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Corner Creek

This 'n That Muddled Together

0 582

@VictorReview by @Victor

3rd Feb 2011

0

Corner Creek
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    82

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Corner Creek Reserve Bourbon Whiskey is a product of Corner Creek Distilling Company and bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd. KBD, Ltd was formerly the Willett Distilling Company until Even Kulsveen bought it in 1984. This bourbon is stated to contain all four major whiskey grains: corn, rye, wheat and barley. This is my fourth sampling from the reviewed bottle in about one year.

Nose: caramel, vanilla, honey, and a little spice

Taste: caramel, much more rye spice than in the nose, moderate oak, vanilla. Any wheat flavours are rather indistinct and muddled in the ensemble. This is rather sweet and rather light in body.

Finish: the spice elements exit fairly early, leaving mostly wood and caramel

Balance: The first two times I tried this, when the bottle was first opened, I thought, "This whiskey badly wants to say something, but I am not sure what." I wasn't very favourably impressed. Trying it now, a year later, I can see that there has been some opening of the flavours, which allows the sweet quality to be more greatly enjoyed, if you are in a mood to enjoy sweet. I still don't see any real advantage here in combining the wheat and the rye. Wheat, rather predictably, gets drowned out or muddled by the more strongly flavoured rye. Maybe someone knows a better proportion for the mashbill for this in order to taste both grains, but this one doesn't harmonise well in my book. In summary, I like some KBD products a very great deal, but this one requires just the right frame of mind to get excited about. Maybe the idea of a "dessert bourbon" isn't too far off. You can have a good time with Corner Creek Reserve if you don't ask too many questions or ask for it to give you what it cannot give you.

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5 comments

@dbk
dbk commented

Nice review, @Victor, and not a terribly different impression of Corner Creek than my own. Just for a touch of clarity, though, the "Corner Creek Distilling Company" is simply a subsidiary of KBD, not a distiller—or even a company, really—in its own right. No one quite knows the source of the KBD whiskey (though some are convinced its mostly or entirely Heaven Hill). I'm guessing you know all of this, but fellow Connosrs might not ; )

13 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

Yes, @dbk, it is well for connosr readers to understand that KBD, Ltd is not at present a distiller, and that the sub-company brands are merely legal business organisation devices. I did allulde to this in my Willett 12 yr review.

13 years ago 0

@AboutChoice
AboutChoice commented

@Victor and @dbk, an intriquing consensus, but I still like my bottle of Corner Creek :) You might see my recent post in Comparisons: connosr.com/wall/discussion/…

And, I think it is remarkable and edifying that both of you are able to discover the backround and ownership info about whiskey so well. Your facts, and opinions too, are appreciated !

13 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

@AboutChoice, I assure you that there has been no intrigue between @dbk and me in the formation of these review opinions! And, in the right context, I like Corner Creek just fine. It just is not one I would think to approach as a first tier choice.

13 years ago 0

@AboutChoice
AboutChoice commented

Hi again @Victor, whoops, I didn't mean at all to infer any colaboration ... just surprised at our different experiences. However, I do agree that Corner Creek is not a 1st tier choice :)

13 years ago 0