whiskeyfortheages, Author at Whiskey for the Ages

Knob Creek Straight Rye Review

Posted on 06-March-202128-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Knob Creek Straight Rye Review

Original review written on March 2, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This is incredibly light and fresh, dry fruit notes being apparent with warm, earthy tones. These provide the whiskey a well-textured balance, keeping me going back for the next sip. 91/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Straight Rye Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: unpublished; at least 51% rye (internet consensus totals: Rye=55%; Corn=35%; Malted barley=10%
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 50% (100 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho

Visit knobcreek.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this rye here!

SETTING:

Drink Knob Creek Rye outside (maybe even in the morning) on the deck or porch with the sun coming up and a newspaper in hand, taking in the new day. The lightness in the pour and sunshine moving across you feels refreshing, and the world smells as youthful and bright as the whiskey.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

NOSE:

Light wood and sweetness greet the nose on the first draw, being oaky and a bit like toffee. There is a nuttiness that I suppose is a little like macadamia, but it is hard to perfectly identify. I find a light earth component as well, perhaps like dewy grass or just warm soil. The alcohol is incredibly subtle here and not at all intimidating, but you still notice it just a little bit. I can get a some of ginger on deep inhales, but other than that, there really is not much spice to speak of. Overall, it smells inviting and a bit like a nut brittle candy.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: There is an effervescence that reminds me of a riesling wine – dry, but with a tickle all the same.
– Balance: Everything blends really well, with every flavor being quite cohesive and fresh.
– Visual: Chestnut, Oloroso sherry in color, this has fast-dropping, but thick legs that descend from an uneven, but equally thick, crown.

– Taste: This tastes immediately fresh and vibrant. The nut is still there, but it isn’t overbearing and just sits with a pleasant, earthy warmth, with a bit of grass. Light fruit is here also, perhaps like a pear that is just the right level of ripeness. The oak is equally light with a sweet glaze of spice. This almost tastes white-wine-esque, with a pop of green grape, pear and a buttery-ness in body, but still maintaining a certain effervescence. The rye spice is here also, but it lifts the whole body and makes all of the aforementioned flavors explode that much more, I think.

A Kentucky Chew elevates the rye and makes it feel bigger, as well providing extra earth. It also makes the whiskey as a whole have a certain dryness to it, that again, harkens to the wine notes. The alcohol remains mild all throughout without stinging much at all. This rye, for being the first rye Whiskey for the Ages has reviewed, has certainly impressed me.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. No warmth here, but the flavor does linger for a while. No complaints from me.
– Between Sips: I get the grapes and pear the most between sips, and I must say, it leaves me feeling very pleased.

– No More: This is so pleasantly consistent throughout the glass, I really am just impressed with the quality of this. The freshness seems just as fresh and bright as it did on the first sip.

The empty Glencairn has a sudden kick of rye spice that I wasn’t expecting, but it is still so sharp that it matches with the vibrancy of this rye. I must say, I’ve been in love with this pour start to finish, and I look forward already to my next.

WORTH THE PRICE?

At $30, this is almost what I would consider a steal, and you can certainly bet that this is something I will promote to having always on hand. Highly recommend giving it a try, even if you aren’t familiar with ryes.

RATING: 91/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 91/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Knob Creek.

Back to…

Hannah’s Whiskey Reviews
Whiskey Reviews

Knob Creek Straight Small Batch Rye

Posted on 06-March-202128-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Knob Creek Straight Rye Review:

02-March-2021

KNOB CREEK STRAIGHT RYE REVIEW:

Knob Creek Straight Rye is simply a nice whiskey. I’ll admit, it is the first rye to pass my lips and I’m happy to say, I’ll make a place for it on my shelf. While I cannot pickup or discern particular fruits or confections, there is a nice sweetness about this pour which balances the subtle woody elements.

KNOB CREEK STRAIGHT RYE VITAL STATS:

Category: Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey
Region: Clermont, KY,
Country: United States
Distillery: Knob Creek
Mash Bill: unpublished, at least 51% Rye (internet consensus totals ~ 55% rye, 35% corn, 10% malted barley)
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
No batch or bottle number identifiers

Learn more at Knob Creek.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, this rye was enjoyed neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this rye here!

KNOB CREEK RYE NOSE:

Knob Creek Straight Rye offers a dry warming nip, and a touch of burn with deep nosing. I also sense some light floral notes in a touch of sherry backed by a truckload of dry grain. In each waft there are faint notes of fresh tart apples, maraschino cherries and plump red raisins. Rye is front and center and presents as both a spice and yeasty bread. The nose is not sweet yet I do sense an underlying confection hiding in dry seasoned sawdust, hazy barrel spice and the char of toasted wood. This is a gentle and simple whiskey with nice notes of worn old leather.

KNOB CREEK RYE PALATE:

The first sip of Knob Creek Straight Rye is easy to hold and I find it dry and warm. As on the nose, I get light floral notes in sherry and herbal dusty grain. While for me the only fruit element I taste is the skin of pealed pears and they are a bit difficult to discern, but spices of cinnamon, warm ginger, pepper and rye assert themselves. Yet the only sweet I can pick up is of simple syrup which is just enough to balance the hint of hazelnuts. And like on the nose, dry sawdust, hazy toasted wood and old leather are in each mouthful.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Knob Creek Rye is well blended and an easy sipper. While not particularly full, this spirit is smooth and oily with a pleasant coppery feel when held. In the Glencairn, fast falling narrow channels return the liquid to the chestnut colored pool, leaving an irregularly formed inverted crown.

KNOB CREEK RYE FINISH:

Knob Creek Straight Rye has a short warm and dry gentle finish. Its herbal grain fades in and out as do the spices of pepper and rye. And like I sensed on the nose and palate, dry sawdust, toasted wood and old leather fade away after each sip. When the last dram is drained, the empty Glencairn smells of sweet light oak. This is an inviting rye.

MY RATING: 87/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
At this price point it has a place in my bunker.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Knob Creek.

KNOB CREEK STRAIGHT RYE TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

Back to …

Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Reviews

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121 Review

Posted on 01-March-202128-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121 Review

Original review written February 23, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Though the mouth feel didn’t quite impress me, I think all of the flavors make for an interesting and unique profile, and I could see myself reaching for this again. 88/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Barrel Proof; Small Batch
– Age: 12 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=78%; Rye=10; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– Non-chill filtered
– ABV: 61.8% (123.6 proof)
– Price: $59.99 USD in Idaho

Visit heavenhill.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This fits in well in a rose garden setting, with the thorns perhaps being in a higher concentration than the blossoms themselves. The sky could be a little gray, and the atmosphere is a little humid, but it’s peaceful nonetheless. A121 keeps the intrigue alive without being too pushy or aggressive.

Photo by Yousef Espanioly on Unsplash

NOSE:

This nose certainly has the dark depth of an ECBP without question. Dark brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and white pepper burst from the glass first, with accompanying oak being old and deep. The alcohol isn’t particularly pungent here, or at least it’s less intense than I would imagine anything above 120 proof to be. Deep draws coax out earth and corn, but again, the scent is very rich and warm. There is also a bit of seasoned leather, figs, and prunes that blend well with the other aromas that work together to make an overall, very exciting invitation.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: I find this a little watery, to be honest. Once it moves around the palate, it graduates to an oily feel, but as it touches the tip of the tongue and the lips, it feels very light and thin.
– Balance: Decent. Nothing sticks out awkwardly, aside from a slight bitterness, but it’s still enjoyable.
– Visual: Flame in color, there is a clinging droplet crown and long, clinging legs.

– Taste: Grapes, oak, fruit leather, and corn are the first things I notice to cross my palate. The corn seems present, but it is bland and turns a bit more vegetable-y. In a way, though whiskey is a liquid, this almost has a crunch to it and strangely reminds me of water chestnuts. Black pepper and ginger kick in as well, along with a bitterness at the back of the tongue, almost like a bitter walnut. There is a floral element here also, and perhaps it is also contributing to the bitterness that I am finding. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that it’s rosy.

The alcohol is hot, but it isn’t something that really scares me much. In fact, I think with the mouth feel, it almost seems tame. When I do a Kentucky Chew, however, the alcohol strengthens into a black pepper/cinnamon haze with a touch of cherry and that rosy walnut bitterness.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Actually quite short. The alcohol futilely kicks a little, but not much. And the flavors just linger softly.
– Between Sips: Fruit leather, rose, and a light oak sit between sips, and make for a little bitter aftertaste, but it’s not unpleasant.

– No More: I think the oaky woodiness gets stronger the further into the glass I get, while any of the sweet notes I had noted earlier seem to dissipate. The bitterness kicks up as well, and while it does not taste bad, I do wish there was a bit more variety.

The empty Glencairn is a sweet oak with a bit of white pepper spice that is refreshing and stinging. It would have been interesting to see these flavors in the glass and pour itself, but it is nice, I suppose, to get a glimpse of what could have been here.

THE ADDITION OF WATER

– This section written on February 26, 2021 –

Water can often tame bold whiskeys and the addition of 2-4 drops will not radically change the proof of the pour. Rather water may help open the spirit allowing the aromas and flavors to bloom. As such, 2 and 4 drops of distilled water were added to their own respective 1.5 oz. pours of ECBP A121 to detect any potential differences:

A tangy fruit leather comes out, and immediately I know that I enjoy this bourbon more with the addition of two drops rather than neat. The ginger also is stronger along with dark brown sugar. It’s far less bitter than it was when I first sampled this, and overall, it is sweeter as well. I also find some herbal tones to this, which improves its complexity for me. (RATING: 89/100)

With four drops, it’s as though the heat has actually been kicked up! There is a hint more of black pepper, and now the introduction of a dark fruit. Perhaps it is figs. Again, like with the two drops, there is little to no bitterness that was found in the neat pour. However, unlike the two drop pour, the grassiness fades, replaced predominantly by sweetness and the touch of spice. (RATING: 93/100)

WORTH THE PRICE?

As far as Elijah Craig Barrel Proofs go, I’d say there are better offerings that I’ve had, but this one is still entertaining, and for $60, I think it’s a fair price. I can see how this could be very enjoyable as it’s very unique and original. For me, adding water definitely improved it and I am certainly more willing to go for another glass later. Would I buy it again? I think so.

OVERALL RATING: 88/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

Back to…

Hannah’s Whiskey Reviews
Whiskey Reviews