It’s been over a decade since we final reviewed Knob Creek’s flagship rye whiskey, and there’s ample purpose to revisit it now. As of March 2023, the beforehand non-age acknowledged rye now carries a seven yr age assertion, the primary since its nationwide launch in 2012.
That’s a noticeable change for a broadly out there and competitively priced rye marketed towards cocktail fanatics and bourbon followers alike. Distiller Jim Beam doesn’t disclose the mashbill however calls it “excessive corn,” clearly aimed toward interesting to a bourbon drinker’s tastes.
How does the brand new look Knob Creek Rye — retailing for $37 at 50% abv — stack up?Let’s dive in.
It’s leathery and candy on the nostril, with the sweetness working a tad darker than butterscotch — suppose sizzling praline. There’s some rye spice that’s not overpowering, and greater than a contact of fruit. Crisp inexperienced apple, raspberry, and chocolate coated cherries convey up the top as a pleasant praise to the standard rye spice. Be aware this doesn’t run very far into natural territory as so many high-rye variations do (like MGP’s famed 95% rye mashbill). On the nostril, there’s quite a bit for bourbon lovers to acknowledge and revel in.
That spice is rather more pronounced within the mouth, with paprika and each purple & black pepper hitting early. There’s a definite, flavorful sweetness right here I’d name extra honey than caramel; this finally tastes like a spicy Bit O Honey sweet. And — characteristically for Beam — there’s sufficient oak to suit the age assertion, even at 100 proof. Nonetheless, these fruitier notes fall only a bit flat on the tongue, and I discovered myself trying to find extra. Total, there’s a pleasant stability between candy and spicy, however I’d have welcomed one thing fruitier and/or extra floral to provide much more depth to the palate.
The end isn’t terribly lengthy however definitely not “the place did that go?” brief. It’s all warming rye and baking spices on the way in which down, whereas the honey sweet lingers towards the entrance of the palate. There’s additionally a contact of bitter cocoa on the again of the tongue. On the very finish of a sip, the spice takes middle stage over the candy, a lot in order that I fear this would possibly flip astringent at the next proof. A couple of drops of water — which I’m typically sluggish so as to add to a 100-proofer — brings the end into higher stability between these two predominant taste classes.
Knob Creek’s Straight Rye Whiskey 7 Years Previous is a bourbon drinker’s rye that places its spice on full show, particularly on the end. And it definitely tastes richer than how I bear in mind the non-age acknowledged model (already a serviceable pour).
Marketed to be the go-to for neighborhood and residential bars alike, it can maintain up in a cocktail and is completely pleasurable neat (or with a drop or two). In threading the needle between memorability, sufficient spice for any cocktail, and worth, Knob Creek has accomplished an admirable job with this 7-year-old rye.
100 proof.
A- / $40 / knobcreek.com
Knob Creek Rye 7 Years Previous (2023)
$40
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