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Knob Creek Rye

Jumping on the band wagon

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@SwanReview by @Swan

26th Feb 2013

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  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    90

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

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.

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3 comments

@Victor
Victor commented

Jim Beam has been making the largest quantity of US rye whiskey for a long long time. Knob Creek Rye is the LOOOOOOONGGGGG-time-in-coming of Beam putting out a rye at 50% ABV or greater. A few short years ago, maybe 3 or 4, Jim Beam 40% ABV Yellow Label Rye was quite tart and delicious,...then it dulled down a lot...maybe because of pressure to produce more rye product, maybe because the cherry-picking of barrels had already begun for this Knob Creek Rye...because that is exactly what I think that this Knob Creek Rye at 50% ABV is, bottles from the cherry-picked barrels of what would have been Beam Yellow Label Rye, left at a more healthy 50% ABV, and not dumbed down to 40% for the mass market. Knob Creek Rye is very VERY good rye whiskey, and it will get higher than an 87 mark from me when I review it.

Beam had been slow to respond to strong competition in the US rye whiskey market, but this Knob Creek Rye is a solid benchmark product for them going forward.

11 years ago 0

@Swan
Swan commented

Victor, Thank you for your remarks, they are valuable as always. Jim Beam Rye was my introduction to the rye world 6 or 7 years ago, and I remember it being much better than it is today, but not by a huge margin. Knob Creek is a welcome addition to the market, and certainly a go-to rye for the price, but as far as my palate is concerned I cannot rate this on par with Whistlepig, Masterson's, or even Willet. I look forward to reading your review!

11 years ago 0

@MyLoSyRo
MyLoSyRo commented

Swan/Victor- thank you both for great reviews/perspective. I tried Knob Creek Rye for the first time this past Saturday evening and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have already ordered a bottle from my local store and am eager to have it in my cabinet.

10 years ago 0

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