Tastes

Lemon peels, oak spice that's a bit astringent, vanilla glaze, chinese cinnamon, heavy clove, sweet herbal mint, brown sugar, custard, some malted barley in the background, banana foster, buttery, nice oily mouth feel.

Heavy grassy notes and rye spice, strawberry jam, baked apples and cider that kinda reminds me of a calvados brandy, rich buttery caramel, creamy cereal grains, mellowed oak tannins, thick vanilla cake frosting, star anise, spearmint, corn pops cereal, Dutch cocoa, berry compote. A classic rye by everyone's account, but I think the simplicity is the main selling point. All of the flavors are well pronounced and nicely balanced. Although it's NAS, I think the softness of the oak tannins shows it's well aged. A great introduction to the world of rye even if it is barely legal.

Barreled 2009, 59.8%. Considerably lighter body and more straightforward compared to the 2010 batch. Strong herbal tone, sweet peppermint, Dutch cocoa, burnt sugar, creme brulee, oatcakes, cinnamon, some rye pepper, high grassy rye notes with a bit of brine on the upper palate, banana foster, lemon rinds, wet hay, immature oak tannins. A little disappointing, expected it to be at or near the quality of the '10. Pretty much a standard knob rye undiluted. Still a fine whiskey and at cask strength too, which is always a plus. Would recommend Booker's, Taylor's.

Hearty oak spice, chewy leather, vanilla meringue cookies, mint, apple cider, flakey pie crust, potent but pleasantly fruity lemon oil, coconut macaroons, warm cinnamon, floral dew, almond macarons, tangerine, oily and hot with a long citrus finish. Always a favorite but I do prefer the more orange/citrus forward bottlings. Tastes closer to older bottlings of Kentucky Spirit. Would recommend Belle Meade, McKenna 10yr, some Four Roses SiB.

Unripe banana, burnt sugar, dark caramel, brine, grassy rye notes, warming spice, a bit oily, oak tannins, peppery on the nose. This bottle was open awhile but I do remember the newer woodfords having a promising nose only to deliver bitter oak and raw cereal grains. The flavor is just not there.

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.