Tastes

Runs hot but doesn't really have any of the unpleasant white lightning/moonshine flavors, probably owing to the charcoal filtering which is what separates a Tennessee whiskey from bourbon. Quite a bit of rye spice, maple wood smoke, caramel, vanilla buttercream, cinnamon, basil, baked apples, heavy charcoal dust, creamed corn, dried/mild plantains hang in the background and on the finish. Nicely balanced flavors and overall not bad. Improves with oxidation. Their Belle Meade bourbons are much better. Would recommend Russell's 10yr, Old Forester 1897, Michter's.

Fresh fennel, heavy clove, strong notes of malted barley giving it a bit of a scotch flair, biscuit, typical grassy rye notes, soft oak tannins, cream soda, raw clover honey, juicy spearmint almost like menthol, juniper berries, dark caramel, hint of smokey brine, lemon pith. It's not quite a perfect marriage of a range of aged whiskeys; some of the unpleasant raw tannins and raw alcohol flavors (white lightning) of the younger whiskys came through at different points, especially on the finish. Other than that, a fairly consistent 'medium bourbon' product and priced appropriately for more basic cocktails like boulevardier. Would recommend Famous Grouse, Bullitt rye, or Templeton.

Sawdust, caramel, rye spice has a real peppery kick to it, prunes, buttery, fading vanilla beans, typical rye grassy flavor, leather and animal crackers round off the finish. Considering this was twice barreled, the oak tannins are surprisingly mellow with hardly any bitter notes. Niether the best out of the knob creek lineup nor would it be necessarily my first choice, but it is a solid whiskey nonetheless. Would also recommend michter's, Taylor's or whistlepig 6yr.

Batch 21-01, 110.6 proof. Montmorency cherries, grassy, sawdust, bitter oak comes in with a hard swing, salty, raw leather, faint dutch cocoa, brown sugar, hint of creamed corn underneath, burnt sugar hits the upper palate at the end. Odd mouthful, besides the effect of the high proof. Seems to have softened somewhat after initial tasting, revealing more leather and softer oak tannins. Feels hot like neutral alcohols, probably because of the high ratio of corn. Tried it because I heard someone call it a weller antique without the popularity tax.1792, Barton or Evan Williams would be fairer comparisons and a bit better but not by that much. Definitely overpaid still.

Nectarines, poached plums, red apples, cinnamon, pungent lemon, bitter orange rind, creamed corn, mildly intense but lingering notes of classic rye spice on the upper palate, grape pomace, a little nutmeg. Were it not for the cereal grains, I'd think it was a brandy. All the sangria flavors are there too. A bit soft for a rye. The Sherry eventually fades to nothing leaving only bitter grains and a barely pronounced fuji apple flavor. Probably used a domestic cream Sherry. Like all young whiskys, this has a short shelf life after opening. High West and MGP bottlers have much better Sherried ryes, but not at this price point. Or there's scotch.

Warm buttery caramel, moist cornbread, juicy Valencia oranges hang in the background, orchard fruits, red apple, vanilla cream soda, delicious grassy rye notes lays it on heavy with very little grainy bitterness, a little ground black pepper, allspice lingers on the upper palate, nutty, quite a bit of leather. The orange flavors round off the finish like a great Russell's. Definitely a wild turkey. Have been very satisfied with this company's products.

Pungent Sherry nose, though the PX feels a bit more subdued. Poached pears, light rubbery vanilla (asphalt), sawdust, gritty cereal grains, breakfast biscuit, Highland brine has a bite to it but not the savory salt flavor I like, plenty of European oak pepper, grassy, vague dried fruit notes, very dry and astringent. This used to be one of the best scotches <$100. Raw cereal gains and an astringent metalic/mineral aftertaste persist. Oxidized a bit and faded white chocolate, tart raspberry, faint Sherry prunes and leather notes came out. I can see it here as a lesser imitation of yesteryear's Macallan. Utterly underwhelming compared to what this product used to be. Huge decline in quality, value and fidelity across the whole <$100 scotch market over the last decade IMO. This tastes more along the lines of Johnnie Walker swill. Reading the other reviews, it seems either I got a bad batch or there's a bit of old product still circulating; color of mine is golden flax. Taste profile still doesn't match prior experience. I guess if you want something similar that I would actually recommend, try anCnoc, Caol Ila or Spice Tree.

Barreled 2010, 127proof. Exceptional. Fragrant cardamom, overripe banana, fuji apples, wild blueberries, Graham cracker, Jim beam sawdust, star anise, dark chocolate bitterness, leather, a pleasant brine always in the background, mellowed but full rye peppery spice, sour but not quite tart lemon, creamy cereal grains almost like oatmeal, maple syrup, spearmint, beautiful oak tannins, fruit cake, buttery scones. Dangerously smooth, doesn't taste like the proof after letting it sit a few minutes. The nose is a bit thin but the palate is complex. Always been a fan of Knob Creek and this has set the highest bar yet from their product line. Would recommend Pikesville.

Batch 21. Soft oak tannins & fluffy French toast. Buttery, thick vanilla frosting, cinnamon, nutmeg, prunes, somewhat herbal, butterscotch, golden delicious apples, a little citrus toward the end. The oiliness and oak tannins really shows the age. Vanilla beans linger after a quick finish. The flavors do seem to fade in and out; some whiskys, including scotch and rye, have this quality. Sits pretty squarely in the 'medium bourbon' category. A bit overpriced but I guess that's what you got to expect with a blend featuring an 18yr. Would pair with cigars. Would recommend Old Forester 1910.

Spring 2020 bottling. Citrus, rye spice, soft oakiness, faint clover honey, mint, salty, faint caramel, sawdust, clove, thick vanilla parfum, farmed strawberries. Each flavor is pronounced but lacks potency. Shows its youth. Passable as a decent whisky, though not quite enough to pick up again at this price point. Better than 1776 swill. Comparable to High West Rendezvous.