Ah, Knob Creek, one of the more special relationships I have to a brand. Technically speaking, I haven't had anything other than a particular "anniversary" bottle of their single barrel bourbon since 2017. After my wife and I made a hand-bottled, hand-stamped, engraved bottle of said bourbon our wedding and subsequent anniversary beverage, we swore off all Knob Creek products until that bottle was emptied (except the maple, because duh, and we agreed it "didn't count") . Now, 6 years later, I'm happy to swipe most of the shelf of one of my local liquor stores, and try some more of the brand that basically started it all, as far as our love of spirits. Timing worked out pretty well, too, since the rye age statement just dropped earlier this year. It's certainly not shocking that Jim Beam can produce such a large quantity of one of their more "upscale" brands, but it is surprising that they continue to sell and price it at such an affordable value. This is especially true given our current saturated market of American whiskey, where I'd wager to say at least 75% of rye whiskeys made here are less than 6 years aged. Leave it to the Beam's to dominate the market as far as variety, and with a mid-range proof on top of it all, I feel the Knob Creek line is still doing just fine. The color is fairly dull given the higher age, with more yellow notes than gold. The nose is full of light caramel, faint baking spice (ginger heavy), candied/sweet lemon and orange peel, black cherry, and florality/minerality notes that I can't quite pick out... Is this... Is this an Old Fashioned, somehow? The proof is just right in that it's easy to return for multiple, full inhales, but still delivers that bite inside the nose each time. Intitial flavors include barrel caramel and some raw malt, but develop pretty quickly into the citrus oil from the nose, alongside some grassy and almost earthy notes of the base rye grain. The body is light enough that the building sweetness doesn't feel overpowering or "sticky." A touch of cinnamon is found near the finish, but slightly more powerful, like it has a kick of capsaicin to it. The finish itself falls away a little too quick, and the spiciness from the rye doesn't get too far in the gums, so there's nothing here to really chew on. During my first few sips of this, I thought it was amazing, and most definitely one of my more top-end rye whiskeys. As I continued to drink, however, I thought that, although the flavor and potential is definitely there, perhaps I was simply drinking it incorrectly. Given the higher-than-average age and medium proof, I feel this may be one of those rarer whiskeys that I prefer over ice, as the flavors found while drinking neat weren't powerful enough to last, and fell off the deeper into the glass I went. Nonetheless, for this price point and the unique tastes as compared to most other American whiskeys, not to mention the ability to purchase this almost anywhere (even in Ohio!), it showcases that Knob Creek is still one of Jim Beams best "side brands," and further explains why it's so easy to fall in love with them in the first place.