James B. Beam (Jim Beam) recently announced a new, permanent addition to its small batch portfolio: Knob Creek® 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey. “Whiskey enthusiasts know when they’re drinking our whiskey, it’s aged to perfection and crafted with exceptional full flavor. We’re excited to bring an extra-aged rye whiskey with even more robust flavors from […]
James B. Beam (Jim Beam) recently announced a new, permanent addition to its small batch portfolio: Knob Creek® 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey.
“Whiskey enthusiasts know when they’re drinking our whiskey, it’s aged to perfection and crafted with exceptional full flavor. We’re excited to bring an extra-aged rye whiskey with even more robust flavors from a decade of aging in our barrels,” said Freddie Noe, Eighth Generation Master Distiller. “When my grandfather created Knob Creek® over 30 years ago, he set out with the intention to craft a premium whiskey without shortcuts, and we’re excited to continue his legacy – I know he’d love it, just like our fans will.”
L to R: Freddie Noe, Fred Noe. Courtesy
Quick Facts
AGE: 10 Year
PROOF: 100 proof (50% abv)
PRICE: $69.99 750ml
AVAILABILITY: Nationwide
The Knob Creek Rye journey began with launch of Knob Creek® Straight Rye Whiskey in 2012. Per the brand, Knob Creek 10 Year Old Rye boasts a bold and complex flavor profile, capturing the essence of Knob Creek’s traditional rye while delivering deeper notes of rich caramel, creamy vanilla, and robust oak and char notes imparted by additional years spent aging in the barrel.
BACKSTORY BEHIND “Little Book” In 2012, Fred Noe, 7th Generation Beam Family Master Distiller, asked his son Freddie if he was sure he wanted to be in the family business. Freddie didn’t hesitate – he said yes. Freddie took on roles across distillery operations to learn the ins and outs of the business. During this […]
In 2012, Fred Noe, 7th Generation Beam Family Master Distiller, asked his son Freddie if he was sure he wanted to be in the family business. Freddie didn’t hesitate – he said yes.
Freddie took on roles across distillery operations to learn the ins and outs of the business. During this time, Freddie discovered a real fascination with tinkering – just like his granddaddy, Booker. He was drawn to the practically limitless palette of tastes and flavors created by blending different aged spirits and pushing the boundaries of the whiskey category.
Little Book® is Freddie’s passion in a bottle and his way of honoring his granddad and family. The name “Little Book” was the nickname given to Freddie growing up by his granddad Booker.
This is Freddie’s very first ALL RYE creation. Typically debuting in August, Chapter 8 is hitting a bit early.
L: Freddie Noe. R: Fred Noe (father). Courtesy
FROM THE BRAND: Path Not Taken explores the future of American Rye by blending a unique range of ryes together – showing you that rye still has plenty of stories left to tell. This blend consists of seven liquids ranging from 4 years old, to 18 years old, with an ABV of 59.1% and an SRP of $149.99.
Master’s Keep Triumph, the oldest age-stated rye whiskey ever to be released by Wild Turkey, will be available for US online presale and in-store at select US retailers ahead of Father’s Day
The post Press Release: Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Trium…
Master's Keep Triumph, the oldest age-stated rye whiskey ever to be released by Wild Turkey, will be available for US online presale and in-store at select US retailers ahead of Father's Day
I’d like to thank the producer for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
…
I’d like to thank the producer for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
It was almost three months ago, to the day, that we looked at the Small Batch Bourbon from Never Say Die and gave away a branded winter hat to a lucky reader. The producer of that bourbon appreciated the giveaway enough that he not only sent a new hat to replace the one I gave away but also sent a bottle of their Rye whiskey as well. Now, as it was only three months ago, I’m not going to drill down into their company history again. But here is a quick overview of the life of the whiskey we are talking about tonight.
A distillery in Kentucky distilled a mash bill of 56% Rye, 33% Corn, and 11% Malted Barley using a sweet mash process.
That distillery ages the whiskey in new charred oak barrels for five years.
The whiskey is then shipped across the ocean to England, getting nice and agitated while being exposed to the sea air during the crossing.
The whiskey is then aged further in Derbyshire, England, before being bottled at 52.5% ABV. A small portion of that whiskey then comes back to the US to be sold online by Seelbach’s.
I drink a bit of that whiskey.
I’m going to go out on a limb and speculate once again that this came from Wilderness Trail Distillery. Wilderness Trail uses a sweet mash process and the exact same mashbill for their rye, so I think that metaphorical limb I crawled out on is pretty sturdy.
So now that you’ve got a quick overview of the whiskey and some speculation as to its provenance, let’s dig in.
Never Say Die Rye Whiskey
Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no charge for review purposes. A 700 mL bottle can be purchased online at Seelbach's for $84.99.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.07
Nose: Floral mint, cardamom, cherry, caramel, oak, and cocoa.
Mouth: Spicy and sweet with notes of cinnamon, red fruit, honey, cardamon, and oak.
Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Sweet and vibrant notes of cinnamon, cardamom, honey, bubblegum and mint.
Thoughts: The nose is complex and ever-changing. The mouth is spicy and sweet, and the finish explodes with flavor upon swallowing. Overall, I like this, and even though $6 per pour is more than I’d like to spend on a rye whiskey, I will certainly enjoy the rest of the bottle. I tend to use ryes in cocktails more often than I drink them neat, though, so I don’t usually tend to spend a premium on them.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
Highland distillery Glenmorangie is tripling down on casks as they have released a single malt called Glenmorangie Triple Cask Reserve that has been matured in three different casks: bourbon, new charred oak and rye. Glenmorangie Triple Cask Reserve was bottled at 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) and is said to contain notes of cinnamon, […]
Highland distillery Glenmorangie is tripling down on casks as they have released a single malt called Glenmorangie Triple Cask Reserve that has been matured in three different casks: bourbon, new charred oak and rye.
Glenmorangie Triple Cask Reserve was bottled at 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) and is said to contain notes of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, pear and vanilla.
Glenmorangie Triple Cask Reserve is being made available in France, Germany, South Africa, the UK and the USA for $40 per bottle.
In his latest post, Frank gives us a refreshing look at a 2024 bottling of Rare Breed Rye. Take it away, Frank! After my last review of Wild Turkey’s famed “Christmas Rye‘,’ it only feels right that I should turn my attention to Wild Turkey…
In his latest post, Frank gives us a refreshing look at a 2024 bottling of Rare Breed Rye. Take it away, Frank! After my last review of Wild Turkey’s famed “Christmas Rye‘,’ it only feels right that I should turn my attention to Wild Turkey’s latest rye expression, Rare Breed Rye. It also feels timely […]
Iowa-based Templeton Distillery has released a bourbon called Fortitude – their first non-rye whiskey product since opening six years ago in the town of Templeton, Iowa. Templeton Fortitude is produced with a mash bill of 55% corn, 40% rye and 5% malted barley, matured in first-fill American oak barrels, bottled at 46% alcohol by volume […]
Iowa-based Templeton Distillery has released a bourbon called Fortitude – their first non-rye whiskey product since opening six years ago in the town of Templeton, Iowa.
Templeton Fortitude is produced with a mash bill of 55% corn, 40% rye and 5% malted barley, matured in first-fill American oak barrels, bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is said to contain notes of black pepper, butterscotch, caramel, citrus and vanilla.
Templeton Fortitude is being made available for $40 per bottle.
PRESS RELEASE provided by Bulleit: This week it was announced that after five years, a 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Gold Medal, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey is announcing the return of its 12-Year-Old American Straight Rye Whiskey. Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old is a limited-availability extension of Bulleit Rye Whiskey, America’s #1 selling rye whiskey1. The 12-Year-Old […]
This week it was announced that after five years, a 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Gold Medal, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey is announcing the return of its 12-Year-Old American Straight Rye Whiskey.
Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old is a limited-availability extension of Bulleit Rye Whiskey, America’s #1 selling rye whiskey1. The 12-Year-Old uses the same mash bill as the flagship Rye: 95% rye and 5% malted barley. Aged and matured in new charred American white oak barrels for a minimum of 12 years, this 2024 release incorporates whiskey from barrels aged up to 17 years in the blend.
Per the brand: the result is a smooth, aged taste as before, but with nuanced differences from the 2019 release. On the nose, we get light, fruity, woody-oaky, floral, and vanilla-spice notes. Bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV), on the palate it is semi-sweet, clean, and crisp. The finish is enjoyable with a slight-woody vanilla spice taste.
Jesse Damashek, Senior Vice President of Whiskies & Liqueurs at Diageo commented: “Consumers and bartenders alike prefer rye’s unique spicy flavor profile which adds a distinctiveness to classic cocktails. At Bulleit, we are proud to have been able to contribute to this fast-growing category ever since we launched our first rye expression in 2011. In bringing back the Rye 12-Year-Old we are responding to the demands from whiskey lovers for more premium expressions in the rye category. Our first release in 2019 performed exceptionally in the on and off trade. What we’ve created with this 2024 release continues our long tradition of striving to satisfy the growing appetite for bold, distinctive, and delicious premium whiskey.”
Bulleit Master Blender Andrew MacKay added: “This Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old release remains true to the rye whiskies we’ve crafted before. The rye spicy character shines through the age of the whiskies and balances with those mature, elevated, and well-rounded flavors that originate from hand-selected barrels up to 17 years old. I do think it is best enjoyed neat or possibly with a single ice cube – which opens up some fruity character.”
Pricing & Availability: Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old is available nationally (except for Maine) wherever fine spirits are sold, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $54.99 for a 750ml bottle. The whiskey is packaged in the iconic Bulleit bottle, with a new all-green label that prominently features the12-year-old age statement.
Thank you for joining The Bourbon Review and Tito Belvedere for April Fools’ Day! We’ll see you next year—if not sooner. Maker’s Mark distillery, famous for their red winter wheated whiskey, announced this morning that for the first time since their founding more than six decades ago, they’ll be releasing bourbon whiskey made with a […]
Thank you for joining The Bourbon Review and Tito Belvedere for April Fools’ Day! We’ll see you next year—if not sooner.
Maker’s Mark distillery, famous for their red winter wheated whiskey, announced this morning that for the first time since their founding more than six decades ago, they’ll be releasing bourbon whiskey made with a second, rye mashbill.
Maker’s Mark Rye Bourbon breaks a precedent of more than half a century, and the new bottling, aged the same way as the wheat recipe, will be distinguishable only by the green wax atop the bottle.
“All these years we’ve been so focused on wheat—the whole time there was a whole other grain out there for flavoring bourbon,” explained Bill Samuels, patriarch of the brand. “We started playing with it about a decade ago, and after it aged for a few years, I said, well there might be something here.”
In contrast with the smooth, slightly crisp profile of the wheated Maker’s Mark bourbon, Maker’s Mark Rye Bourbon will be a sharp, spicy bourbon meant to hurt a little on the palate.
“I like that kick you get. It’s definitely different than what we’ve ever done before.”
The distillery has apparently done secretive market tests to examine whether the bartending world is ready for a rye bourbon, and according to Samuels, they see a huge opportunity. “We’re already looking at cutting back on this easy-drinking stuff and turning out some of this punchier, more aggressive recipe for the next few years,” explained Samuels.
Maker’s Mark Rye is available today, April 1, on limited shelves for $49.99.
I’d like to thank High West for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
…
I’d like to thank High West for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
It has been a long damn time since we took a look at any products from High West around here. And it’s not because I didn’t like them when we last looked. No, this has to do with shelf placement.
The liquor store that I frequent most often is a small place packed to the gills with wonderful libations. It has narrow aisles and high shelves. High West sits on the top shelf at the end of the whiskey aisle. Below it are Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve, 1792, and Four Roses. Good company if you can get it—well, if you are a normal consumer.
I am far from normal.
I go in looking for things to write about, and, in my mind, that end of the aisle is filled with wonderful things to drink, but nothing to write about, so High West tends to get forgotten about on my local shopping trips. This is really too bad because they make some delicious whiskeys, and some of them are even decently priced at around $30 for a 750. So when their PR person reached out to me offering me a taste of their first ever Bottled in Bond Whiskey, I jumped at the opportunity to reexamine the offerings from this company that I had neglected. And boy, am I glad I did.
But before I get ahead of myself, let’s run down a few interesting items they included in their press release. This bottled-in-bond whiskey is four years old, having been barreled in the Fall 2018 distilling season. As a bonded whiskey, it is 100° proof. The mashbill is made up of 80% rye and 20% malted rye. It was distilled by High West in Wanship, UT. It was released in February 2024 and will be available “across the nation” for a suggested retail price of $79.99 (though at the time of writing this, it is currently sold out on the High West website).
So, onto the most important part: how does it taste?
High West Bottled in Bond Rye
Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Mouth: Cedar, allspice, vanilla, honey, mint, and oak.
Finish: Medium length and warmth with notes of cinnamon, mint, and oak.
Thoughts: Bright and vibrant with good spice. This is delicious. It reminds me of an MGP rye with depth and a nutty under current. And even though I’ve long thought that I didn’t like malted rye in my whiskey, I really like this one. It must be that I only disliked the ones that I tasted first. This is why I try not to write off an entire ingredient’s usage. It also makes a killer Sazerac cocktail. Though at $80 per bottle, this probably won’t be going into many cocktails in most peple’s homes. All in all, I really like this one.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
