, the basil, keptthe and the bookers and the
basil hating all that is.
(11:36):
Um, after booker passed in 2004, but you got to say during
fred's time is when the the 90swas the re, re rebirth, but the
boom was during fred's time andhe really, um, fred and freddie
have really done a nice job withthe small batches out of Jim
Beam.
(11:56):
Hadn't done a Jim Beam podcastin a while and I really wanted
to do this because it's kind offantastic.
You know what I mean Fantasticbourbon.
It's something.
Hey, leland, good to see you.
I would say that this is partof my.
If you had to pick a couple, Imean Booker's is right there,
(12:17):
because Booker's was what reallygot me into collecting before,
right at the time when I wasstarting the Scotchy Bourbon
Boys group.
Booker's was the first everbourbon I hunted.
But Knob Creek is the firstbourbon that I would say I could
associate myself and that was abig difference in time period
(12:40):
because one was probably 1995-96and the other the Booker's when
I started was 2000.
It was Kitchen Table, which Ibelieve is a 2000.
I want to say I started I thinkit was in 2018 and I was able to
obtain it in 2019.
And you know, that's kind oflike you know the two different
(13:02):
things of Jim Beam.
Now all the other stuff thatcame through was was fantastic.
You know, right here I've gotthe right off the knob creek.
So the nine-year-old let's justdo this again, get the, get the
(13:26):
things.
The nine-year-old bourbonwhiskey.
When it comes to making knobcreek bourbon, there's a lot of
waiting, but hardly any sittingaround while each barrel
patiently ages in white oak.
Our distillers continue toraise the standards, fulfilling
their commitment to full flavor.
The result an unflinchingbalance of deep, pre-prohibition
style bourbon with a robust oaktaste complemented with hints
(13:49):
of smooth vanilla and layeredcaramel.
Baird Caramel Proof 100.
There's 107 reviews.
Let's see if I let's read areview.
It gets a 4.6 out of 5.
And then I'll look at thereviews.
Here we go.
Reminiscent of the French marketwhen I lived in New Orleans, it
(14:10):
was fun to be a tourist in mytown.
A stroll down road through theedge of the French Old Quarter,
taking the wharf, so the roastedpecans and creamy prunes was a
savory treat.
Fun to be a tourist in my town.
A stroll down road through theedge of the French Oak Quarter,
taking the wharfs of the roastedpecans and creamy prunes was a
savory treat.
Putting my nose in this glassof Knob Creek 9 instantly took
me down.
All right.
So this is the kind of stuffit's.
Knob Creek definitely has theJim Beam profile and I'm going
to take you to break.
(14:32):
We're going to go to breakingbourbon now.
Let's see.
We go here.
I've got this down really good.
So right there, breakingbourbon.
So it's in its form of nine,it's a hundred proof.
But if you're buying it, ifyou're buying it at nine years,
(14:52):
it's a 100 proof.
But if you're buying this, um,in a single barrel, you're going
to get 120 proof.
Both fantastic, perfectdrinking things.
So if you go there and you seea single barrel, you're going to
see 120.
If you go there for the thenine year, it's going to be 100
proof.
Now there's they.
They just real quick.
(15:12):
They make also the 12-year,which is whiskey's favorite.
Hey, john, it's good to see you.
John Ritt, just put in 9-year,120 proof is my favorite.
I've never seen a 9-year.
Well, I've seen a 9-year 120,but those are single barrels, so
they are Leland.
(15:32):
Those are all the singlebarrels that come out and they
do release the ones off theshelf at nine-year also.
But there were also older ones,just like the Scotchy Bourbon
Boys actual pick, right here youcan see it.
I got that here and this wascalled the Scotchy Bourbon.
It was called the Barrel Room,scotchy Bourbon Boys Select,
(15:54):
okay, and this was $120.
And, honestly, I had it signedby Fred.
This one I put up and I haveanother one left I gave the
person who got this year'sCrystal the Premier Crystalen
(16:15):
club.
That was was sarah evans andshe got one of the three bottles
remaining of that from ourbarrel pick.
So I was able to put that out.
I still have the signed one andthe one that I have for myself
and I believe somewhere elsethere's an open one that I can
sip from.
But, um, the nine yearyear isall.
(16:36):
The mash bill for it's made byit's distillery is Jim Beam, the
company's Beam Centauri, theirown.
It's straight bourbon, nineyears age Now.
So in 2016, they took thatnine-year age statement off
because they were using other.
The demand was so high duringthe bourbon boom of what they
(16:56):
had.
They used younger bourbon, butback in 2020, they put the age
statement back on, so it's beenback on for five years.
I can't believe it's gone thatfast.
I thought I was going to belike 22, 23 when they put the
nine-year.
Nope, it was 2020 when they putit back on.
The mash bill is 75% corn, 13%rye and 12% malted barley.
(17:19):
The MSRP from 2020 was $35.
The MSRP today was $34.99.
It hasn't changed.
It's 100 proof, but for $34.99,it is definitely Now.
Someone asked what's a goodprice for the 12-year?
(17:39):
Now we got proof.
He can't collect, he drinks ittoo fast.
And then Lane said what's agood price for the 12-year?
I believe the 12-year Well, Ican actually tell you what a
good.
I don't think they got it onthe website.
But the 12- well, I canactually tell you what a good.
I don't think they got it onthe website.
But the 12 year was.
I want to say this I think itwas 79.99.
(18:02):
I think it started 59.99, butthat when it came out again it
was it was 80.
So that was a 12 year.
Now they make a 15, which I havehere and I haven't tried, and
an 18.
Now I've tried the 18 manytimes.
I'm getting this up, get thisback over here.
(18:25):
I've tried the 18 many times.
It's it was really good, um,but it's kind of a oaky kind of
thing for me.
So it wasn't too oaky and I hadinterviewed Fred Ngo and that's
one of the things that he saidin the interview when they're
doing these age statements, theolder age statements, that he
(18:48):
doesn't want it to get too oaky.
Now, this was the coolest bottleever.
It's got a way to you flip thisup and then you can it's got a
little wood thing that holds itin place that you slide in like
this.
I think, yeah, this goes it.
(19:09):
No, how does that work?
Yeah, I want to say, yeah, getit in like that, drop it in.
Like that it holds the bottlein and you drop this, you flip
this and the little back thingslides out.
You got a little thing and youslide it out.
So it's really kind of cool.
Display knob creek holding.
I love this one.
(19:29):
I believe that this displayalso was used, I want to say, by
maker's mark.
I think somewhere I actuallyhave a maker's mark in this same
kind of box, which is kind ofcool.
But we'll leave the 18 there.
We got the 15 here.
I'm going to take now the 15sin more of a booker's box you
(19:51):
can see that right here um, soI'm going to pull that out for
now.
Drop the box down, pull the 15.
Now.
I don't got a lot of 15 leftand 15 comes in at 100, proof 2.
So 12, 15 and 9.
So tonight I'm going to besipping a little bit of that.
I'll drop the box down there.
We got some more room here now,um, and then I have a knob
(20:16):
creek, um, single barrel.
But what's really kind of coolis some of this stuff that I've
got is in the first bottlebefore they change it.
I love the new bottles, but ifyou look at the two bottles,
what would you think?
Do you think that's 750 andthat's 750?
What you got here going is bothare 750, but look at I wonder,
(20:41):
I don't see, maybe it's thethickness, but that's.
That's taller and it's.
This is a little wider.
I mean, that's just the way itis on the top or whatever.
It's always kind of funny howthat works.
But this is the 12.
I got a 12.
That's like that also, but thisis one of the first barrel
(21:04):
picks that I picked up before Idid a barrel pick or whatever,
and it's kind of cool.
You can see every label downhere says where it's from, and
this is 120 proof too.
So this is what you like.
But on this one, I'm going totell you the barrel picks now
(21:25):
coming off of store picks.
This one was nine year 5-28,2011 to 9-8.
So it was a nine year 20 528,2011 to 98 um, so it was a nine
year.
Now ours was actually 2011 to2022, so it was 11 10, so it was
(21:47):
10 and a half years old.
So that's kind of where that'sat.
So that's kind of cool.
This one, this 15-year obviously, this is a 15 and that's a 12.
Now, those are 100 proofs.
So they are 15-year batchesthat they make and those are 100
(22:10):
proofs.
So that's really kind of cool.
So what you got here is a lotof different bourbon in
different whatever, but it'sknob creek and it has that it
shares that mash bill.
So, um, now, that shouldn't behappening, but it obviously is.
I don't know why.
I'm not stopping, okay, sowe're all good.
(22:33):
Um, I will get back in.
I'm not stopping, okay, sowe're all good, I'll get back in
.
One, nine, six, five, yep, allright.
So it's reloading, breakingOkay, so once again, $35.
$35.
You got.
(22:57):
It's one of four bourbons thatcompromise Jim Beef's small
batch collection.
We know it's Basil Hayden,booker's and also Baker's.
But Beam states that they ageevery batch in maximum char
barrels to pull every bit ofnatural sweetness from the oak.
(23:18):
From its initial release in1992 up to late 2016, knob Creek
carried a nine-year agestatement.
In 2016, beam removed the agestatement, saying that it could
not guarantee all barrels wouldbe aged nine years due to
inventory issues.
In 2020, the nine-year agestatement once again returned to
the small batch.
Now this is what they saypresents notes of vanilla, light
(23:41):
oak and dab of caramel, a hintof char and a dab of fresh
marshmallow things.
Now this is 2020 and start tosip.
I mean, it's like it has agreat nose and the finish is oak
, vanilla and leather jump out.
That's very unique for Booker'sand for Knob Creek.
Same mash bill.
(24:03):
All right, let's see.
It's one of the best values inmy opinion, at $34.99 and a
nine-year, for what you'regetting, and I'm going to be
tasting it right off the shelfand I will be putting the barrel
(24:23):
bottle breakdown with.
I'll cover that in a second.
Now I know you all as we'regoing.
I think I've given it some goodgoing.
Good, john, for summer.
All right, let's see.
(24:44):
Yep, I've given you all thestuff that I need to read.
I'm clearing this.
I haven't had any bourbontonight.
We're going to put this away,but I can tell you I'm gonna
open it and give it a littletime.
Let's uh, I love, like onceagain, the wax.
(25:04):
And just, you got this and theydo a good job with it.
Um, when macaulay from darkarts didn't put this on and he
just put wax, I think I bloodiedmy fingers right live on the
podcast, right in.
I've been, I went through thisperiod.
Now, once again it's a freshcrack or a fresh open, but I
(25:30):
will.
I usually like to let it air,give it a sniff, pop the cap
back on, because now that airhas been let out, and then do a
little get that baby like that,let the air come back, the fresh
air come through, open thatbaby up.
Now I'm going to let thisbreathe while I talk about it,
(25:54):
but it's nine-year, 100 proof.
Now, it's not a bottle, I meanit's not bonded, but it's as
good as any bonded.
I mean it's gone nine years,it's not four.
It's 100 proof and it meets allthe standards of bourbon,
although it might not havebarrels that were from the same
season, I don't know.
(26:14):
That part's not there.
We'll put this back up here.
We are going to do the thing.
But what I'll tell you is so, asan artist, in 1995, I was a
computer artist working oncommercial art in Milwaukee in
my dad's studio we had ahigh-end commercial.
(26:34):
It was called the QuantelGraphic Paintbox and it was a
high-end computer doing high-endartwork and we did a lot for
the industries.
One of our clients was Coors.
Another client was Jim Beam.
It was at the time.
It was uh, at the time.
It was not beam, some tory, itwas, I believe back then.
(26:57):
Uh, either, beam incorporated Iwant to say that's what it was
and they were just starting togo through the push of knob
creek.
So I got a bottle of 100 proofnineob Creek, but in this size
bottle, and I had it and I hadtasted it, and this was in 95,
(27:24):
that puts me at 31.
And Jack Daniels had been.
But I had no idea what bourbonwas like.
You know what I mean.
I didn't know what.
I was still 31 years old.
Did I fill it.
Nope, I didn't.
Let's spin this around.
See what happens.
Let's bring her around.
Yeah, there we go rolling itaround in the glass.
Look at that, it just holds upright off the bat.
(27:47):
It coated the glass and there'snothing.
Right now.
That's how the viscosity ofthis bourbon is.
I mean the corn, the corn oilsat 78, I believe, was what it is
.
It's going to take a while tostart running down, so let's let
it sit.
It's breathing.
I could see right at the topthe legs starting to happen as
(28:07):
it runs back down.
This is really kind of cool howyou could see that kind of
happening.
And then so in my ScotchyBourbon Boys, glenn.
So I was commissioned to dosome artwork and I did it and it
didn't turn out quite as goodbecause the label of the bottle,
the label, was a little bitlight and I used a lot of light
(28:29):
pictures.
I probably should have usedmore, but I did and I really got
into it.
Plus, I was able to keep thebottle.
So when I drank the bottle, itwas the first really real, um
whiskey that I um what would yousay?
It's the first real whiskey,besides Jack Daniels, that I
(28:51):
ever cared to drink.
So I hadn't started my bourbonjourney at all by then and I
really liked what it was doing.
I mean, it's done some that didsome.
This little bit different kindof thing of what I was expecting
Kind of went to once it ran.
It went to drips, but there'ssome long.
The legs are a little bitthinner Now.
That's rocked us fast forward.
(29:16):
Um, I love bookers.
It was, uh, 2018 when I startedsearching for bookers.
Uh, I had no idea it was a beanproduct.
When I was looking for it, Ihad no idea that booker started
knob creek, basil hayden, andand I would buy basil hayden,
not knowing knob creek and basilhayden were together.
I bought basil Basil Hayden fora gift, for, for it's just, it
(29:37):
was a great Christmas gift withthat great label.
Um, so I was really into JimBeam before I really got into
this without even knowing it,but I will tell you.
Um, as we got to know, uh, fredand Freddie and Fred's wife
Sandy, uh, we really kind of gotto know Fred and Freddie and
(29:57):
Fred's wife Sandy.
We really kind of got to knowthem and they're fantastic
people, sandy.
I keep in touch with Sandyregularly and it really is a
quality product that they putout and they have a flavor
profile that if you're going tolike it.
(30:17):
I mean, you know, when you askfor a jim beam.
You know one time we were outand we asked for a jim beam and
we ended up getting a jamesonand there wasn't any comparison.
We knew that we didn't get jimbeam because we know the flavor
profile of j Beam, so that isconsistent throughout their
product.
But the Jim Beams, the Jim BeamBlacks all have different.
(30:42):
As it goes, you're looking atfive, you're looking at four
year at Jim Beam.
You're looking at five to seven, year depending.
You're looking at with BasilHayden, um, old granddad's,
probably a four year.
I mean there's just so many.
It's just how long it was inthe barrel and what's the proof.
(31:02):
You're going to put it out.
So that's kind of how it goesand which rick houses they pull
from.
So they pull from the same.
They know it.
They've got a whole, um, whatwould you say?
They've got a whole history ofnow nine generations of beam
distillers.
Fred was the eighth, freddy'sthe ninth, I believe, of
(31:27):
distillers that know where theirproduct ages.
In some cases the rickhousesare over a hundred years old and
they've been doing it.
They know the sweet spots, theyknow where they are, they
documented them.
So it's really kind of cool howthat works and um, the product
that they produce is fantastic.
(31:48):
So for 35 dollars, nom creek, anine-year bourbon.
Um, you know, you've got the10-year eagle rare but the eagle
rare and that's 31 or 33.99 orwhatever, but this is held its
price at 34.99, so that's reallykind of good.
And um, yeah, the lineage,although I got it, I mean they
(32:13):
make some really high.
Um, don't forget um, thejapanese larson, uh, legiont,
legiont.
And then, I believe, if youreally want to get into, I mean
they have so many differentthings.
They've got their specialdistillery releases.
They got bakers, which isnormally seven and it's gone to
a single barrel.
(32:34):
Now they got baker's 13, uh,fantastic.
So there's so many differentthings that they got.
But this particular knob creek,I think it's been in there.
But so fast forward to 2000.
Um, I've I'm into bookers andwhat and whatnot.
Meet fred and sandy.
No, so my first ever barrel pickI ever was on I'm getting into
(32:57):
this, I'm doing the podcastnever even thought I'd be on a
barrel pick was with theKentucky Bourbon Festival.
It was during COVID.
It was the spring of 21.
I was invited to the Brendiamopenthouse which was not the
Brendiamo but it was the officesof the Kentucky Bourbon
(33:19):
Festival to do a barrel pick.
Now, this barrel pick was not,oh, old Tub, don't forget that.
That's my favorite.
I'm going to be drinking thaton April 8th, on Monday, on my
fantasy baseball draft that'scoming up.
So I love Old Tub, love old tub, for that, that's my thing.
Uh, but I will say that on thisbarrel pick I was with Steve
(33:44):
Coombs.
I was with both, both theJustins from Justin's house of
bourbon who really know bourbon.
I was with Randy Prass, thenFreddie Noe and then a couple
other people that I don't, butthey were friends, friends of
Steve Coombs and I from Alaska.
It was really kind of cool, butit was up there at the studios,
(34:09):
their offices from KentuckyBourbon Festival, from Kentucky
Bourbon Festival, and Freddiecame.
He brought the lineage whichwas, I believe, homage to Fred
Ngo.
That's the one.
And he also brought theHardin's Creek, not the Jacobs,
(34:30):
well, but the 15-year one, andwe got to taste that.
I knew about Hardin's Creek waybefore they released it.
Speaking of Hardin's Creek, hasthere been any releases this
year?
I haven't seen any, but myfavorite is the single barrel
that's 10 years.
I have another single barrel, anine-year yeah.
Well, the Scotchy Bourbon Boysone was almost 11, 10 and a half
(34:53):
years.
That's really good.
A couple people told me thatwas the best one that they ever
best single barrel they evertasted.
I admit it was good, but that2019 pick was my first ever
barrel pick and it was fantastic.
I never did it.
I picked and was part of thegroup that picked the one that
(35:16):
Freddie picked.
So there was a couple.
I believe there was one, two,three, four.
My wife even got on it.
She wasn't.
There was eight people with hernine and I went with the one
that Freddie picked and it wasfour to four and Freddie didn't
(35:39):
vote and his vote was the onethat kind of broke the
tiebreaker and then we blindedthe two of the three and it
ended up being the pick that Iliked.
I have a bottle of that still.
I bought, like I said, I boughttwo.
But you know, hey, ricky, goodto see you.
Best deal yes, it is Knob Creeknine year $175 at Costco for
(36:08):
$50.
Yeah, I saw it at $65.
That is a deal and Knob Creek'sa deal.
Knob Creek is a really goodbourbon, made by Jim Beam, and
it's nine years old and it'sgood.
I mean, it's fantastic.
So it's been.
This has been sitting in thereand you know, I know this flavor
inside and out, initially, whenI initially, my 31 year old
(36:31):
palate in 1995 was telling methat this was hot and peppery
and very not.
And then when I starteddrinking uh for uh, the podcast
it was, initially it was alittle bit, I would say, there's
a spice.
Put it this way, this is abourbon designed for a person
(36:58):
who likes whiskey and they likethe actual.
They're not looking forsomething easy, they like
something that's got a nice biteto it, a little bit of pepper.
Um, it's really kind of cool.
So definitely, um, love, love,love this, uh, this thing.
(37:20):
And we're gonna do right now,since we're at this point, um,
oh, okay, so I did.
We did the 2021 barrel pick, butthen we go along and you got
2022 coming and before 2022, wedecide that we're going to do
(37:44):
our own Scotchy Bourbon Boysbarrel pick.
This was 6-9-2022.
So, june of 22, scotchy BourbonBoys aligned with the barrel
room here in Canton and Carrieand her friend who owned it
(38:06):
split the barrel with us.
We wanted to split the barrelbecause I had never done a
barrel pick and I didn't know ifthe group was gonna move enough
bottles.
So we split it, which was agood idea, but we would say that
(38:34):
it was a great experience.
We went down with.
It was myself, ct had notjoined it was Xavier Roxy we
could have six and it was Carrieand her friend, and then Mrs
(38:58):
Xavier went.
So the six of us went down inJune and then did the barrel
pick Fantastic time we ate atthe kitchen table.
Oh, sandy Ngo was on the barrelpick too.
She came down and I think I'mnot sure but I don't think, mrs
(39:18):
xavier it was sandy, no, who weinvited to come with us too.
So we had six that could go.
Great time.
Super pick had a lot of fun.
It worked out great and I stillhave a couple and very proud of
this pick that we did.
So, my first barrel picks thatI ever were on, one that myself.
(39:41):
Now we were able to do manymore since then and been on them
with the Kentucky BourbonFestivals Love being on the
picks that we were on.
Uh, really enjoyed everythingabout it.
Barrel picks are fantastic.
Um, if you could get to whiskeythief.
There's a barrel pick all day,every day, so you can get a
feeling and you can walk awaywith one bottle.
You're not having to buy abarrel.
(40:01):
But if you talk to walter he'llsell you a barrel if you want.
It's just that's how this works.
So, no, actually, if you'retalking about it, they're
finished in casks with cherryblossom casks from.
(40:21):
I mean, if you're asking Matt,that's the Legion, it's not
sherry, it's not a wine, it'sthe cherry blossom whatever from
Japan, the main masterdistiller from Suntory.
He helped them come up.
(40:43):
And then the whole agingprocess.
He thought it was going to haveto age for two to four years
and it ended up only having theage a year and a half.
That's how fast it ages inKentucky compared to Japan.
But getting back to this, um, sothen we've been I.
I was able to go to the beam.
(41:03):
I went to the, the a luncheonwith um Fred and Freddie.
Um, we met them at the firstkentucky bourbon festival.
I did a painting of fred andfreddie and booker and had fred
and freddie sign it.
Um, I gave them it.
Uh, there's so much history inthis and I'm looking where, yep,
(41:26):
I got a knob creek right abovefreddie's shoulder in the
painting.
It's right over there.
Fantastic, lots of fun to dothat and just really overall,
knob Creek has just been a partand Jim Beam has been such a big
part of this ride that we'retaking here and I just wanted to
(41:46):
, you know, let everybody know,I haven't had a nine.
I went out and gotten it.
I've looked at it but you know,as a whiskey connoisseur and a
person who gets whiskey all thetime to taste, you don't always
go out and buy the basic bottles.
But sometimes you got to do apodcast and get a basic bottle,
(42:07):
much to the chagrin of my wife.
She's like why do you want toput?
And it's like it doesn't.
So we're doing the brand.
We got the nine nine year and Iam going to.
That brings me to the oldlouisville whiskey company
barrel bottle breakdown.
(42:29):
It's based off of.
Knox tiny has his knocker righthere, which is a bung hammer
purchased at.
I want to say this waspurchased at wilderness trail on
a barrel pick with Macaulay, soI was able to get this.
(42:51):
I love this.
This is actually an icebreakerbut it's in the shape of a.
But it is our knocker, so ourknock system has evolved so that
it's based off of fourcategories Smell, nose, aroma,
(43:21):
body, taste, finish.
For the nose, you can get up tofour knocks.
For the body, you can get up tofour knocks.
For the body, you can get up tofour knocks.
For the taste, you can get upto five knocks.
And for the finish, also fiveknocks.
(43:42):
We've evolved this because Ifeel that if you have something
with body and good mouthel andit doesn't taste good, who cares
?
Because you can taste like crapand it just fills your mouth
completely.
That's not really a great thing.
And then also same thing If itsmells okay but tastes fantastic
(44:04):
.
Really, taste is more important.
But also, in the end, yourfinish in, in my opinion, is
what's left over.
And if you go upstairs afteryou're done and you still taste
the whiskey, it's kind of animportant thing, the last thing
or last pour or whatever.
So that's what we're looking atour old louisville whiskey
(44:28):
company barrel bottle breakdownum, you gotta check out old
louisville.
Um, they're in louisville,kentucky I believe amin is in
the process of trying torelocate, but at the current
place, uh, there's barrels.
Um, you gotta get there.
He will make sure it's byappointment at some times and
(44:50):
then open, I believe, on theweekend.
Stop by see him.
You will walk out with somedamn good whiskey, there's no
doubt about it.
His bourbons and his barrelsthat he picks are fantastic.
I mean, he's got a really nicething going there.
So, anyways, that brings us tothe rating.
So I to already.
(45:11):
I kind of see what it did in myglass From a nose.
There's a lot of vanilla.
It almost smells like a vanillaice cream cone.
There's a little bit of afloral but, like I said, smells
(45:33):
like a vanilla ice cream cone.
Either you like this or youdon't.
This is Jim Beam.
There's no doubt this has arichness, more than the actual,
just Jim Beam.
The nose that's coming off,this is fantastic.
How can you go wrong with avanilla ice cream cone?
That's just my opinion.
There's a little bit of oakalso and a little bit of pepper,
(46:03):
but that vanilla ice cream coneis right there.
Alright, this is 2000.
This bottle should be thenewest bottle on the shelf.
I mean, there we go.
Let me look and see what's onthe bottle.
(46:29):
I like the nose.
I really love the nose.
I got them right here.
Let's see what it just actuallysays I never read the bottle.
Um for this.
It says the original knob creeksmall batch, kentucky straight
bourbon whisking eight, nine,age, nine, age, nine years for
(46:50):
quality, full flavor, claremont,kentucky, 100 proof.
50% alcohol.
Crafted for quality, full proof.
Full flavor, 100 proof since1992.
And age nine years?
Do I got a 110 OCB?
Do 110?
110.
110 OCB, do 110?
(47:12):
Just seeing if there's anythingthat tells you what 122
calories per one and a halfpoint, proof points.
Hmm, not for underage,wwwdrinksmartcom.
(47:36):
Wwwnobcreekcom.
Distilled in bottle James BBean Distilling Company,
claremont.
Nope, it just doesn't haveanything.
What's that?
Yeah, since 1992, knob Creeksmall batch.
There you go, not a lot on it,all right.
(47:56):
So it's just basic, all rightout.
There's a lot of complexity onthis.
(48:21):
Like I said, these bourbons,like knob creek, are bourbons
for people.
You're not looking for dessertor it's not sweet.
It's what bourbon whiskey, whatsomebody would imagine whiskey
should taste like.
Sometimes you get these sweeterbourbons and when you get the,
(48:45):
they pull out some flavors andyou're like holy crap, how does
it do that?
This isn't about that.
This is about drinking abourbon that, for people who
don't, it brings out a littlebit of leather, there's vanilla
and caramel, but then there's alittle bit of leather as far as
the body goes with the KentuckyChew, we'll do it now.
(49:05):
Now it's amazing.
This does wow for 100 proof.
I've been drinking a lot of 100proofs lately.
I think the last couple havebeen 100 proof.
The body's always on those.
(49:27):
You can't compare.
But this 100 proof of thisbatch, I wonder if that's the
date on the bottom.
Let's see.
I saw it on the bottom on thisbatch, the 100 proof.
This body is amazing and thetaste is everything that I would
want.
All right, 587, 37.
(49:50):
No, nothing's helping me.
I wonder if there's a laser.
Oh, there it is.
This one is l505, 7, 220, 35,20, 35, 0900, 1clj 730, 03, 50,
(50:20):
900.
That just doesn't help me onthe date.
I'm sure if I look that upit'll probably tell me.
But, like I said, I think thisis one of the newer bottles.
Now, one of the things thatpeople don't understand is that
not only does Maker's Mark havethe patent on the red wax, and
(50:44):
it's not so much.
You could put a red wax, but itcan't drip.
And the same thing.
You look, these don't drip.
Nobody who has a wax seal dripsthem, except for maker's mark,
because they've got the patenton that, so that's kind of cool.
Um, some of the single barrelsare quite sweet.
That's the small batch blendtalking about.
No, I'm talking, yeah, some ofthe single barrels have that
(51:07):
sweetness because they're singlebarrels, but when you're
talking about the batch of it,they're they're trying to make
it not be too sweet.
It's sweet enough, okay, it'sreally good.
But this is like, in my opinion, beams um, the part that um
creek would do.
Oh, swipe up a nine and give ita pour, oh, no.
(51:27):
So my opinion is um the.
The other one that's close tothis is cave hill from rabbit
hill.
Once again, this is like thebourbon that you're gonna, what
you think it should taste whenyou're sitting in the rickhouse
and you smell all the barrelsaging in the summer.
It just has that flavor.
(51:50):
It's fantastic.
So on that, but the body'samazing.
Now let's just go to the tastenow, after the palate shot.
(52:10):
So straight up, vanillafrosting on the front, if you
leave it on the front paletteand then, as it goes to the back
palette, you pick up a littlebit of caramel with that, and
then the leather and it'sleather, it's not tobacco the
leather flavor starts to takeover which I think the the
classic bourbon flavor is theleather.
(52:32):
Now I'm not getting any on thisone.
I'm not getting any Jim Beampeanut, it's leather caramel.
It's sweet enough.
That batch, this batch of nineyear Knob Creek, is probably the
best.
That's one of the best KnobCreek's on the nine year that
I've ever had A lot of times.
I'm just going to tell you thisis really fantastic.
(52:57):
Was not for a small batch at$35.
I'm going to say this nine yearmight be the steal of the year.
I might have that as a category35, nine year.
And this tastes sweet vanilla.
(53:22):
Like you pick up the vanillafrosting flavor, the nose is
like a vanilla ice cream cone.
The body goes to your cheeks,your, it goes everywhere.
(53:51):
And the finish?
Um, then you pick up thatlittle bit of leather.
Um, I'm trying to think what itfinishes with batch blend.
Talking, some of the singlebarrels are okay, we got anybody
else.
Yes, uh, justin nice.
Um, I'm slouching.
(54:12):
I don't know why I'm slouching.
I hate it when I slouch.
All right, so, standingstraight up again, I will say
that it's time to do the bashing, not the bat I used to bash.
It's time to do the knocks,this one.
(54:33):
So we're going to go on the nose.
The most you can give it is afour.
The ice cream takes it for sure.
I love it.
I'm going to give the nose afour out of four.
Here we go.
Four, four bashes.
(54:57):
And the next one's going to beon the barrel behind me, which
was the William Dalton barrelthat had a French oak stave that
Alan Bishop allowed me to have.
So four on the nose.
The body allowed me to have.
(55:18):
So four on the nose.
The body everywhere gotta go.
Four on the body.
Four on the body.
Taste out of five?
I don't, it's just not.
I'm going to give it a four outof five.
(55:41):
No, yeah, because the leatheris a little bit and you got to
add that in Four out of five.
So right now we are 12 out of13.
(56:04):
The finish for a 100 proof nineyear, it's there.
For a hundred proof, nine year,it's there.
But I wish that I pull in.
It's just a little too muchleather to be a five.
It's like what's the finish?
(56:25):
What's it left?
It's long, it's long.
Folks, I'm telling you, if youlike a little leather and a
little bit of tobacco not a lot,not overpowering this is your
drink.
This is your jam.
It's oaky.
(56:57):
Sometimes you can pick up theactual flavor of the wood when
you pick up the leather and thetobaccos.
That's the wood, but it's got,it's taken on not a wood taste.
It's been in there long enoughto with a little bit of char and
everything that makes it there,but the chocolate is when the
dark chocolate is now.
(57:18):
It doesn't go to dark chocolate, it stays that leather.
I prefer a dark chocolatefinish or something like is.
It's long, but for me thefinish is a three of five, which
(57:40):
brings us to a score of 15 outof 18.
Now, if you're talking, I meanbottles that are $189, get 15s
of 18s.
This is a $34.99 bottle thatjust pulled off a 15 of 18.
(58:03):
Now it does.
My palate has evolved over theyears, I will tell you this, and
honestly, the 15 out of 18score is a pretty good score.
I believe whiskey, in myopinion, has also over the last,
(58:30):
since I started, the aging whatwould you say?
The actual aging in kentucky,inside the maturation in the
barrel, has become more perfecthotter, there's more, there's
(58:51):
more heat, hotter summers, alittle bit hotter summers, and
then there's a lot of what wouldyou say storms and rain and
these rickhouses have theirwindows open and they just, the
barrels, just sit there and theyget the wind and the rain and
they get the the heat, but theyalso get the cold of the winters
(59:12):
.
So Jim Beam ages the way, thenatural way that can in Kentucky
, of just letting mother naturetake its course, and they've got
two fantastic Freddie, fred,and I'm sure Fred has taught
Freddie that there was a coupleyears ago they put out five
(59:35):
batches of bookers and theystarted to put out the batches
for that next year and they onlyput out.
I want to say it was, I want tosay three, but they might have
put out four that year.
They didn't put out five, but Iwant to say they put out four.
That year they didn't put outfive, but I want to say they put
out.
But the reason why they cutback that year was because Fred
thought that they were trying torush it.
(59:57):
There was one that was six anda half years.
Fred likes to get at leastseven into bookers.
So they really, really careabout this brand and this year's
version of Kn knob creek ninethat I just bought here in march
, uh, today at my local johnnyneagle uh of knob creek nine has
(01:00:26):
just it's even better than Iremember it and it's really kind
of cool.
So it's just been such anunbelievable part from tying
into my art career to tying intobefore I started the podcast,
with meeting Fred and Freddie atthe first Kentucky Bourbon
(01:00:46):
Festival in 2019.
It just realistically has beenone of the bourbons and there's
been a couple, but this bourbonhas been part of my whiskey
journey, so I wanted to give itits due and it pulled off a 15
out of 18 tonight and I thinkthat small batch link.
(01:01:09):
So there we go.
So that's where we're at rightnow.
So I'm going to everybody onFacebook and YouTube know that
I'm going to end the podcast.
As far as on audio, we're goingto do our thing and then I'm
going to stick around for alittle bit because I've got for
everybody on Facebook andYouTube.
I've got the 15 and the 12.
(01:01:33):
And I want to know yourthoughts once we get going.
So I want to.
You know, cheers for that.
As far as some of the singlebarrels, that's the small batch
blend talking to you.
So, yeah, so let's get thisgoing going, remember, uh, here
(01:01:54):
we go.
So, once again, people who justjoined on youtube.
Hang around.
I'm just ending the podcast.
Uh, we gave knob creek 9 15 outof 18, and I'm ending the
podcast on the audio, but we'regoing to stick around on youtube
.
So stick around, because we'regoing to be talking about the 12
and the 15 and then also the 18.
(01:02:15):
So, uh, that's kind of cool andhere goes, we'll get into this.
Remember wwwscotchiebourbonboysfor all things scotchie bourbon
boys.
Glenn karen's t-shirts.
Uh, contact me directly or onthe website for all your glass
scotchy bourbon glassware needs,and then also your t-shirts.
(01:02:36):
So, thanks very much for allthe sales that we're getting off
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(01:02:56):
remember like, listen, comment,subscribe and leave good
feedback.
Now remember, good friendsequal good times.
Don't drink and drive Goodfriends and good bourbon and
(01:03:18):
whiskey equals good times.
Don't drink and drive.
Drink responsibly and live yourlife uncut and unfiltered.
Speaker 2 (01:03:42):
And little Steve-O is going to take us out.
Oh don't ask why.
Oh don't ask why.
Show me the way to the nextwhiskey bar.
Oh don't ask why.
Oh don't ask why.
For if we don't find the nextwhiskey bar, I tell you we must
(01:04:06):
die.
I tell you we must die, I tellyou, I tell you, I tell you we
must die.
I tell you, we must die.
I tell you, I tell you, I tellyou, we must die.
Middle West Spirits was founded in 2008, focusing on
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Their spirits honor their rootsand reflect their originality
as makers, their integrity asproducers and their passion for
crafting spirits from grain toglass.
Their Michelon Reserve linereflects their story from the
(00:23):
start to the bottle, to yourglass, With unique weeded and
rye bourbons and also rye andwheat whiskeys.
The Michelon brand is easy tosip.
It might be a grain-to-glassexperience, but I like to think
of it as uncut and unfilteredfrom their family to yours.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
All right, welcome back to another podcast of the
Scotchy Bourbon Boys, tiny, hereTonight.
Ct was trying to make it.
I don't think he's going to,but if he pops in will, uh.
But we are doing that's kind ofcool.
But I, you, I bet you I'mmaking you all nervous when I do
that one, but we are doing knobcreek tonight, so I want to.
(02:16):
It's going to be a fantasticpodcast.
I have actually this brand isthe brand of Jeff Mueller, or
Jeffrey Mueller or Tiny myself.
This is the brand that when Iwas, my father drank Jack
(02:41):
Daniels and I'll get into oursponsorship and everything in a
couple seconds.
But when my father drank JackDaniels, I was working as a
computer artist in our familycommercial arts studio and he
drank Jack Daniels and I triedeverything to do it to get by it
.
But we had Jim Beam in about1995 as one of our design firm's
(03:04):
customers.
So we worked on a lot of JimBeam but Knob Creek was one of
those bottles.
I used other bottles of KnobCreek to make a bottle of Drew.
I did this.
What would you say?
Pixel picture, pixelillustration of the Knob Creek
bottle.
And when we did that we weregiven one the bottle as
(03:27):
reference, you know.
So we had reference to it.
So that was really kind of cool.
A bunch of you know it's likefantastic bourbon, whatever, but
I thought it was strong.
But, um, we'll go through the.
We're going to go through thehistory like for the nine.
What you got there, it's 100proof and when you deal with
some of the single barrelsthey're 120, which is really
(03:49):
cool.
All single barrels are 120.
But this brand kind of definesmy what would you say?
I want to say this brand, theKnob Creek brand, defies my
journey as the start of drinkingbourbon.
At first I wasn't sure, but asI went through and whatever,
(04:14):
it's become just a favoritestaple of mine.
So tonight I'm excited to doKnob Creek 9.
Now I'm monitoring bothFacebook and YouTube right now.
David said he has a couple of15 plus years stash of the
single barrels and so that'skind of cool.
(04:34):
And then we got Walker Randy sofar Randy Ford and Walker Terry
Dan there's a bunch of peopleon tonight, hopefully Gordon.
Walker Terry Dant there's abunch of people on tonight,
hopefully.
Feel free to comment whilewe're going.
Grab a Knob Creek 9 if you canand sip along this.
(04:56):
Actually my son is a fan ofKnob Creek 9.
I was able to flip him, Ibelieve, with the combination of
William Dalton and Knob Creek.
Those two are what I got inthere and kind of cool, so I
mean, I was excited about that.
Let's see if I get that one inthere.
All right, so we'rewwwscotchiebourbonboyscom for
(05:17):
all things Scotchie Bourbon Boys.
We got t-shirts, we've got GlenKarens.
This one needs to be shined upa little bit.
Uh, my, I hadn't done any ofthe polishing.
There we go.
That's pretty good, because I'mgoing to show you this and if I
don't do the polishing, thatreally doesn't help.
(05:37):
But anyways, um, on the websiteyou can get that, or you can
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Leave a message and I willarrange for you to get one of
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All your support, we love.
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(06:00):
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(06:20):
That's it.
Here we go, subscribe, comment,like and leave.
Good, I can't believe I'mscrewing that up.
Like, listen, subscribe,comment and leave good feedback.
There you go Like, listen,subscribe and leave good
feedback.
There we go.
(06:40):
That's awesome.
So we're ready to go.
We're ready to go.
I'm excited.
Uh, much to my wife'snon-approval, I haven't had a
bottle of the nine in a while,so this is straight off the the
(07:02):
the shelf.
So this is what we're going todo.
I'm going to open it right nowbecause one of the cool things
about it is the wax label.
Now I have done, if you go andyou do it at the distillery.
I've done it twice.
We did it on our ScotchyBourbon Boys bus tour, but
(07:24):
that's actually the Scototchiebourbon boys.
This actually was our.
We'll get into this.
I got so much to do and thenI'll put that right there.
There's so many differentbottles, but this one right here
on our bus tour this is signedby sandy no, because she came
along with it and one of thethings is you bottle your own,
so it's a 120.
(07:44):
You can see that really cool.
And then it's got the knobcretesmall batch right there.
Uh, this is a single barrel andit's nine year and then if you
look on the top, you get to putyour thumbprint so and you get
to dip it.
So you dip it and put yourthumbprint, so it's really kind
of cool.
You can see that it's not, butlook at that little stamp right
(08:08):
there.
That's cool.
This one, I'm sure you can seethe difference that one was
ragtag right here.
And look at how smooth that oneis.
But the same thing, no top.
But you can see that.
How nice that that topper isopposed to the one that we did.
So that's really kind of coolhow that works.
(08:30):
Um, I've got a lot of differentstuff on this tonight, so just
bear with me.
I've had a lot of singlebarrels and, um, I went.
My very first barrel pick thatI ever went on was, um, was Knob
Creek single barrel for theKentucky Bourbon Festival, so
(08:51):
that was really kind of cool.
I have one bottle of that.
I purchased two, drank one, andI have another one put back
from that.
Uh, and that would have been, Iwant to say, for the.
I want to say it was for the30th or let's, it was 2020.
It's right here.
This was the 30th anniversaryand it was 2021.
(09:20):
No, is this yeah, for the 30thanniversary.
So I went on that pick.
Now I have another one from.
I got the 2022 knob creek fromthe festival and that's just
(09:41):
right there.
Kentucky burb justin fromjustin's house of Bourbon.
That was kind of cool to havethat 2022.
So there's so many differentbarrel picks, but I'm going to
go through the timeline as we goand I've got some cheers Matt,
good to see you.
Um, randy, senator, garrison,brother, okay.
(10:02):
So I've got Michael Jackson'sWhiskey, the Definitive World
Guide that you can hear about, alittle bit of history on the
actual.
I'm going to get this righthere.
And so Booker started making thesmall batches.
(10:24):
So Booker started making thesmall batches In 1992, booker's
was introduced in 1988 as anuncut, natural-proof and
non-chill-filtered bourbon.
But in 1992, the complex OakeyBooker's was joined by three
more bourbons in the collection.
One was the Baker's, one wasthe basil hayden but twist my
(10:51):
hand and balance and the and therobust knob creek, a
nine-year-old, 100 proof whiskeynamed after abraham lincoln's
childhood home in kentucky.
So when, when Booker started tomake his small batch collection
, he basically, you know, gotthis going and one of the things
(11:15):
uh, it was pretty cool what andand once he got it going.
Fred, who is almost, is one ofthe co-distillers at the
distillery right now withfreddie now, um, he really got
the small batch, the basil, keptthe and the bookers and the
basil hating all that is.
(11:36):
Um, after booker passed in 2004, but you got to say during
fred's time is when the the 90swas the re, re rebirth, but the
boom was during fred's time andhe really, um, fred and freddie
have really done a nice job withthe small batches out of Jim
Beam.
(11:56):
Hadn't done a Jim Beam podcastin a while and I really wanted
to do this because it's kind offantastic.
You know what I mean Fantasticbourbon.
It's something.
Hey, leland, good to see you.
I would say that this is partof my.
If you had to pick a couple, Imean Booker's is right there,
(12:17):
because Booker's was what reallygot me into collecting before,
right at the time when I wasstarting the Scotchy Bourbon
Boys group.
Booker's was the first everbourbon I hunted.
But Knob Creek is the firstbourbon that I would say I could
associate myself and that was abig difference in time period
(12:40):
because one was probably 1995-96and the other the Booker's when
I started was 2000.
It was Kitchen Table, which Ibelieve is a 2000.
I want to say I started I thinkit was in 2018 and I was able to
obtain it in 2019.
And you know, that's kind oflike you know the two different
(13:02):
things of Jim Beam.
Now all the other stuff thatcame through was was fantastic.
You know, right here I've gotthe right off the knob creek.
So the nine-year-old let's justdo this again, get the, get the
(13:26):
things.
The nine-year-old bourbonwhiskey.
When it comes to making knobcreek bourbon, there's a lot of
waiting, but hardly any sittingaround while each barrel
patiently ages in white oak.
Our distillers continue toraise the standards, fulfilling
their commitment to full flavor.
The result an unflinchingbalance of deep, pre-prohibition
style bourbon with a robust oaktaste complemented with hints
(13:49):
of smooth vanilla and layeredcaramel.
Baird Caramel Proof 100.
There's 107 reviews.
Let's see if I let's read areview.
It gets a 4.6 out of 5.
And then I'll look at thereviews.
Here we go.
Reminiscent of the French marketwhen I lived in New Orleans, it
(14:10):
was fun to be a tourist in mytown.
A stroll down road through theedge of the French Old Quarter,
taking the wharf, so the roastedpecans and creamy prunes was a
savory treat.
Fun to be a tourist in my town.
A stroll down road through theedge of the French Oak Quarter,
taking the wharfs of the roastedpecans and creamy prunes was a
savory treat.
Putting my nose in this glassof Knob Creek 9 instantly took
me down.
All right.
So this is the kind of stuffit's.
Knob Creek definitely has theJim Beam profile and I'm going
to take you to break.
(14:32):
We're going to go to breakingbourbon now.
Let's see.
We go here.
I've got this down really good.
So right there, breakingbourbon.
So it's in its form of nine,it's a hundred proof.
But if you're buying it, ifyou're buying it at nine years,
(14:52):
it's a 100 proof.
But if you're buying this, um,in a single barrel, you're going
to get 120 proof.
Both fantastic, perfectdrinking things.
So if you go there and you seea single barrel, you're going to
see 120.
If you go there for the thenine year, it's going to be 100
proof.
Now there's they.
They just real quick.
(15:12):
They make also the 12-year,which is whiskey's favorite.
Hey, john, it's good to see you.
John Ritt, just put in 9-year,120 proof is my favorite.
I've never seen a 9-year.
Well, I've seen a 9-year 120,but those are single barrels, so
they are Leland.
(15:32):
Those are all the singlebarrels that come out and they
do release the ones off theshelf at nine-year also.
But there were also older ones,just like the Scotchy Bourbon
Boys actual pick, right here youcan see it.
I got that here and this wascalled the Scotchy Bourbon.
It was called the Barrel Room,scotchy Bourbon Boys Select,
(15:54):
okay, and this was $120.
And, honestly, I had it signedby Fred.
This one I put up and I haveanother one left I gave the
person who got this year'sCrystal the Premier Crystalen
(16:15):
club.
That was was sarah evans andshe got one of the three bottles
remaining of that from ourbarrel pick.
So I was able to put that out.
I still have the signed one andthe one that I have for myself
and I believe somewhere elsethere's an open one that I can
sip from.
But, um, the nine yearyear isall.
(16:36):
The mash bill for it's made byit's distillery is Jim Beam, the
company's Beam Centauri, theirown.
It's straight bourbon, nineyears age Now.
So in 2016, they took thatnine-year age statement off
because they were using other.
The demand was so high duringthe bourbon boom of what they
(16:56):
had.
They used younger bourbon, butback in 2020, they put the age
statement back on, so it's beenback on for five years.
I can't believe it's gone thatfast.
I thought I was going to belike 22, 23 when they put the
nine-year.
Nope, it was 2020 when they putit back on.
The mash bill is 75% corn, 13%rye and 12% malted barley.
(17:19):
The MSRP from 2020 was $35.
The MSRP today was $34.99.
It hasn't changed.
It's 100 proof, but for $34.99,it is definitely Now.
Someone asked what's a goodprice for the 12-year?
(17:39):
Now we got proof.
He can't collect, he drinks ittoo fast.
And then Lane said what's agood price for the 12-year?
I believe the 12-year Well, Ican actually tell you what a
good.
I don't think they got it onthe website.
But the 12- well, I canactually tell you what a good.
I don't think they got it onthe website.
But the 12 year was.
I want to say this I think itwas 79.99.
(18:02):
I think it started 59.99, butthat when it came out again it
was it was 80.
So that was a 12 year.
Now they make a 15, which I havehere and I haven't tried, and
an 18.
Now I've tried the 18 manytimes.
I'm getting this up, get thisback over here.
(18:25):
I've tried the 18 many times.
It's it was really good, um,but it's kind of a oaky kind of
thing for me.
So it wasn't too oaky and I hadinterviewed Fred Ngo and that's
one of the things that he saidin the interview when they're
doing these age statements, theolder age statements, that he
(18:48):
doesn't want it to get too oaky.
Now, this was the coolest bottleever.
It's got a way to you flip thisup and then you can it's got a
little wood thing that holds itin place that you slide in like
this.
I think, yeah, this goes it.
(19:09):
No, how does that work?
Yeah, I want to say, yeah, getit in like that, drop it in.
Like that it holds the bottlein and you drop this, you flip
this and the little back thingslides out.
You got a little thing and youslide it out.
So it's really kind of cool.
Display knob creek holding.
I love this one.
(19:29):
I believe that this displayalso was used, I want to say, by
maker's mark.
I think somewhere I actuallyhave a maker's mark in this same
kind of box, which is kind ofcool.
But we'll leave the 18 there.
We got the 15 here.
I'm going to take now the 15sin more of a booker's box you
(19:51):
can see that right here um, soI'm going to pull that out for
now.
Drop the box down, pull the 15.
Now.
I don't got a lot of 15 leftand 15 comes in at 100, proof 2.
So 12, 15 and 9.
So tonight I'm going to besipping a little bit of that.
I'll drop the box down there.
We got some more room here now,um, and then I have a knob
(20:16):
creek, um, single barrel.
But what's really kind of coolis some of this stuff that I've
got is in the first bottlebefore they change it.
I love the new bottles, but ifyou look at the two bottles,
what would you think?
Do you think that's 750 andthat's 750?
What you got here going is bothare 750, but look at I wonder,
(20:41):
I don't see, maybe it's thethickness, but that's.
That's taller and it's.
This is a little wider.
I mean, that's just the way itis on the top or whatever.
It's always kind of funny howthat works.
But this is the 12.
I got a 12.
That's like that also, but thisis one of the first barrel
(21:04):
picks that I picked up before Idid a barrel pick or whatever,
and it's kind of cool.
You can see every label downhere says where it's from, and
this is 120 proof too.
So this is what you like.
But on this one, I'm going totell you the barrel picks now
(21:25):
coming off of store picks.
This one was nine year 5-28,2011 to 9-8.
So it was a nine year 20 528,2011 to 98 um, so it was a nine
year.
Now ours was actually 2011 to2022, so it was 11 10, so it was
(21:47):
10 and a half years old.
So that's kind of where that'sat.
So that's kind of cool.
This one, this 15-year obviously, this is a 15 and that's a 12.
Now, those are 100 proofs.
So they are 15-year batchesthat they make and those are 100
(22:10):
proofs.
So that's really kind of cool.
So what you got here is a lotof different bourbon in
different whatever, but it'sknob creek and it has that it
shares that mash bill.
So, um, now, that shouldn't behappening, but it obviously is.
I don't know why.
I'm not stopping, okay, sowe're all good.
(22:33):
Um, I will get back in.
I'm not stopping, okay, sowe're all good, I'll get back in
.
One, nine, six, five, yep, allright.
So it's reloading, breakingOkay, so once again, $35.
$35.
You got.
(22:57):
It's one of four bourbons thatcompromise Jim Beef's small
batch collection.
We know it's Basil Hayden,booker's and also Baker's.
But Beam states that they ageevery batch in maximum char
barrels to pull every bit ofnatural sweetness from the oak.
(23:18):
From its initial release in1992 up to late 2016, knob Creek
carried a nine-year agestatement.
In 2016, beam removed the agestatement, saying that it could
not guarantee all barrels wouldbe aged nine years due to
inventory issues.
In 2020, the nine-year agestatement once again returned to
the small batch.
Now this is what they saypresents notes of vanilla, light
(23:41):
oak and dab of caramel, a hintof char and a dab of fresh
marshmallow things.
Now this is 2020 and start tosip.
I mean, it's like it has agreat nose and the finish is oak
, vanilla and leather jump out.
That's very unique for Booker'sand for Knob Creek.
Same mash bill.
(24:03):
All right, let's see.
It's one of the best values inmy opinion, at $34.99 and a
nine-year, for what you'regetting, and I'm going to be
tasting it right off the shelfand I will be putting the barrel
(24:23):
bottle breakdown with.
I'll cover that in a second.
Now I know you all as we'regoing.
I think I've given it some goodgoing.
Good, john, for summer.
All right, let's see.
(24:44):
Yep, I've given you all thestuff that I need to read.
I'm clearing this.
I haven't had any bourbontonight.
We're going to put this away,but I can tell you I'm gonna
open it and give it a littletime.
Let's uh, I love, like onceagain, the wax.
(25:04):
And just, you got this and theydo a good job with it.
Um, when macaulay from darkarts didn't put this on and he
just put wax, I think I bloodiedmy fingers right live on the
podcast, right in.
I've been, I went through thisperiod.
Now, once again it's a freshcrack or a fresh open, but I
(25:30):
will.
I usually like to let it air,give it a sniff, pop the cap
back on, because now that airhas been let out, and then do a
little get that baby like that,let the air come back, the fresh
air come through, open thatbaby up.
Now I'm going to let thisbreathe while I talk about it,
(25:54):
but it's nine-year, 100 proof.
Now, it's not a bottle, I meanit's not bonded, but it's as
good as any bonded.
I mean it's gone nine years,it's not four.
It's 100 proof and it meets allthe standards of bourbon,
although it might not havebarrels that were from the same
season, I don't know.
(26:14):
That part's not there.
We'll put this back up here.
We are going to do the thing.
But what I'll tell you is so, asan artist, in 1995, I was a
computer artist working oncommercial art in Milwaukee in
my dad's studio we had ahigh-end commercial.
(26:34):
It was called the QuantelGraphic Paintbox and it was a
high-end computer doing high-endartwork and we did a lot for
the industries.
One of our clients was Coors.
Another client was Jim Beam.
It was at the time.
It was uh, at the time.
It was not beam, some tory, itwas, I believe back then.
(26:57):
Uh, either, beam incorporated Iwant to say that's what it was
and they were just starting togo through the push of knob
creek.
So I got a bottle of 100 proofnineob Creek, but in this size
bottle, and I had it and I hadtasted it, and this was in 95,
(27:24):
that puts me at 31.
And Jack Daniels had been.
But I had no idea what bourbonwas like.
You know what I mean.
I didn't know what.
I was still 31 years old.
Did I fill it.
Nope, I didn't.
Let's spin this around.
See what happens.
Let's bring her around.
Yeah, there we go rolling itaround in the glass.
Look at that, it just holds upright off the bat.
(27:47):
It coated the glass and there'snothing.
Right now.
That's how the viscosity ofthis bourbon is.
I mean the corn, the corn oilsat 78, I believe, was what it is
.
It's going to take a while tostart running down, so let's let
it sit.
It's breathing.
I could see right at the topthe legs starting to happen as
(28:07):
it runs back down.
This is really kind of cool howyou could see that kind of
happening.
And then so in my ScotchyBourbon Boys, glenn.
So I was commissioned to dosome artwork and I did it and it
didn't turn out quite as goodbecause the label of the bottle,
the label, was a little bitlight and I used a lot of light
(28:29):
pictures.
I probably should have usedmore, but I did and I really got
into it.
Plus, I was able to keep thebottle.
So when I drank the bottle, itwas the first really real, um
whiskey that I um what would yousay?
It's the first real whiskey,besides Jack Daniels, that I
(28:51):
ever cared to drink.
So I hadn't started my bourbonjourney at all by then and I
really liked what it was doing.
I mean, it's done some that didsome.
This little bit different kindof thing of what I was expecting
Kind of went to once it ran.
It went to drips, but there'ssome long.
The legs are a little bitthinner Now.
That's rocked us fast forward.
(29:16):
Um, I love bookers.
It was, uh, 2018 when I startedsearching for bookers.
Uh, I had no idea it was a beanproduct.
When I was looking for it, Ihad no idea that booker started
knob creek, basil hayden, andand I would buy basil hayden,
not knowing knob creek and basilhayden were together.
I bought basil Basil Hayden fora gift, for, for it's just, it
(29:37):
was a great Christmas gift withthat great label.
Um, so I was really into JimBeam before I really got into
this without even knowing it,but I will tell you.
Um, as we got to know, uh, fredand Freddie and Fred's wife
Sandy, uh, we really kind of gotto know Fred and Freddie and
(29:57):
Fred's wife Sandy.
We really kind of got to knowthem and they're fantastic
people, sandy.
I keep in touch with Sandyregularly and it really is a
quality product that they putout and they have a flavor
profile that if you're going tolike it.
(30:17):
I mean, you know, when you askfor a jim beam.
You know one time we were outand we asked for a jim beam and
we ended up getting a jamesonand there wasn't any comparison.
We knew that we didn't get jimbeam because we know the flavor
profile of j Beam, so that isconsistent throughout their
product.
But the Jim Beams, the Jim BeamBlacks all have different.
(30:42):
As it goes, you're looking atfive, you're looking at four
year at Jim Beam.
You're looking at five to seven, year depending.
You're looking at with BasilHayden, um, old granddad's,
probably a four year.
I mean there's just so many.
It's just how long it was inthe barrel and what's the proof.
(31:02):
You're going to put it out.
So that's kind of how it goesand which rick houses they pull
from.
So they pull from the same.
They know it.
They've got a whole, um, whatwould you say?
They've got a whole history ofnow nine generations of beam
distillers.
Fred was the eighth, freddy'sthe ninth, I believe, of
(31:27):
distillers that know where theirproduct ages.
In some cases the rickhousesare over a hundred years old and
they've been doing it.
They know the sweet spots, theyknow where they are, they
documented them.
So it's really kind of cool howthat works and um, the product
that they produce is fantastic.
(31:48):
So for 35 dollars, nom creek, anine-year bourbon.
Um, you know, you've got the10-year eagle rare but the eagle
rare and that's 31 or 33.99 orwhatever, but this is held its
price at 34.99, so that's reallykind of good.
And um, yeah, the lineage,although I got it, I mean they
(32:13):
make some really high.
Um, don't forget um, thejapanese larson, uh, legiont,
legiont.
And then, I believe, if youreally want to get into, I mean
they have so many differentthings.
They've got their specialdistillery releases.
They got bakers, which isnormally seven and it's gone to
a single barrel.
(32:34):
Now they got baker's 13, uh,fantastic.
So there's so many differentthings that they got.
But this particular knob creek,I think it's been in there.
But so fast forward to 2000.
Um, I've I'm into bookers andwhat and whatnot.
Meet fred and sandy.
No, so my first ever barrel pickI ever was on I'm getting into
(32:57):
this, I'm doing the podcastnever even thought I'd be on a
barrel pick was with theKentucky Bourbon Festival.
It was during COVID.
It was the spring of 21.
I was invited to the Brendiamopenthouse which was not the
Brendiamo but it was the officesof the Kentucky Bourbon
(33:19):
Festival to do a barrel pick.
Now, this barrel pick was not,oh, old Tub, don't forget that.
That's my favorite.
I'm going to be drinking thaton April 8th, on Monday, on my
fantasy baseball draft that'scoming up.
So I love Old Tub, love old tub, for that, that's my thing.
Uh, but I will say that on thisbarrel pick I was with Steve
(33:44):
Coombs.
I was with both, both theJustins from Justin's house of
bourbon who really know bourbon.
I was with Randy Prass, thenFreddie Noe and then a couple
other people that I don't, butthey were friends, friends of
Steve Coombs and I from Alaska.
It was really kind of cool, butit was up there at the studios,
(34:09):
their offices from KentuckyBourbon Festival, from Kentucky
Bourbon Festival, and Freddiecame.
He brought the lineage whichwas, I believe, homage to Fred
Ngo.
That's the one.
And he also brought theHardin's Creek, not the Jacobs,
(34:30):
well, but the 15-year one, andwe got to taste that.
I knew about Hardin's Creek waybefore they released it.
Speaking of Hardin's Creek, hasthere been any releases this
year?
I haven't seen any, but myfavorite is the single barrel
that's 10 years.
I have another single barrel, anine-year yeah.
Well, the Scotchy Bourbon Boysone was almost 11, 10 and a half
(34:53):
years.
That's really good.
A couple people told me thatwas the best one that they ever
best single barrel they evertasted.
I admit it was good, but that2019 pick was my first ever
barrel pick and it was fantastic.
I never did it.
I picked and was part of thegroup that picked the one that
(35:16):
Freddie picked.
So there was a couple.
I believe there was one, two,three, four.
My wife even got on it.
She wasn't.
There was eight people with hernine and I went with the one
that Freddie picked and it wasfour to four and Freddie didn't
(35:39):
vote and his vote was the onethat kind of broke the
tiebreaker and then we blindedthe two of the three and it
ended up being the pick that Iliked.
I have a bottle of that still.
I bought, like I said, I boughttwo.
But you know, hey, ricky, goodto see you.
Best deal yes, it is Knob Creeknine year $175 at Costco for
(36:08):
$50.
Yeah, I saw it at $65.
That is a deal and Knob Creek'sa deal.
Knob Creek is a really goodbourbon, made by Jim Beam, and
it's nine years old and it'sgood.
I mean, it's fantastic.
So it's been.
This has been sitting in thereand you know, I know this flavor
inside and out, initially, whenI initially, my 31 year old
(36:31):
palate in 1995 was telling methat this was hot and peppery
and very not.
And then when I starteddrinking uh for uh, the podcast
it was, initially it was alittle bit, I would say, there's
a spice.
Put it this way, this is abourbon designed for a person
(36:58):
who likes whiskey and they likethe actual.
They're not looking forsomething easy, they like
something that's got a nice biteto it, a little bit of pepper.
Um, it's really kind of cool.
So definitely, um, love, love,love this, uh, this thing.
(37:20):
And we're gonna do right now,since we're at this point, um,
oh, okay, so I did.
We did the 2021 barrel pick, butthen we go along and you got
2022 coming and before 2022, wedecide that we're going to do
(37:44):
our own Scotchy Bourbon Boysbarrel pick.
This was 6-9-2022.
So, june of 22, scotchy BourbonBoys aligned with the barrel
room here in Canton and Carrieand her friend who owned it
(38:06):
split the barrel with us.
We wanted to split the barrelbecause I had never done a
barrel pick and I didn't know ifthe group was gonna move enough
bottles.
So we split it, which was agood idea, but we would say that
(38:34):
it was a great experience.
We went down with.
It was myself, ct had notjoined it was Xavier Roxy we
could have six and it was Carrieand her friend, and then Mrs
(38:58):
Xavier went.
So the six of us went down inJune and then did the barrel
pick Fantastic time we ate atthe kitchen table.
Oh, sandy Ngo was on the barrelpick too.
She came down and I think I'mnot sure but I don't think, mrs
(39:18):
xavier it was sandy, no, who weinvited to come with us too.
So we had six that could go.
Great time.
Super pick had a lot of fun.
It worked out great and I stillhave a couple and very proud of
this pick that we did.
So, my first barrel picks thatI ever were on, one that myself.
(39:41):
Now we were able to do manymore since then and been on them
with the Kentucky BourbonFestivals Love being on the
picks that we were on.
Uh, really enjoyed everythingabout it.
Barrel picks are fantastic.
Um, if you could get to whiskeythief.
There's a barrel pick all day,every day, so you can get a
feeling and you can walk awaywith one bottle.
You're not having to buy abarrel.
(40:01):
But if you talk to walter he'llsell you a barrel if you want.
It's just that's how this works.
So, no, actually, if you'retalking about it, they're
finished in casks with cherryblossom casks from.
(40:21):
I mean, if you're asking Matt,that's the Legion, it's not
sherry, it's not a wine, it'sthe cherry blossom whatever from
Japan, the main masterdistiller from Suntory.
He helped them come up.
(40:43):
And then the whole agingprocess.
He thought it was going to haveto age for two to four years
and it ended up only having theage a year and a half.
That's how fast it ages inKentucky compared to Japan.
But getting back to this, um, sothen we've been I.
I was able to go to the beam.
(41:03):
I went to the, the a luncheonwith um Fred and Freddie.
Um, we met them at the firstkentucky bourbon festival.
I did a painting of fred andfreddie and booker and had fred
and freddie sign it.
Um, I gave them it.
Uh, there's so much history inthis and I'm looking where, yep,
(41:26):
I got a knob creek right abovefreddie's shoulder in the
painting.
It's right over there.
Fantastic, lots of fun to dothat and just really overall,
knob Creek has just been a partand Jim Beam has been such a big
part of this ride that we'retaking here and I just wanted to
(41:46):
, you know, let everybody know,I haven't had a nine.
I went out and gotten it.
I've looked at it but you know,as a whiskey connoisseur and a
person who gets whiskey all thetime to taste, you don't always
go out and buy the basic bottles.
But sometimes you got to do apodcast and get a basic bottle,
(42:07):
much to the chagrin of my wife.
She's like why do you want toput?
And it's like it doesn't.
So we're doing the brand.
We got the nine nine year and Iam going to.
That brings me to the oldlouisville whiskey company
barrel bottle breakdown.
(42:29):
It's based off of.
Knox tiny has his knocker righthere, which is a bung hammer
purchased at.
I want to say this waspurchased at wilderness trail on
a barrel pick with Macaulay, soI was able to get this.
(42:51):
I love this.
This is actually an icebreakerbut it's in the shape of a.
But it is our knocker, so ourknock system has evolved so that
it's based off of fourcategories Smell, nose, aroma,
(43:21):
body, taste, finish.
For the nose, you can get up tofour knocks.
For the body, you can get up tofour knocks.
For the body, you can get up tofour knocks.
For the taste, you can get upto five knocks.
And for the finish, also fiveknocks.
(43:42):
We've evolved this because Ifeel that if you have something
with body and good mouthel andit doesn't taste good, who cares
?
Because you can taste like crapand it just fills your mouth
completely.
That's not really a great thing.
And then also same thing If itsmells okay but tastes fantastic
(44:04):
.
Really, taste is more important.
But also, in the end, yourfinish in, in my opinion, is
what's left over.
And if you go upstairs afteryou're done and you still taste
the whiskey, it's kind of animportant thing, the last thing
or last pour or whatever.
So that's what we're looking atour old louisville whiskey
(44:28):
company barrel bottle breakdownum, you gotta check out old
louisville.
Um, they're in louisville,kentucky I believe amin is in
the process of trying torelocate, but at the current
place, uh, there's barrels.
Um, you gotta get there.
He will make sure it's byappointment at some times and
(44:50):
then open, I believe, on theweekend.
Stop by see him.
You will walk out with somedamn good whiskey, there's no
doubt about it.
His bourbons and his barrelsthat he picks are fantastic.
I mean, he's got a really nicething going there.
So, anyways, that brings us tothe rating.
So I to already.
(45:11):
I kind of see what it did in myglass From a nose.
There's a lot of vanilla.
It almost smells like a vanillaice cream cone.
There's a little bit of afloral but, like I said, smells
(45:33):
like a vanilla ice cream cone.
Either you like this or youdon't.
This is Jim Beam.
There's no doubt this has arichness, more than the actual,
just Jim Beam.
The nose that's coming off,this is fantastic.
How can you go wrong with avanilla ice cream cone?
That's just my opinion.
There's a little bit of oakalso and a little bit of pepper,
(46:03):
but that vanilla ice cream coneis right there.
Alright, this is 2000.
This bottle should be thenewest bottle on the shelf.
I mean, there we go.
Let me look and see what's onthe bottle.
(46:29):
I like the nose.
I really love the nose.
I got them right here.
Let's see what it just actuallysays I never read the bottle.
Um for this.
It says the original knob creeksmall batch, kentucky straight
bourbon whisking eight, nine,age, nine, age, nine years for
(46:50):
quality, full flavor, claremont,kentucky, 100 proof.
50% alcohol.
Crafted for quality, full proof.
Full flavor, 100 proof since1992.
And age nine years?
Do I got a 110 OCB?
Do 110?
110.
110 OCB, do 110?
(47:12):
Just seeing if there's anythingthat tells you what 122
calories per one and a halfpoint, proof points.
Hmm, not for underage,wwwdrinksmartcom.
(47:36):
Wwwnobcreekcom.
Distilled in bottle James BBean Distilling Company,
claremont.
Nope, it just doesn't haveanything.
What's that?
Yeah, since 1992, knob Creeksmall batch.
There you go, not a lot on it,all right.
(47:56):
So it's just basic, all rightout.
There's a lot of complexity onthis.
(48:21):
Like I said, these bourbons,like knob creek, are bourbons
for people.
You're not looking for dessertor it's not sweet.
It's what bourbon whiskey, whatsomebody would imagine whiskey
should taste like.
Sometimes you get these sweeterbourbons and when you get the,
(48:45):
they pull out some flavors andyou're like holy crap, how does
it do that?
This isn't about that.
This is about drinking abourbon that, for people who
don't, it brings out a littlebit of leather, there's vanilla
and caramel, but then there's alittle bit of leather as far as
the body goes with the KentuckyChew, we'll do it now.
(49:05):
Now it's amazing.
This does wow for 100 proof.
I've been drinking a lot of 100proofs lately.
I think the last couple havebeen 100 proof.
The body's always on those.
(49:27):
You can't compare.
But this 100 proof of thisbatch, I wonder if that's the
date on the bottom.
Let's see.
I saw it on the bottom on thisbatch, the 100 proof.
This body is amazing and thetaste is everything that I would
want.
All right, 587, 37.
(49:50):
No, nothing's helping me.
I wonder if there's a laser.
Oh, there it is.
This one is l505, 7, 220, 35,20, 35, 0900, 1clj 730, 03, 50,
(50:20):
900.
That just doesn't help me onthe date.
I'm sure if I look that upit'll probably tell me.
But, like I said, I think thisis one of the newer bottles.
Now, one of the things thatpeople don't understand is that
not only does Maker's Mark havethe patent on the red wax, and
(50:44):
it's not so much.
You could put a red wax, but itcan't drip.
And the same thing.
You look, these don't drip.
Nobody who has a wax seal dripsthem, except for maker's mark,
because they've got the patenton that, so that's kind of cool.
Um, some of the single barrelsare quite sweet.
That's the small batch blendtalking about.
No, I'm talking, yeah, some ofthe single barrels have that
(51:07):
sweetness because they're singlebarrels, but when you're
talking about the batch of it,they're they're trying to make
it not be too sweet.
It's sweet enough, okay, it'sreally good.
But this is like, in my opinion, beams um, the part that um
creek would do.
Oh, swipe up a nine and give ita pour, oh, no.
(51:27):
So my opinion is um the.
The other one that's close tothis is cave hill from rabbit
hill.
Once again, this is like thebourbon that you're gonna, what
you think it should taste whenyou're sitting in the rickhouse
and you smell all the barrelsaging in the summer.
It just has that flavor.
(51:50):
It's fantastic.
So on that, but the body'samazing.
Now let's just go to the tastenow, after the palate shot.
(52:10):
So straight up, vanillafrosting on the front, if you
leave it on the front paletteand then, as it goes to the back
palette, you pick up a littlebit of caramel with that, and
then the leather and it'sleather, it's not tobacco the
leather flavor starts to takeover which I think the the
classic bourbon flavor is theleather.
(52:32):
Now I'm not getting any on thisone.
I'm not getting any Jim Beampeanut, it's leather caramel.
It's sweet enough.
That batch, this batch of nineyear Knob Creek, is probably the
best.
That's one of the best KnobCreek's on the nine year that
I've ever had A lot of times.
I'm just going to tell you thisis really fantastic.
(52:57):
Was not for a small batch at$35.
I'm going to say this nine yearmight be the steal of the year.
I might have that as a category35, nine year.
And this tastes sweet vanilla.
(53:22):
Like you pick up the vanillafrosting flavor, the nose is
like a vanilla ice cream cone.
The body goes to your cheeks,your, it goes everywhere.
(53:51):
And the finish?
Um, then you pick up thatlittle bit of leather.
Um, I'm trying to think what itfinishes with batch blend.
Talking, some of the singlebarrels are okay, we got anybody
else.
Yes, uh, justin nice.
Um, I'm slouching.
(54:12):
I don't know why I'm slouching.
I hate it when I slouch.
All right, so, standingstraight up again, I will say
that it's time to do the bashing, not the bat I used to bash.
It's time to do the knocks,this one.
(54:33):
So we're going to go on the nose.
The most you can give it is afour.
The ice cream takes it for sure.
I love it.
I'm going to give the nose afour out of four.
Here we go.
Four, four bashes.
(54:57):
And the next one's going to beon the barrel behind me, which
was the William Dalton barrelthat had a French oak stave that
Alan Bishop allowed me to have.
So four on the nose.
The body allowed me to have.
(55:18):
So four on the nose.
The body everywhere gotta go.
Four on the body.
Four on the body.
Taste out of five?
I don't, it's just not.
I'm going to give it a four outof five.
(55:41):
No, yeah, because the leatheris a little bit and you got to
add that in Four out of five.
So right now we are 12 out of13.
(56:04):
The finish for a 100 proof nineyear, it's there.
For a hundred proof, nine year,it's there.
But I wish that I pull in.
It's just a little too muchleather to be a five.
It's like what's the finish?
(56:25):
What's it left?
It's long, it's long.
Folks, I'm telling you, if youlike a little leather and a
little bit of tobacco not a lot,not overpowering this is your
drink.
This is your jam.
It's oaky.
(56:57):
Sometimes you can pick up theactual flavor of the wood when
you pick up the leather and thetobaccos.
That's the wood, but it's got,it's taken on not a wood taste.
It's been in there long enoughto with a little bit of char and
everything that makes it there,but the chocolate is when the
dark chocolate is now.
(57:18):
It doesn't go to dark chocolate, it stays that leather.
I prefer a dark chocolatefinish or something like is.
It's long, but for me thefinish is a three of five, which
(57:40):
brings us to a score of 15 outof 18.
Now, if you're talking, I meanbottles that are $189, get 15s
of 18s.
This is a $34.99 bottle thatjust pulled off a 15 of 18.
(58:03):
Now it does.
My palate has evolved over theyears, I will tell you this, and
honestly, the 15 out of 18score is a pretty good score.
I believe whiskey, in myopinion, has also over the last,
(58:30):
since I started, the aging whatwould you say?
The actual aging in kentucky,inside the maturation in the
barrel, has become more perfecthotter, there's more, there's
(58:51):
more heat, hotter summers, alittle bit hotter summers, and
then there's a lot of what wouldyou say storms and rain and
these rickhouses have theirwindows open and they just, the
barrels, just sit there and theyget the wind and the rain and
they get the the heat, but theyalso get the cold of the winters
(59:12):
.
So Jim Beam ages the way, thenatural way that can in Kentucky
, of just letting mother naturetake its course, and they've got
two fantastic Freddie, fred,and I'm sure Fred has taught
Freddie that there was a coupleyears ago they put out five
(59:35):
batches of bookers and theystarted to put out the batches
for that next year and they onlyput out.
I want to say it was, I want tosay three, but they might have
put out four that year.
They didn't put out five, but Iwant to say they put out four.
That year they didn't put outfive, but I want to say they put
out.
But the reason why they cutback that year was because Fred
thought that they were trying torush it.
(59:57):
There was one that was six anda half years.
Fred likes to get at leastseven into bookers.
So they really, really careabout this brand and this year's
version of Kn knob creek ninethat I just bought here in march
, uh, today at my local johnnyneagle uh of knob creek nine has
(01:00:26):
just it's even better than Iremember it and it's really kind
of cool.
So it's just been such anunbelievable part from tying
into my art career to tying intobefore I started the podcast,
with meeting Fred and Freddie atthe first Kentucky Bourbon
(01:00:46):
Festival in 2019.
It just realistically has beenone of the bourbons and there's
been a couple, but this bourbonhas been part of my whiskey
journey, so I wanted to give itits due and it pulled off a 15
out of 18 tonight and I thinkthat small batch link.
(01:01:09):
So there we go.
So that's where we're at rightnow.
So I'm going to everybody onFacebook and YouTube know that
I'm going to end the podcast.
As far as on audio, we're goingto do our thing and then I'm
going to stick around for alittle bit because I've got for
everybody on Facebook andYouTube.
I've got the 15 and the 12.
(01:01:33):
And I want to know yourthoughts once we get going.
So I want to.
You know, cheers for that.
As far as some of the singlebarrels, that's the small batch
blend talking to you.
So, yeah, so let's get thisgoing going, remember, uh, here
(01:01:54):
we go.
So, once again, people who justjoined on youtube.
Hang around.
I'm just ending the podcast.
Uh, we gave knob creek 9 15 outof 18, and I'm ending the
podcast on the audio, but we'regoing to stick around on youtube
.
So stick around, because we'regoing to be talking about the 12
and the 15 and then also the 18.
(01:02:15):
So, uh, that's kind of cool andhere goes, we'll get into this.
Remember wwwscotchiebourbonboysfor all things scotchie bourbon
boys.
Glenn karen's t-shirts.
Uh, contact me directly or onthe website for all your glass
scotchy bourbon glassware needs,and then also your t-shirts.
(01:02:36):
So, thanks very much for allthe sales that we're getting off
that.
And then also remember we're onFacebook, instagram, youtube
and X, and then also all themajor podcast formats Apple,
iheart and Spotify, no matterwhether you watch or listen,
(01:02:56):
remember like, listen, comment,subscribe and leave good
feedback.
Now remember, good friendsequal good times.
Don't drink and drive Goodfriends and good bourbon and
(01:03:18):
whiskey equals good times.
Don't drink and drive.
Drink responsibly and live yourlife uncut and unfiltered.
Speaker 2 (01:03:42):
And little Steve-O is going to take us out.
Oh don't ask why.
Oh don't ask why.
Show me the way to the nextwhiskey bar.
Oh don't ask why.
Oh don't ask why.
For if we don't find the nextwhiskey bar, I tell you we must
(01:04:06):
die.
I tell you we must die, I tellyou, I tell you, I tell you we
must die.
I tell you, we must die.
I tell you, I tell you, I tellyou, we must die.
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