Tastes

My favorite time of year comes again as my wedding anniversary and the Christmas season begins in full swing, but this time with a new Knob Creek product to celebrate. Many years ago, my wife and I chose a special single barrel of the 9 year bourbon that we enjoyed only on our anniversary each year. As the bottle finally emptied last November, we began thinking of what would fill that gap in our ritual. We took a trip to Jim Beam to try to gain any inspiration, and that's when we discovered that an 18 year bourbon was taking the place of the previously offered 15 year counterpart. It was an obvious choice, and even though it was purchased in January of 2024 (many months after it's autumn release) and directly from the distillery, I still somehow paid $10 more than MSRP, because, you know, economics. We engraved this bottle just as we did the previous one, but panicked at the time and simply engraved the day we bought it instead of any other significant date. This review will serve as my first taste of this spirit, with repeated drinking to only occur that each anniversary day, when the Christmas tree has already been put up for several days, and celebration is in the air. Let's hope this new placeholder, double the age of the previous bottle, yet proofed down atrociously so, helps to keep the Knob Creek name just as special in our household. The age combined with the heavy barrel char really do come through on the color, giving the inner body an old maroon, rosy berry mixed with a deep, nutty, almost chocolatey brown, although unfortunately also a watery outer edge due to the proofing down. The ethanol is surprisingly potent through the nose, but I've yet to have any whiskey from an American distillery that was able to capture the scent of a rickhouse so perfectly, until now. The sweet oak is abundant, but not sugary or heavy, with a much smaller amount of vanilla, black cherry, lemon, and spicy, aggressive rye balancing well and making way for something much more developed than the younger age. The flavor begins simple with sweet oak, but not with the secondary objectively sweet flavors I usually find, like chocolate, caramel, toffee, or otherwise. Instead, this is able to deliver the natural sweetness from the wood sugars, and nothing more, save for a touch of black cherry, but mostly keeping the focus on the age and the development. Speaking of development, the base grains no longer have any flavor on their own, but their effects are still present. For example, the rye still delivers a spice in the gums that lingers, and the corn, given the time it so desperately needs to mellow and marry to the oak, delivers the rounded, full body that makes this an entirely different drink compared to grain-forward bourbons without the age under their belts. The finish is hot but approachable, keeping the proof balanced, and bringing forward a dry note alongside a return of the naturally sweet oak. I keep going back with hopes of finding deeper flavors like tobacco or leather, but I think the added water took these options away, sadly. What we have here is indeed an excellent tribute to what a good bourbon can, and should, be. Sure, I personally would enjoy this at cask strength, but lord knows how much more I'd be charged for this same product if that were the case. Additionally, there's no arguing that 100 proof is essentially a perfect proof point for anyone who enjoys drinking whiskey neat and hunting for the flavor, and although $10 per year aged is far too much when you get to this point (especially considering most European whiskies would trump that figure when it comes to price versus age), there's still the part where this tastes objectively pretty good. It will always remain impossible for young, impatient distilleries to create this flavor profile from a product with just a few years in the barrel, but until the availability and economics of American whiskey allows these higher age statements to not only be affordable, but to even be found on the liquor store shelves, this isn't worth paying an arm and a leg for, but it will make an elevated toasting whiskey for an anniversary each year, so there's that.

Another instance of a giddy ol' me just happy to find decent American whiskey products in my local OH liquor store, this time with a reliable sub-brand and a high aged product that seems to check a good number of boxes. Jim Beam/Knob Creek will always have a special place in my heart, as my wife and I bonded over it as our first favorite many years ago, so it's great to see new products from them, especially when they are permenant additions. I didn't realize/remember until I read the Distiller description that Knob Creek's rye dropped the age statement for a good while until last year, as I always thought of it as a 7 year by Mandela Effect anyway. Even though I enjoy younger rye whiskeys that better carry the spice and bite from the grain, I'm always curious when I can try much higher-than-average aged versions. Since the proof is the same (I'd kill for a cask strength version of this, though), and the mash bill is believed to also still be the same piss-poor ~50% rye of old (laughable to even call this small of an amount rye whiskey), we'll see if this can transform the brand's rye whiskey portfolio enough to justify continued purchasing. At quick glance, the color in the glass is very dark, almost chocolatey, but upon closer inspection, still retains a bit of the lighter golden brown and a clear miniscus that's expected at this proof age combo. The nose surprises me, since despite the low amount of rye in the mash used, it's really the star here, giving notes of cinnamon candy, fresh lemon oil/peels, and even fresh sweet cherries. I think these notes are more easily detected here versus the 7 year because the unnecessary corn has had more time to mellow and turn into the sweet notes that don't distract from the spicy, intense rye. Indeed there are notes of rich chocolate, toffee, and sweet oak that also play nicely here on the nose, with an overall ethanol that just starts to burn only after repeated smelling and dips into the glass entrance. The flavor begins rather plain and expected, with the base proof and spicy notes from the rye beginning to root around the gums and digging deep to deliver that whole-mouth burn. The age here isn't tasted through the barrel so much as it is through the mellowing and softening of the rye spice, letting it become more approachable for the casual drinker, and providing less of the citrus and fruity notes that a younger version may carry. While it is still spicy and full-bodied, the finish is dry and tastes like it would be fruity, but again, I think the longer age took away this note. With all the added corn and the longer age time on this new 10 year rye, this very much drinks like a spicier and drier bourbon. This is usually the case with very near-minimum rye whiskeys, and this one is no exception. It's already a sin to water down anything with a decent age statement (which I consider to be 10 years or more), and the extremely low rye percentage makes this strike two. The age here works, and the price point is very good (I was too excited in the store to see if I got it at MSRP or not), but the only reason this tastes objectively better than the 7 year is because of all the added corn, which begs to be developed over longer periods of time in the barrel. If you're looking to expand your bourbon collection and especially want to compare it to the Knob Creek bourbon line, this and/or the 7 year rye would be your next steps. However, if you're a rye whiskey purist and want something spicier, more aggressive, and more true to the grain, I'd avoid the Knob Creek rye brand for this; even though the price point is fairly impressive, there are better rye options that can be spent for the same dollar amount or, more likely, for far less.

Back at it with the best example of rye whiskey I've had to date, even though I learned not too long ago that Bulleit actually sources all of their rye products. Speaking of their rye products, I find it strange that the 12 year rye, which was a staple to a brand about half a decade ago before disappearing, finally reappeared earlier this year, before being followed by this 10 year version. Considering they only offer standard age and 10 year variants of their bourbon, it's an odd choice to have standard rye alongside both a 10 and 12 year choice. Considering the age difference between 10 and 12 is miniscule at best, I'm hoping this isn't part of a plan to quietly kill off the 12 year in favor of the 10. This isn't favored well on Bulleit's website, as the 12 year rye is missing there entirely. I also noticed that, although both the 10 and 12 year rye variants state their age statements as age minimums, the 12 year release did boast using barrels up to 17 years old, and although it was stated that the 12 year was a limited edition, it still makes you think why they would choose to switch to a version 2 years shy as the "permanent addition" choice. The color presents as burnished gold, but not quite mahogany. The nose has a pronounced, but balanced sweetness, manifesting as toffee, biscuit, and caramel, but with a bit of lemon zest added, like you would expect from the standard aged rye. Speaking of, the expected notes of the classic Bulleit rye blend are also here, including grass, cracked cinnamon sticks, and a bit of stone minerality. The ethanol burn is mostly approachable, with only a touch of actual burn, as expected at this proof point. The flavor begins as malty and mineral-y, but the sweetness from the longer age begins to distinguish this from the standard aged version. The cinnamon and other spiced notes are less tasted than they are felt in the gums, with the "rye penetration" coming through a medium amount. The lemon zest can be found in and out at different points, and the only new flavor here that wasn't on the nose is a small florality that sets in towards the finish, before the air in the mouth starts restarting the fiery spice of the rye. Overall this 10 year rye is well differentiated as compared to the standard age, and has an excellent MSRP for this market, and for this (increasingly rare) age statement, as far as American whiskey goes. It's unfortunate that this will inevitably replace the 12 year rye, but it does make more sense to standardize the age points of both the bourbon and rye for internal aging purposes. Although I predict that I'll be purchasing this product more than the standard age, there are still more refreshing and vibrant uses for the standard age that this longer age mellow out with the added sweetness, but they both will continue to be the best example of American rye whiskey (or least the proper mash bill ratio) in this reviewer's opinion, until proven otherwise. I'm not sure that Bulleit will ever take this out of MGP's hands, but if or when that happens, I suggest getting a bottle of this before the deal that it clearly is expires.

Poor listing, missing lots of data, crappy photo; par for the course. Batch: SM034 Region: Lexington, KY ABV: 50% I was able to try this at the distillery about a week ago, and although I found it pretty tasty, there really aren't any American single malt whiskeys on the market right now that can rival the much more refined and longer age of their European siblings. In another decade or so, I'm definitely hoping to have a different conversation, but for now, this very young American single malt is interesting to me for one reason: the very critical implementation of peat. Unfortunately, as this product isn't listed anywhere on the website and the label doesn't really provide much context, I can't remember the percentage of peat smoked malt that was used, but can only remember via conversation at the distillery that it's a rather small amount. I also recall hearing that this is aged in a brand new barrel, which is a huge advantage over the European single malts, and a good explanation of the very dark color in the bottle. Not to mention that 100 proof is also much higher than the average across the pond, and a great way to let a single malt shine through on the American stage. The color seems much darker in the bottle than in the glass, but nonetheless it's a lovely golden brown that really showcases using a freshly charred barrel. Although there is a lack of the high alcohol pearls, the legs are extremely slow to form. The nose is a combination of melon, cocoa, wafer/biscuit, green apple, underripe banana, and a bit of smoky, earthy sea spray. The ethanol is perfectly medium and balanced, and there's also an overall sugary sweetness on top of all of the other notes. The body starts off sweet and pretty hot, but there's a light fruitiness that begins surfacing, and although it's a little vague, it's a nice touch before things get pretty hot again. Repeat sips start bringing out a briny smokiness that pairs very well with the continued sweetness of the barrel wood sugar, although the finish is still pretty aggressive, and would be difficult for a hardcore scotch lover to approach this without a little more age under its belt. It's going to be tough for American distilleries to convince the local populous that single malt whiskeys from the USA are better or even comparable to European ones, but I don't think that's the approach here at all. Sure, the super young grain is usually quite aggressive, but this is no different than bourbon that comes from very small distilleries that don't have patience and want to turn a quick profit; you just have to be cautious all-around. However, there's no disguising that the flavor here is quite nice, and has very distinct American character, like using a fresh barrel and bottling at a high proof, and that alone makes this whiskey worth having around on its own accord.

61.05% alc./vol. 122.1 proof Barrel name: Squire Select '24 Mash bill: 70% bloody butcher corn, 15% malted rye, 10% malted wheat, 5% malted barley Barrel age: 5 years, 11 months Grain type/source: 4 grain bourbon Liquid flavor profile: Fields of Bluegrass Barrel number: 18-0680 Barrel type: 53 gal/toasted char 3 Barrel entry/exit proof: 119.52/122.1 Barrel rickhouse: Warehouse B Selected by: Jeptha Creed Ho-ly lord, I think this wins the award for the most barrel-specific information ever put on a label. Please, though, don't take my pointing this out as a complaint; other distilleries, ABSOLUTELY take notes and give us more information on your single barrel products, especially if you want us to buy them at the premiums you charge. I tried a very small amount of this at the distillery, and it indeed tasted pretty good, but it's just nice to finally see Jeptha Creed give us single barrel products after establishing a nice baseline of flagship products. This particular barrel has a really balanced mash bill, a pretty decent age, and a really powerful cask strength proof, and the red/gold label combo is also a really nice different touch. The color has a fairly noticeable tinge of red combining alongside a deep mahogany, even though none of the bloody butcher corn color comes through off the still. The legs are almost fully absent, with a beautiful string of pearls on the peaks. Lots of cocoa is up front on the nose, along with a touch of red and blue berries, as well as some lightly sweetened grain-y cereal, like Rice Krispies. Repeated smells bring out a tiny note of green/herbaceousness, but the proof is far more approachable than expected at this high ABV. Initial flavors include notes of chocolate and wafer or biscuit, with some butterscotch appearing shortly afterwards. Having said that, there is a pretty potent ethanol kick that surfaces extremely fast after those first couple sips, which takes some time to tame before returning to any more noticeable flavor. Once you achieve this and are able to dissect the finish, there is a return of the cereal note from the nose, but without the sweetness, instead contributing an almost raw grain flavor to the other sweet notes from earlier. Although Jeptha Creed has a good few products that are basic and good sellers for the everyman, the long-awaited release of the "single barrel program" allows the same base character of the distillery to really pulse and shine in a more complex manner for those that are willing to sit and play through it at a slower pace. This particular barrel has great flavor, but it's also very hot and a little difficult to reach for that return sip, at least until things have cooled off a bit. This definitely seems like it would stand up nicely to a couple ice cubes, and will likely be my next sample, but it's still a good addition to this distillery's lineup nonetheless.