Tastes

Aroma: ethanol, apple cinnamon, slight spice, grain bread, slight caramel and vanilla towards the back Taste: grain alcohol, cinnamon spice, sweet This isn’t a complex rye, it’s a straightforward lower shelf rye. It’s not complex, but it’s easy to sip. If you are looking for a cheap rye, and bonded, this is a great option. But you won’t be spending much time on the notes this has to offer.

Nose: apples and sweet, bready crust, ethanol, cinnamon and spice Palate: harsh, cinnamon spice, baked apples, ethanol, some marshmallow Not my favorite of the lineup

Nose: apples, vanilla, Beam funk, some spice Palate: ethanol, nutty bread and pie crust, slight caramel and cinnamon finish

Nose: caramel and vanilla, grain and sweet bread, peanuts and some fruit Palate: nutty, watery, brown sugar and vanilla, some caramel

Mash Bill #1 Nose: caramel and vanilla, brown sugar, corn, slight ethanol, I dare say some banana? Palate: grain and banana bread? caramel and brown sugar, slight ethanol A great, consistent bourbon!

Batch 2 Color: Dark Auburn Nose: grain, honey, oak and baking spice, caramel and vanilla, toffee and some orange peel, slight ethanol at the end but overall a great nose! Palate: brown sugar, leather, honey, oak, caramel and slight butterscotch, cinnamon spice finish and linger, a warm Kentucky Hug - way far in the back there is a slight hint of the Beam funk. 100 proof and 14 years did this Knob Creek some service. The price tag of ~$130 is a hard pill to swallow, thankfully I received this bottle when I worked for Beam.

Nose: Beam Funk is unmistakeable, grain, sweet, caramel and vanilla, mint, baking spice Palate: thin, watery grain, slight brown sugar, cinnamon spice linger Maybe my bottle needs to open up more, but this is a sorry excuse of a rye under a premium label. Thankfully I got this bottle from work, but it’s not worth the $40 price tag. Zero depth, watered down - when will the Basil Hayden line come up in proof and stop diluting flavor?

Nose: honey, brined toffee, oak and ethanol, caramel and vanilla Palate: cinnamon and clove, brown sugar, slight tobacco. Can be difficult to find for some, if you find it, pick it up. The $40 price tag isn’t too bad, but there are bonded bourbons for cheaper that are as good if not better.

Old Tub, to my knowledge could only be picked up in the gift shop at Jim Beam, but I found it at a liquor store in Louisville for $15. Aged 4 years and bottled in bond. Nose: Not very complex, basic bourbon nose - caramel, vanilla, char and ethanol, slight peanut Palate: a little harsh, but mellows out the longer it sits, Kentucky Hug going down - slight grain, caramel and vanilla, ethanol, cinnamon spice finish, possibly a marshmallow note in the middle? This is an ok bourbon. I don’t know if $15 for a 375mL 4 year BiB Bourbon is priced correctly, but I appreciate the liquid. 70/100

About $35 for the 375ml “Snyder’s Flask” 12 year at the gift shop of Boone County Distilling Co. Color: Dark Orange/Auburn Nose: a truly wonderful bouquet- toffee and I think some slight chocolate, caramel and vanilla, honey, slight ethanol, some oak at the end Palate: tobacco and leather, toffee and caramel, ethanol, honey and vanilla on the finish (short) with a slight cinnamon linger Boone County knew what they were doing when they picked this mash bill and these MGP barrels. Although I felt like the experience was a little short, there is a tiny remnant of sweet tobacco to remind to take another sip.