Knob Creek Quarter Oak
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
50% ABV
$50
Website
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
Knob Creek® Bourbon, a leader in the Small Batch Bourbon category for more than 25 years, is excited to announce a new, limited edition bourbon in its award-winning portfolio, Knob Creek® Quarter Oak. This special, limited-time release uses a secondary finishing approach to continue the vision founding distiller Booker Noe set for Knob Creek decades ago: to craft bourbon with the fullest flavors characteristic of pre-prohibition style.
With its latest release, Knob Creek explores and deepens the influence of oak on its flagship bourbon. Knob Creek Quarter Oak takes the brand’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, crafted in the pre-prohibition style fans expect from Knob Creek, and finishes it for a minimum of four years in quarter cask, American oak barrels to increase the amount of contact between the whiskey and wood. A small amount of this unique, secondarily finished whiskey – which delivers richer notes of oak – is then mingled with Knob Creek® Kentucky Straight Bourbon to create the final product that boasts a harmonious balance of oak influence and traditional, sweeter notes.
“When Dad created Knob Creek in the early 90s, he wanted to bring back the big, bold flavors that bourbon offered before the days of Prohibition,” said Fred Noe, Booker’s son and Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller. “Dad loved to experiment in his quest for flavor, and I like to think we carry on that same spirit today with releases like this. Finishing our full-flavored liquid in quarter casks delivers a really nice, deepened wood flavor to the bourbon our fans enjoy.”
Knob Creek Quarter Oak is bottled with the following characteristics:
Proof: 100
Color: Dark Honey
Aroma: A nice blend of brown sweets, char and toasted oak with hints of dried fruits
Taste: Sweet, heavy oak with background notes of char, dried fruits and brown spices
Finish: Slightly sweet charred oak with a lingering dryness
What Gary Says
Nose: Oak prominent, vanilla, burnt caramel, dark chocolate, blood orange, cigar paper with hints of dark roast coffee grounds and a bit of anise.
Palate: Sweet to start with caramel, chocolate covered cherries, loads of baking spices – allspice, clove, a citrus-spice note, and oak.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with cocoa and oak pepper spice.
Comments: Compared to Knob Creek, I get more dark chocolate and spice notes throughout, along with plenty of oak. I’m not a big fan of ‘oak bombs’ – and to be clear, this isn’t that. It is definitely heavier on the oak as you’d expect, but is balanced well with some lovely spice notes. If you do like a lot of oak in your bourbon, you’ll probably love this.