Knob Creek Rye

It is unclear whether Jim Beam believes we are in the midst of a bourbon shortage. They claim they are not, however actions have always spoken louder than words. What is clear, unfortunately, is Beam’s premium whiskeys aren’t as flavorful as they once were. Jim Beam (along with many other distilleries) has removed age guarantees on a variety of mid to premium brands. Basil Hayden’s, for example, was once labeled as "Aged 8 Years", and then the age statement was replaced by "Artfully Aged". In addition to these ambiguous buzzwords  being slapped onto Beam’s bottles today, there also seems to be a noticeable decay in the taste of non age statement whiskey.  The recent release of Knob Creek rye is a perfect example of a no age statement, (rest assured, "patiently aged”) whiskey that simply isn’t as good as it used to be. 

Details:  
-100 proof 
-“Patiently Aged”
-Price: $30

Nose: Light sweetness with vanilla, caramel, and sweet corn. The aroma is fairly herbal with a shallow reminisce of rye spice. 

Taste: A chocolaty sweetness with herbal undertones. Characteristic Jim Beam yeast flavors stamp an impression onto the palate. Rye notes peak on the back end with a sharp, pepper spice.
 
Finish: Short with a dry, light spice.

Conclusion:  This recent batch of Knob Creek rye falls short of expectations. A few years ago it was a delicious whiskey with a complex, bold, and spicy profile. These days it’s just decent, tasting light and unapologetic. This decline in age and quality will leave a blemish on Jim Beam as long as their prices continue to remain the same. I didn’t mean to go on a long tangent about quality control (maybe subconsciously), but this evolutionary decay really grinds my gears.

My Rating:  C (Decent) 

Old Grand-Dad 114 Bourbon

Old Grand-Dad is a notable brand of bourbon produced at the Jim Beam Distillery. It pays homage to Basil Hayden, a Kentucky distiller known for producing bourbon with a higher percentage of rye in the mashbill. It's a brand with a neat history; my favorite anecdote being that during prohibition, OGD was one of the few bourbons permitted to be prescribed as medicine. In today's age of craft whisky and limited releases, it's not often spoken about in whiskey clubs and social media, but I believe It's a highly underrated bourbon.  

Details: 

-No Age Statement
-114 proof

-High Rye Mashbill

 -Price: $25

Nose: Top heavy with rye spice, vanilla wafers, and sugar-babies candies. It has a fairly herbal aroma along with a hint of leather and toasted oak.

Taste: Chewy with a sweet yet spicy entry.  There's a hint of peanut with a touch of fresh cut grass and corn. Heavy black pepper spice and leather shuffle through the palate.

Finish: Medium with a fading sweetness. Black pepper spice lingers along with a nice warmth. 

Conclusion: Old Grand-Dad 114 is the perfect value bourbon. The robust flavor, thick mouthfeel, and $25 pricetag make this a definite buy. It wont surprise you with overall flavor or complexity, but it's one of those bourbons that you can drink neat without breaking the bank.  The high proof and high rye mash are also the perfect combination for an awesome cocktail. I will for sure be buying another bottle in the future. 

My Rating:  B (Good)

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Knob Creek 11 Year Bourbon

Knob Creek is a Jim Beam brand with a variety of small batch whiskies. In the last few years, Knob Creek has expanded their portfolio to include a rye whiskey, some single barrel offerings, and most recently an older, limited edition release small batch bourbon. The bottle I have today is a store select pick from one of my local liquor stores in Baltimore County. In the past, Knob Creek store picks have always been 9 years old. When I saw this was aged for 2 additional years, I was ecstatic.

 Details:
-11 years old
-120 proof
-Price: $45

Nose: Burnt sugars and vanilla pudding float out of the glass. Corn and cherries are present but are fairly subtle. Savory notes trail the sweetness, with pepper spice, green herbs, and oak.

Taste: Upfront lays a burnt caramel sweetness, followed by a decent amount of green herbs, cinnamon, and rye spice on the mid palate. 

Finish: Medium in length with a gentle spice and toasted oak.

Conclusion: This bourbon exceeded my expectations! The additional two year's gives this a robust, well rounded profile and cuts down on the typical Jim beam yeast that we have grown accustomed to with the Knob Creek 9 year. If this were aged for another year or two,  it may just fall in the "A" rating range- it's almost there! If your local liquor store is involved in single barrel programs, don't sleep on them; in my experience, it's usually the best bang for your buck whiskey available.

My Rating:  B+ (Very Good) 

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Bourbon Brothers Review:

Basil Hayden's Bourbon

Today for review I've got another whiskey from Jim Beam's Small Batch Bourbon Collection. Back in the day, Basil Hayden's was aged for 8 years, but unfortunately these days, age statements are dropping like flies.

Details:  
80 proof
No Age Statement- "Artfully Aged"
High Rye Mash bill 

Color: Brand New Penny

Nose: A light sweetness with vanilla, brown sugar and cherries. There is a slight nuttiest present, but the usual Jim Beam yeast is masked by the high rye. Toasted oak with cinnamon potpourri hold everything together. The nose is hands down my favorite part of this whiskey.

Taste: The high rye mash bill really leaves a brash mark on the palate, along with a heavy, nutty influence. Grape nuts, almonds, nutmeg, subtle oak. There is an initial sweetness but it is crisp and vanishes before it can be appreciated. 

Finish: Smooth, but short in length with peppery spice and a dash of cinnamon potpourri. 

Conclusion: The nose got me really excited but I was slightly let down by the taste. For 80 proof, there is a nice bouquet of subtle flavors to be found. While not my preference , this wouldn't be a bad bottle for a new whiskey drinker to start his journey. 

[Sidebar: I don't often speak about bottle appearance, but I really hate the paper poncho and metal/wooden belt thing Basil Hayden's has going for it. I think a first grade student could design better packaging.]

My Rating: C (Decent)

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Bourbon Brothers Review: 

Jim Beam Signature 12 Year Bourbon

Jim Beam has joined the recent craft craze by releasing an "ultra premium" craft bourbon that has been aged for 12 years and blended from hand selected barrels. Bottled at 86 proof, it comes with an MRSP of $40. 

Color: Caramelized honey 

Nose: Cinnamon and spice rise from the glass for a pleasant and warming nose. Sweet vanilla and caramel follow. At the bottom of the glass, there lay some heavy oak and a typical Jim Beam yeast note. 

Taste: (Neat from a Glencarin Glass) Vanilla and caramel candies coat the palate with a light and oily mouthfeel. Yellow cake and dark fruits (cherries) join the party with a peppery spice and woody backbone. 

Finish: Quick with a bit of spice and a lot of wood.

Conclusion: This is a giant step up from Jim Beam's flagship product, White Label. A lot of great things went into making this bourbon, but Jim Beam dropped the ball on one of my most important aspects: 86 proof...really? The lower ABV allows only for a light and subtle flavor profile which isn't enough to balance the oak you get from a 12 year bourbon. It's a drinkable whiskey that Jim Beam fans are sure to enjoy, but even if purchased at a discount, I think i'll keep this out of my regular lineup. 

My Rating- B (Good)

Video Review:

Booker's Small Batch Bourbon

Booker's Small Batch Bourbon is an uncut and unfiltered barrel proof product from Booker Noe, who was Jim Beans grandson and also master distiller for Beam for 40+ years (starting in 1960 and until his death in 2004). Booker was a virtuoso for his ability to judge a bourbon's quality. He would select barrels of especially high quality (usually stored in the coveted center rows of the warehouse) and keep them for special occasions. As gifts of these private samples were met with increasingly positive response, he started bottling and selling it in limited quantities in 1988. It has become one of Jim Beam's flagship products.

The label on the front of the bottle reads:

"The whiskey in this package is the highest grade bourbon made by me here at Jim Beam. It is uncut and bottled straight from the barrel. My grandfather Jim Beam liked his whiskey from six to eight years old"

This bottle of Booker's Small Batch Bourbon is bottled at 128.5 proof and is 6 years and 2 months old (Batch C06-K-8). Purchased for $49.99.

Color: A nice mix of honey and gold.

Nose: Sweet, molasses, brown sugar, floral, subtle fruit, intense vanilla, oak, pipe tobacco, charcoal.

Taste: Bold flavors here. Maple and salted caramel notes that quickly give way to a crescendo of black pepper, tobacco and oak.

Finish:  Long and bold. Leather and black pepper.

Conclusion: We should never take for granted the years of history and expertise that it takes to produce a high quality bourbon. This is a very good product; hats off to Booker Noe for sharing it with the world. 

My Rating: B+ (Very Good)

Video Review:

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon

Happy New Year from The Blundon Bourbon Review! Something about snow just makes me want to drink and review bourbon. Tonight for you I have Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve. This is currently my go to, higher proof bourbon for when I don't feel like drinking or opening a bottle of my BTAC or Pappy. KCSBR is aged for 9 years, and is 120 proof. Purchased for $40.

Color: Dark Orange, Amber

Nose: Corn, cherries, brown sugar, bubblegum, cola, green apple.

Taste: (Neat from a Glencarin Glass) Sweet notes of burnt caramel, vanilla, sugar, bubblegum. On the back end I get notes of cinnamon, salt, black pepper followed by a nutty toffee, subtle rye spice, and dry oak.

Finish: Sugar, bubblegum and nut toffee linger with saltly notes taking over for a bitter end.

Conclusion: If you are a frequent flyer with my reviews, you know I prefer barrel proof bourbons with bold flavors. There are alot of good things about this juice; it's readliy available, it's 120 proof, and it has a $40 price tag. The flavors are simple, yet bold and compliment each other well.

Rating: B+ (Very Good)

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Bourbon Brothers Review: