Distiller: Knob Creek Distilling

Release:2019

Bourbon: Double Barreled Rye

Region: Clermont, Kentucky

Price:$45.00

Proof: 100

Age:  No age statement

The Barrel Cellar Score:  88 Points

Review Date: 09/03/2020

About the Bourbon: Knob Creek is a small batch brand under the Jim Beam umbrella. Knob Creek Double Barreled Rye is a limited-edition release rye whiskey that has been barreled twice. The 2nd, or finishing barrel is a heavily charred oak barrel. It is not uncommon to find a double-barreled bourbon, but a double-barreled rye is a more rare offering. I was excited to try this one.

I enjoyed the whiskey for this review using a set ofPrestige diamond whiskey glasses.

Color: Russet

Nose:  Dill, brown sugar, green apple, and Hershey’s chocolate syrup.  

Taste: Cola, leather, peppermint, cocoa, orange liquor, and oak. Drop a couple of ice cubes in and notes of cream, orange citrus, cinnamon and white pepper emerge. Finish: Black pepper and charcoal.

Assessment: I accidentally deleted my original draft of this review and therefore had to delay its release. This was a fortunate mistake or I would have shortchanged this rye. After a month (to the day) of sitting open the whiskey got significantly better. Outside of the Dill spice on the nose however, this offering from Knob Creek feels more like a bourbon than a rye. The whiskey itself is full bodied, it is also significantly sweeter than I would expect a rye whiskey to be. Until it had a chance to “open up,” the sweetness seemed to drown out some of the most pleasing flavor notes, specifically the peppermint and orange liquor notes.

Overall I enjoyed Double barreled rye. I would have liked more typical rye features in the offering, but if you can find a bottle at MSRP, it’s worth it.

Knob Creek Distilling‘s  Double Barreled Rye is a good Rye, just make sure you let it decant for a good long while. 88 points.

Special Offer

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