Tastes

Nose: Muted - molasses, vanilla. Charred oak. Butter, cinnamon, brown sugar - think cinnamon rolls with icing. Nuts. Slight cereal grain. Palate: Classic bourbon - vanilla, oak, cherries, barrel char, tannin. Bananas, cherries, cream. Prickly alcohol. Peanut butter. Brown sugar. Cereal grain.

Nose: Oak, vanilla, brown sugar. Black pepper, clove, cardamom. Tart cherry. Vegetal - dill, thyme, basil. Barnyard. Palate: oak, vanilla, sugar. Creamy - cream cheese frosting. Dill, thyme, cinnamon, clove, cardamom. Bubblegum. Barnyard hay - almost reminds me of a brett beer.

Nose: Char, oak, burned sugar. Vanilla. Faint peach, tart cherry. Peanuts. Barrel bitter. Dill. Palate: Charred oak, barrel bitter, vanilla. Dill, cardamom, clove, cinnamon. Big tannin. Marshmallows.

Nose: Oak, burnt sugar, vanilla. Barrel char. Cream. Barrel bitter. Bitter lemon. Sweet corn. Barley-like grain character. Gros Michel banana. Palate: Oak, oak, oak. I'm reminded of Pappy 15 levels of oak. Vanilla bean ice cream. Brown sugar. Tannin. Alcohol is not super prevalent. Barrel bitter. Mango and banana.

Nose: Oak, dill, brown sugar, cardamom. Lemon oil. Cinnamon, clove. Bread, cereal grain. Celery. Eucalyptus. Pepper. Palate: Oak, brown sugar, dill, vanilla. Celery, cucumber, pepper. Stone fruit. Cereal grain. Creamy. Other notes: I'm surprised it took me so long to try this. It's got everything I'd expect from a rye, but the balance is unmistakably Knob Creek. The proof shows up without being overpowering. A really decent rye, especially given the price point near me.

Nose: Vanilla, oak, honey. Slight char. Bubblegum. Buttered whole wheat toast. Honey nut cheerios. Warm banana bread. Palate: Honey, vanilla, cream. Oak. Smoked brown sugar and pepper bacon. Peach. Banana.

Nose: Oak, vanilla, char. Brown sugar. Peanuts. Dates and figs. Honey. Palate: Vanilla, honey, oak. Figs. Pepper. Icing. Clove.

Nose: Cinnamon candy, vanilla, brown sugar, bananas, Luxardo maraschino cherry. Oak. Slight char. Palate: Maraschino cherry, brown sugar, pepper, coffee, char. Vanilla. Tannin. Slight rye style spice.

Nose: Vanilla, oak, brown sugar. Classic bourbon. Char. Citrus. Ethanol is helping everything jump out of the glass. Dark fruits, peaches, strawberries, cherries, banana. Slightest rye space. Peanuts. Palate: Immediate brown sugar and oak, vanilla, tannin, char. Bold without being overbearing. The 120 proof shows up bigtime. Fruity complexity dances around - strawberry, banana, peach, cherries, stone fruits. Long, pleasant finish with bursts of sweet floral character. Slightly buttery biscuit-y thing going on in there. Other notes: This is still an amazing drink. Spot on price:quality ratio. I could get lost in this stuff for a long time. Definitely one to respect - also shows you just how much of a difference 20 proof makes - compare against regular Knob Creek and you get a great lesson. This is a bottle I always make sure to have on hand. Objectively it's not perfect - it can be a little harsh and powerful at times, and there are some deficiencies in the overall balance. That being said, it's almost perfectly aligned with my palate and preferences.

Nose: Vanilla and rye spice dominate. Oak, brown sugar. Fennel/herbaceous anise, cardamom, bready. Black pepper. Slight floral perfume note. The slightest suggestion of brine. Banana, red and green grape. Palate: Vanilla, oak, brown sugar, banana, strawberry, watermelon. Cream cheese frosting. Slight tannin. Bubblegum. Fennel, cardamom, clove all present, but much less than on the nose. Maybe a hint of barrel char. Finish has a slight negroni-like quality to it. Other notes: This is an unusual one. The nose presents like a decent rye, while the palate is like a decent bourbon. The balance of flavors here is mostly good, though characteristics are mostly in the low and mid palate notes. Nothing really bright and shiny. This doesn't command your attention like some other things might, though there's enough here to go exploring. Reminds me a bit of what's coming out of Splinter Group. A decent enough bottle at the price point that I might buy it again. Maybe.