Bourbon Bass Barbells. Knob Creek 12. Let’s get into it.

100 proof. 12 years old. 77 percent corn, 13 percent rye, 10 percent malted barley. MSRP is $60 and these days you can actually find it there. Sometimes lower. The hype train has pulled into the station and stopped, which is great news because there was a stretch where local shelves had these sitting at $80 and I was driving to New Mexico to find them for $56.99. That era is over. And when you stack this up against what Knob Creek is doing with their 15 and 18 year offerings, this thing is basically cheap. Consistent and cheap. That’s a win.

Nice pop on the open. The Knob Creek top was actually cooperative this time, which if you’ve wrestled one of these things off before you know is not a guarantee. About a 99 percent chance it’s going to fight you. Zero smoke on the fresh crack. Doesn’t mean anything, just always a cool little note on a fresh pop.

The nose is legitimately beautiful. VOC right off the rip, heavy on the vanilla. Almost smells like a Bundt cake straight out of the oven. Rich, creamy, and it sets you up perfectly for the first sip. Rich, creamy, and it sets you up perfectly for the first sip.

The palate is where it gets a little complicated. Lots of vanilla upfront, a nice chocolate tone underneath that, and then a burn that I wasn’t fully ready for. It’s not the heartburn situation that I genuinely hate, but it’s trending that way. A little ethanol forward for my personal taste. At 100 proof that shouldn’t be the case and it’s the one thing that holds this bottle back from being a true standout. That said, all around solid. The extra time in barrel shows. There’s a depth here that the standard Knob Creek just doesn’t have.

The finish is honestly a little inconsequential. Very light tobacco, very light leather, and then it kind of just fades out. Nothing offensive, nothing remarkable. The palate is clearly the star of this sip and the finish just kind of clocks out early.

For you high proof people, yes this is probably a pass right now. Worth noting though that the Knob Creek 12 Year Cask Strength is coming down the pike. Whether that thing becomes readily available or stays impossible to find is anyone’s guess, but keep an eye on it.

For everyone else, this belongs on your shelf. It’s a 12 year age stated bourbon that you can actually find without a raffle or a $200 secondary price. Don’t pay over $70. Under that number it’s a no-brainer. At $75 you’re still in decent territory but you’re starting to approach the threshold where the ethanol forward finish is going to start to bother you when you do the math.

Short answer. Grab one. It’s consistent, it’s approachable, and compared to where the 15 and 18 are priced, it’s basically a budget pick from the same family.

Cheers.