This initial tasting notes review is based on a single neat pour that I had while out and about this past weekend. I will do additional tastings when I can and will update this review at that time.
Aged for seven years in deeply charred American White Oak barrels, Knob Creek Rye has no age statement and is bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV). Distilled by Jim Beam, this rye whisky also does not have a publicly disclosed mash bill, though it’s thought to be just above the 51% rye mash bill requirement for a rye whisky.
A light amber yellow-brown, Knob Creek Rye has an aroma profile defined by a mélange of spices including prominent black pepper mixed with some vanilla, caramel, oak barrel notes, some smokiness, and an alcohol kick.
On the palate, the spice (particularly the black pepper and characteristic rye spiciness) was initially the most prominent set of flavors together with some oak tannin and anise-like bitterness. Sweet notes of vanilla and some caramel only came second and, to my palate, remained mostly in the background behind the spiciness. There is a little sweetness and some herbal notes, but for me the spiciness and oak tannin/anise bitterness, mixed with a taste reminiscent of the smell of a leather shop, were the most prominent flavors.
Straight rye whisky is something that I don’t have much recent experience with. Though I like spicy cuisine, I tend not to like spicy beverages and traditional rye whiskies are something that I need to do more tastings of before definitely saying I do or do not “like” them. As of right now, what I can say is that I didn’t dislike Knob Creek Rye, nor can I say right now that I like it in the sense of saying that I’ll buy a full-sized bottle or that it will be my first choice for a whisky pour if out and about again. But I’m also committed to not making definitive decisions on flavor profiles until I conduct multiple tastings. I’m also particularly interested in trying some finished rye whiskies, specifically Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey finished in cream sherry casks and Barrell Seagrass Rye Whiskey, a blend of American and Canadian ryes finished in Martinique rhum, apricot brandy, and madeira wine casks.
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