Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye

Nose is strong and complex featuring some really unique aromas; salted caramel, musty peanut shell like you’d find in a Texas restaurant where they throw the peanuts on the floor, freshly cut/sanded wood like 8th grade shop class, fresh cut Bermuda grass, and a hint of candied orange. Ethanol is there but presents as a soft background prickle. Not your typical rye nose (That’s foreshadowing, y’all) Palate is…different. Vanilla, pecan, nutmeg, light cherry, orange zest, and delightful heavy, smoky char. That secondary barrel is doing good things here. A kiss of anise and mint underneath is really the only hint that this is rye; blindfold me and I probably wouldn’t be able to tell. Flavors have richness, complexity, and depth. Finish is short side of medium, with old leather, tobacco, oak and pepper. An enjoyable finish for sure. Mouthfeel is buttery, which fits the flavor and finish perfectly. A really hard one to rate. As a rye? So non-traditional to the level that I’d have to say it loses a point. As a whiskey? It’s unique and tasty enough with enough enjoyable components to gain the point right back. I enjoyed it, I really did. I’m going to have to say at the admittedly overly high price I paid of $75 (only one shop near me carries it) it doesn’t scream “must rebuy” but on the other hand, I could see myself buying it again…someday. Especially if cheaper. If you can find it at let’s say $60, it would be well worth the purchase. I’d give it a 3.9 if I could but since I can’t, I will round up to a 4.0.

I got this one because I liked the two permanent Knob Creek rye releases. In fact, I like all of the KC releases I come across, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong here. Nose: Toasted almond, cashew, and hazelnut. Vanilla and caramel. Dried apricot and golden raisin. Bready, yeasty notes. Black pepper, rye, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Palate: The yeasty, bready notes appear first. A healthy does of peppercorn, black tea, and pipe smoke. Pistachio and toasted almond. Candied orange/orange citrus. Cinnamon Apple Jacks. Peach tea. Black pepper, rye, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Finish: Cinnamon Apple Jacks. Orange citrus. Toasted almond and pistachio. Peppercorn, black tea, and pipe smoke. Black pepper, rye, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Long finish. Not cask strength long, but definitely on the upper end of the spectrum. This was a fun whiskey. It’s essentially the standard Knob Creek Rye but with a touch extra barrel char. With I think is all that the original whiskey, a solid bottling in its own right, was missing. I’m glad I grabbed this. This definitely won’t be shaking up the bourbon game. If fact, with the benefit of hindsight, I can say that it absolutely did not, otherwise they would’ve made more. But it was a fine idea for a one-off. The Beam-rye profile is just rock solid. I’m settling on a 4.25/5 for this. Another win for the KC line.

First tasting, served neat. This is a dark whiskey, really like the color. Definitely get some sweetness on the nose. Taste is sweet as well, lots of vanilla/caramel. The sweetness lingers on the tongue. Where it's falling short of me is the finish. The finish to me is pretty harsh. But not a proof harshness, as I've also been sipping Jim BiB which is also 100 proof. There's a flavor I can't quite place on the finish that comes across pretty harsh and lingers for a bit, ruining the experience. I paid $18 for this, and glad I did not pay more. I'll try with ice next visit to see if that improves the finish.

The smell is absolutely fantastic, full of cinnamon candies and potent barrel wood. The initial taste is a bit disappointing, as I'm not getting a 100 proof vibe, nor is the rye immediately obvious. However, after letting the whiskey move over the tongue, I can now tell that, although the double barreling gave a huge boost to the oak and caramel flavor, it really mellowed out Knob Creek's rye product. Now, instead of bright grass and cinnamon, I taste deeper spices, like clove and anise. Given the amazing smell and the strong wood finish, this is a good unique bottle to have to compare other rye bases to.

Along with High West Rendezvous Rye, Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye is pretty much exactly what rye should taste like. Imagine sharp, soft rye bread with a little honey (just a little, not the toffee sweetness of other ryes) and a little more pepper, and a slight aftertaste of heat and iodine. The warmth stays on the fillings but not in the throat or the tongue, which makes this a "low-affect" rye, and low-affect ryes usually don't taste nearly as pure, sharp, and fresh as Knob Creek Twice Barreled. Not the top of the food chain, but close enough, a treasure to sip, and a winner.

Sawdust, caramel, rye spice has a real peppery kick to it, prunes, buttery, fading vanilla beans, typical rye grassy flavor, leather and animal crackers round off the finish. Considering this was twice barreled, the oak tannins are surprisingly mellow with hardly any bitter notes. Niether the best out of the knob creek lineup nor would it be necessarily my first choice, but it is a solid whiskey nonetheless. Would also recommend michter's, Taylor's or whistlepig 6yr.