By Richard Thomas
Score: B+
Jim Beam has been making it simple for me to be a contrarian these previous couple of years, as a result of within the midst of whiskeydom’s personal Massive Lie — the so-called “Bourbon Scarcity — they preserve slapping age statements onto issues, in addition to introducing new middle-aged expressions. The most recent instance was giving an age assertion to Knob Creek Rye. Launched in 2012, the small batch expression has by no means had an age assertion earlier than, so 11 years in, it’s getting one. One other attention-grabbing level buttressing my contrarianism is the worth tag, which I’ll delve into on the finish.
The Whiskey
This can be a Kentucky fashion rye, which is to say it’s barely a rye whiskey (barely above 51% rye mash), with excessive corn content material. As such, the pour is extra amber than copper, and the nostril leans out of bourbon’s turf somewhat than into it. The scent smacks of an apple pie, if you happen to may dip it in caramel like a caramel apple; alternately, a caramel apple with a thick shell and an infusion of pie spice.
Once more, the flavour is nice and deeply imbued with vanilla. The fruity facet drops to mere suggestion, whereas the spicy aspect picks up some black pepper atop the pie spice. Leathery oak rises on the again finish, and rolls off into the end for a mellow, pretty brief conclusion.
For a decade, since its introduction actually, Knob Creek Rye has occupied a spot as an inexpensive rye that was excellent, albeit not nice. Including the age assertion doesn’t change that, however doubles down on it.
The Value
When Knob Creek Rye first got here out, it was going for about $38 to $40. That may be $50 to $53 as we speak, adjusted for inflation. But the official worth on this whiskey has really gone down in absolute phrases, to $37. Inform me once more how we’re within the midst of a horrible scarcity, when an excellent bottle like this one features an age assertion whereas taking place in worth?