Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye

I've had this bottle for a while. I bought one near the end of 2019. Then, the following June, I purchased another and gave it to my father for Father's Day. I'm not sure why I thought it was the right choice without having opened or tasted it, but my father enjoys standard 100 proof Knob Creek Rye. The price was increasing by $10 on the barrel select (I acquired mine and the Father's Day bottle for $50 and have since bought another at $60), so I figured, why not? And when my father opened his, I tasted it and found it quite excellent, though I didn't feel the need to rush to open mine at that moment, as I prefer to savor good bottles over time. Yesterday, I had my father and brother-in-law over to watch the Eagles play the Colts. Even though our team ultimately won, I don't think it's an overstatement to say that the whiskey I served was far superior to the game. In addition to serving the Laphroaig 10 Sherry Oak and Ardbeg Beastie, I offered the Sagamore Spirits Single Barrel Rye, as well as opening Paul John Cask Select, Johnnie Walker Green, and Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye. Now, I'll be posting reviews of the Paul John and Johnnie Walker soon, and they are interesting in comparison as they share very similar fruity notes, but the Walker is much better balanced than the Paul John (both were very good). However, tasting the Knob Rye Single Barrel after the Sagamore Single Barrel was a revelation. Now, I'm giving this the same rating as the Sagamore because I believe both are outstanding. And being ryes, they naturally have similar notes. But the Knob is the more understated of the two. The Sagamore is like a full orchestra, while the Knob is a string quartet. The Sagamore is in your face and bold, like Johnny Cash giving you the middle finger, whereas the Knob is an unplugged performance by Neil Young, sitting on stage with just an acoustic guitar. The nose on the Knob has a graceful sweetness, a kind of maple toffee clove aroma with a subtle hint of mint in the background. On the palate, you get spicy rye and vanilla with that slight hint of mint carrying through, and a touch of earl grey tea on the finish. The finish is long and rich, but overall, it leaves me with an impression of elegance. While the Sagamore was bold, this Knob is refined. There's a place for both, obviously, and giving them the same score, I can't choose one over the other. They are both well worth your time. The only question is, does the quality persist over the years? We'll have to see, as I'm in no hurry to open the 2022 bottling I acquired. This was barreled on 10/8/2013 and bottled on 3/27/2019, from Warehouse W-K, Floor F-02, Rick R-08. Genuinely pleasing and will likely be consumed quite quickly. This is a must-try for all enthusiasts of rye.

I'm really looking forward to this. I liked the regular KC Rye and thought the Barrel Proof Single Barrel Bourbon was fantastic. I'm hoping this rye gets a similar boost as a Single Barrel Barrel Proof. This particular bottle is from Barrel #7642. It features the lighter green label, which indicates older packaging, meaning it was bottled some years back. Nose: Notes of almond, walnut, cashew, and pistachio. Hints of black licorice. Undertones of black tea, cocoa, and pipe tobacco. It has pumpkin spice. Rye spice is present. A touch of baking soda. Dill. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Tastes of caramel and vanilla. Apple and leather notes. Pistachio, walnut, and almond. Cocoa and black tea. Pumpkin spice. Rye bread and sourdough. More rye spice and a strong presence of black pepper. Orange peel and ginger. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. Finish: Continues with apple, caramel, and leather. Cocoa, black, and pipe smoke. Pistachio and almond. Rye, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. The finish is incredibly long, as one would expect at 57.5% ABV. Impressive nose and palate. The finish is outstanding. Given that I purchased it for $40 (originally $50), the value for money is incredible at either price point. Now, let's compare it to the Knob Creek Rye and the KC SB BP. This represents a significant improvement over the standard rye's profile, incorporating some Single Barrel complexity. However, it falls just short of its bourbon sibling. By a small margin. Therefore, this scores a solid 4.75. It's among the finest I've tasted. And I must highlight that the Beam distillery is outperforming others significantly when it comes to affordable American whiskey. This bottling is just another success for them.

A store selection aged 8 years from a large liquor retailer in Arizona. (I realize this review might be irrelevant to those outside the region) I've had these before but was curious about the extra couple years on this particular bottle. Nose is very typically rye: white pepper, lemongrass, coriander, rye spice, honey graham cracker, a touch of pumpernickel, and mild oak. Ethanol is present but not overwhelming. Palate offers some interesting sweeter notes like snickerdoodle cookie, gingerbread, poppyseed muffin, along with caraway seed and toasted sesame. The flavors are nice and vibrant, with a good amount of richness but perhaps lacking some depth. Long finish takes a sharp turn toward Spiceville, with abundant pepper, oak, ginger, clove, mint, chili pepper, and cilantro, though the herbaceous notes are quite subdued overall. I would have preferred more of a progression here. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and oily/slick, which effectively minimized palate fatigue. I was hoping an 8-year store pick would be exceptional, but instead, it produced a... quite decent rye whiskey. It initially greets you with sweetness and then hits you hard with spice. At $70, I consider it appropriately priced for the market, but it's not a repurchase for me as I can think of ryes I'd rather pay $10-15 more for.

I'm not a major fan of rye whiskey. I do consume it regularly, but it's not my first choice. That's what 'not a huge fan' implies. You're still a supporter, just not a massive one. Knob Creek is part of the Jim Beam/Suntory conglomerate, which in my view, contributes to global issues rather than solutions. Most of their products are shadows of their former selves or marketing ploys that highlight consumer gullibility. However, deep down, they possess the capability to produce good whiskey. Knob Creek is among their most dependable offerings. This particular barrel-strength rye is exceptionally good. It features oak, leather, spice, and that minty, peppery dill characteristic often found in ryes. If you're like me, which is unlikely, you might realize halfway through the dram that even the most deceptive individuals can occasionally achieve something positive, a feat unmatched by our elected officials or most individuals working in Washington D.C. So, whether this is praise for JimBeam'SuntoryStein or a scathing critique of those in power, the interpretation is yours., signing off from the banana republic formerly known as the USA.

This is a barrel selection from Mission Wine and Spirits, called the "Fifth Floor," presumably because the barrel was aged on the fifth floor. I believe that's a middle level, though I might be mistaken. It's bottled at 115 proof, or 57.5%. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, mint, menthol, dried herbs, green grain, cereal. Palate: Moderately sweet, with earthy, herbal tea, caramel, vanilla, and mint notes. Finish: More dried herbs, mint, oak, some caramel, and a bit of chili pepper heat. A respectable single barrel. It wasn't so exceptional that I felt compelled to rush and buy another before they sold out, which is what I typically look for in a store pick, though that's quite uncommon. However, I would readily purchase another single barrel rye from a store pick. It possesses a pleasant roundness that many ryes lack. I'd be interested in trying another.

A Liquor City Uncorked selection, "Gallenstein #3" Warehouse 1; Floor 4; Rick 17 Distilled on 10/06/2014 Bottled on 05/27/2020 Age - 5 years, 7 months, 21 days Opened for 5 weeks Aroma - Strong alcohol presence, prominent baking spices, toasted grains, leather, bitter oak, cocoa, dried herbs, and a subtle maple syrup note. Palate - Dry spices, cinnamon, black pepper, oak, toffee, brown sugar, hay, and herbs. The finish is extended, featuring dry, bitter oak, intense rye spice, heavy black pepper and tobacco smoke, brown sugar, and a moderate ethanol bite. This is the least impressive single barrel of Knob Creek Rye I've encountered, which is quite a statement. The selections I've acquired through BCBC were excellent, so my expectations were likely set too high. It presents the most conventional barely legal rye profile I've had recently, lacking anything exceptional or unique. If you told me this was a high-rye bourbon, I wouldn't question it. This and Pikesville are excellent entry points for bourbon drinkers exploring rye, and both remain great value options compared to many pricier sourced 4-year ryes.