After the column I wrote a couple of weeks ago about enjoying inexpensive whiskies, I thought it would be fun to write a semi-regular whiskey column (with some encouragement from my friend and colleague Stephen Kruiser). And since everybody loves a little alliteration, I settled on Whiskey Wednesday.
Welcome to the first installment. I plan on writing something every few weeks, although I’m not sure about the frequency.
In my previous column, I mentioned the Bourbon Real Talk community and the giveaways that the facilitators and some of the members engage in, and I was one of the winners of a terrific array of samples of five Knob Creek bourbons. So I thought I’d do a mini-review of the samples.
With each sample, I’ll share the proof and retail price ranges (all retail price ranges are based on Google searches), and I’ll give them a rating on a scale of 1-10. Here they are in order from my least favorite to my favorite.
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye
115 proof, retails for $40-$50 per 750 ml
I’ll admit that rye whiskeys aren’t my favorite, so I might have had a little bit of bias on this one. I didn’t hate it, but it has a strong rye flavor that’s almost savory. It brings a lot of heat on the tongue, which is something you’d expect from a rye. There was nothing distinctive about the mouthfeel. It wasn’t bad for a rye, but I probably wouldn’t buy it.
Rating: 7/10
Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon
120 proof, retails between $48 and $72 per 750 ml (I’m not sure why there’s such a discrepancy)
I like a high-proof bourbon once in a while, so I enjoyed this one. At the same time, I was surprised that this wasn’t a better bourbon. It has an appealing spicy sweetness, but it came across as a little bit chemical. The mouthfeel was warm, but it didn’t go overboard on heat.
Rating: 8.5/10
Related: In Praise of Inexpensive Bourbon
Knob Creek 9-Year-Old Bourbon
100 proof, retails for $20-$30 per 750 ml
Bourbon experts have dubbed Knob Creek 9 one of the best budget bourbons, and I can see why. I don’t know why I haven’t given it a try before now. It has a solid flavor, sweet but not too sweet without too much heat. This one would be a great go-to for a regular pour.
Rating: 9.5/10
Knob Creek 12-Year-Old Bourbon
100 proof, retails for $48-$100 per 750 ml (again, I can’t explain the wide swing in price)
This one might have been the biggest surprise of all of them. It was similar enough to the 9-year, but it was richer. The flavor is spicy-sweet but not hot, and I picked up dark cherry and cinnamon as the strongest flavors. It has a slightly viscous mouthfeel that’s appealing.
Rating: 10/10
Knob Creek 18-Year-Old Bourbon
100 proof, retails for $150-$250 per 750 ml
This is the Cadillac, the Rolls Royce, the Aston Martin of Knob Creek offerings (pick your own luxury metaphor), and as somebody who leans more toward the bargain bourbons, I found it was a special treat to taste this expensive offering. It looked pretty in the glass; I know that’s a weird way to express it, but that was my first impression before I even tasted it.
Knob Creek 18 had a velvety mouthfeel that was unlike anything I had tasted before. The dominant flavor was dark cherry with a hint of spice, and it had a lovely, deep flavor that made me wish I could afford it. Maybe it sounds like hyperbole, but this sample was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.
Rating: 10/10
That’s my Knob Creek giveaway flight. Stay tuned for more whiskey reviews and tidbits of information coming soon!
