Knob Creek Rye

So I'm sitting at O'Hare for 2 hours waiting to fly to Beijing for my wedding. This seemed like the most appealing thing to get tipsy on before a 14hr flight over the Pacific...

Sample is neat

Nose: A bit harder to distinguish smells when not using a glencairn. But I do pick up the rye grain. Reminds me of the rye toast my grandmother used to make. Some sweet caramel as well and some sugar coated pecans. Pecan pie.

Palate: Nice, loads of rye grain, accompanied by bready, nutty notes. Pecans, peanuts, cashews. Buttery rye toast. Also, it reminds me of some flavours I would get in a darker, malty beer. Lots of nutty, bready, malty flavours. More rich than spicy. Lots of oak. I can definitely taste the wood.

Finish: This is where things turn from malty and nutty to spicy. Rye spice lingers on the tongue for a nice long while. Good flavour transition.

Overall: I enjoy this one more than the standard Knob. Bigger flavours and a nice transition from rich and malty to rye spice. Glad I chose this one over the standard.

Knob Creek Rye was first released in 2012, and is the only rye whiskey made by Jim Beam sold at 50% ABV or higher. The reviewed sample was decanted 6 months ago from a bottle which was 80% full and open for 2 1/2 years. I have also sampled this whiskey several times from the bottle when it was newly opened. There is No Age Statement on this Straight Rye Whiskey, so we can assume that this is aged about 4 or 5 years. US Straight Rye aged less than 4 years legally requires an age statement

Nose: sharp-edged moderate intensity spice, cinnamon/cassia, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper from rye grain. There is moderate dark fruit, plums and black raspberries in this long-opened bottle, and much more dark fruit than was evident when this bottle was first opened. This is a solid but not outstanding rye nose. Score: 21.5/25

Taste: strong flavours; Wow! there is so much lovely dark fruit on the palate, much more than when this bottle was first opened. This is a fairly common flavour evolution with straight US rye whiskey. In the early days the fruit was more tucked away and the spices were what were most evident. There is significant sweetness here, but you don't notise it much with all of that spice around. Scoring for this review is for the whiskey now, and the score is higher than I would have given when the bottle was first opened. Score: 22.5/25

Finish: long, strong, spicy, and fruity. There's a little sourness and a little bitterness at the end, but not enough to ruin things. Score: 22.5/25

Balance: this Knob Creek Rye was solid when first opened, but is about 3 points better now, overall, after long air exposure. Score: 22.5/25

Total Sequential Score: 89 points

Strength: medium strength on the nose; strong thereafter. Score: 23/25

Quality: very good spice and fruit flavours throughout; a little too much sourness and bitterness on the finish. Score: 22/25

Variety: plenty of variety here. Score: 23/25

Harmony: very good on the nose and palate; fair to good harmony on the finish. Score: 21.5/25

Total Non-Sequential Score: 89.5 points

Comment: when first opened I found Knob Creek Rye to be about an 86 point whiskey. This one gains a lot with air. It is about time that Beam is finally selling a rye whiskey at 50% ABV. My next goal for Beam Rye: Old Overholt Barrel Proof. Here's hoping!

In 1992, Jim Beam launched its Small Batch Bourbon Collection: Basil Hayden's, Booker's and Knob Creek. Knob Creek was a 9 year old; shortly after came their Small Batch, both bottled at 50% ABV. Knob Creek always had a high quantity of rye in the mash bill, so I guess it made sense for this small batch rye expression to come to market. Trivia note: Knob Creek is the Kentucky town where Abraham Lincoln's father owned a farm and worked at a distillery!

The colour is a coppery amber. On the nose, hot pepper, mint toothpaste (in a good way), oak, pencil shavings, cloves, candy floss and loads of vanilla. Unmistakably rye but a little too much of everything - not much subtlety here. A drop of water brings forward a maple quality, and a little smoke.

On the palate, lead pencil, cloves, toffee and again, loads of vanilla. Thin mouthfeel. A citrus tang - well, almost like Tang, kind of artificial but tasty. Water ups the heat a bit, which is nice.

The finish is a little too chalky, but long and full of spice…and vanilla. As you may have guessed, there's tons of vanilla here - a little too much. I love rye whiskey, and this takes on all of the classic elements, but it seems to hit you over the head. Sazerac is more elegant, High West more biting, and Canadian ryes such as Masterson's show much more depth and complexity (let's not even mention Handy). But you want a solid, good drinking rye, here you go. Raise a glass to Lincoln Sr. (good job, pops!)

Recently I've been able to get a couple bottles of American whiskeys down from Japan. One of them was KC Rye, which I've wanted to try for a long time. It’s generally considered a standard-issue rye, a good introduction to the style. A solid introductory rye was just what was missing in my cabinet. Before I venture too far into the world of rare, crafted, cask strength, connoisseur-type ryes, I might as well start off with the basics.

Nose: Grassy rye spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sweet citrus, wet cedar, faint ginseng, and more rye. The herbal character keeps the nose from being too sweet. There’s a bit of a sting here, hinting at the respectable 50% abv.

Palate: Very smooth arrival. Creamy texture. Very solid rye flavours. Rye, grass, pine, earth, and damp wood, with cinnamon rounding it out. At no point does this become harsh, but it does have the quintessentially rye spicy tingle. Smooth.

Finish: Lingering rye spice, burnt caramel, mushrooms and charcoal, with wisps of spearmint just below the surface. Short to medium finish, but very pleasant.

I realize that this is very much a standard, mass produced, accessible rye whiskey in the States, but its exotic here in Taiwan. With so many rye whiskies out of reach, I’m not really in a position to compare and contrast them. However I can attest to the fact that this is good. For me; this is vastly superior to the standard KC. I find the standard KC decent and enjoyable, but it’s a bit syrupy for me. Apparently the Single Barrel is a strong presentation as well. Either way, the rye doesn't disappoint. I doubt it’s pushing any envelopes or adding anything new to the world of rye, but it comes off as an accessible, solid, rounded, and enjoyable whiskey.

Never again will you doubt that good whiskey can come from a bottle with a screw-cap. The nose on this is deceptive; subtle, sweet, and genial. Then the first sip comes along and you feel like you were just sucker-punched. It is bold and brawny with big rye flavor, oak, and cayenne pepper. 100 proof with no apologies. With this offering, Knob Creek has joined the rye whiskey craze with style; I hope they stick around.