We love Beam rye. Kentucky style rye, on paper, looks like reluctant rye, just barely not bourbon. Most of the big distilleries that bother making rye at all make it at the legal minimum of 51% rye, leaving room for a lot of corn. In our experience though, tasting samples of Jim Beam's rye over the last few years, the profile is often still assertively rye forward for some reason, whether it be a difference in the grain they are sourcing, or perhaps a particularly rye-friendly yeast strain in the fermentation. Whatever it is, it makes great Kentucky rye, with enough richness from the corn to welcome in new rye drinkers, but still unabashedly scratching that spicy, herbal, complex rye itch that we have constantly. We generally pick out a barrel each of Knob Creek bourbon and rye together each year at the same time, and though the bourbon is always top tier stuff, the Rye really gets us giddy. Many of you seem to agree with us too - our last barrel of Knob Creek rye is one of our most asked about barrel selections, generally with the eager question of "When are you getting another?"
The time has come, and once again it's big, rich, spicy, and complex, begging to be sipped, savored, and treasured. (Though we'd be lying if we said we weren't gonna make a few high proof, top shelf Manhattans with it.) The barrel comes from warehouse 1, floor 4, and rick 49. It was barreled in December 2016, and we selected it in August of 2022, being bottled just around it's 6th birthday. The nose is big but welcoming, with classic rye notes of mint, peppercorn, citrus peel, especially lemon, making way for rich toffee and maple notes. The palate is a holy rye trinity of spicy, fruity, and rich, with musty oak, red apple skin, clove, allspice, black pepper, lychee, and caramel apple. As it develops, bright minty lemonade comes forward, with more sharp pepper spice and pine. Bottled at Knob Creek's standard single barrel rye proof of 57.5% abv, 115 proof.
