Tastes

Solid rye. Sourced by MGP, blended by Nobel Cut Distillery, this 100 B-I-B entry had a good balance of spice (95% rye) and depth of flavor. A bit pricey for what it is, but not sorry I bought a bottle.

First bourbon offering from Dayton (OH) Barrel Works. Extremely impressive for a first release. Very balanced spice with cinnamon and peppermint notes. Caramel and vanilla appear in the background. Nice lingering finish. I am guessing this was sourced from Midwest Grain Products since the bottle indicates it was distilled in Indiana. If so, MGP did them right.

I know this gets a bad wrap, but I like it. Smooth with nice undertones. The black cherry comes through, but not overwhelming. Oak finish adds some depth. It’s a wheat bourbon, so if you are into ryes and a big spice kick, this will not be for you. I like them all, and this is a nice change of pace.

My favorite (affordable) Rye. Great balance with the spice of the rye and the vanilla, caramel, apple and cinnamon notes of a great whiskey.

Actually, I really liked this bourbon. Balanced profile with some decent spice, but some nice sweet and smoky notes underneath. Biggest issue is price. Retails for way too much. If this was $30, I’d buy it all day long. At $70+... won’t buy another bottle. Just nowhere near worthy of that price point.

Very smooth and drinkable. Not an overpowering rye, but has a more smoky and oaky flavor. Fruity undertones. Pleasant.

Just a nice sipping bourbon. Not overly complex. Sweet and fruity with enough clove spice to remind you there is a decent amount of rye in the mash bill. Might be a good entry level bourbon.

Solid entry into the Knob Creek family. A bit sweeter than regular Knob Creek, perhaps, but still has a peppery finish. Some vanilla, leather and a hint of banana are the main notes I got.

First “Kentucky chew” sip was fire, but my palette quickly adapted and this became a very pleasurable, easy sipping rye. Yes, the spice was there, but for a barrel proof rye, the sweet honey, vanilla notes come through. Finish is similar and fades nicely. Excellent complement to the Rare Breed Bourbon.

Enters the mouth with a bang! Fiery up front followed by a bit of sweet vanilla and then a long finish reminiscent of the effects of chewing a handful of RedHots all at once. As ice melted I got a bit more anise and clove with a bit of caramel.