I just nosed last night's empty glass. That usually brings out leathery, oaky notes in other bourbons, but not with KC. More maple sweetness. Fresh smelling.
Ed
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I just nosed last night's empty glass. That usually brings out leathery, oaky notes in other bourbons, but not with KC. More maple sweetness. Fresh smelling.
Ed
I ran out of KC a while back and only recently got back to the store for some more. It's good stuff, as everyone here has basically said already, but I would like to touch on one aspect that hasn't been discussed: packaging. Does anyone else find the label design a little off-putting? It's kind of artsy (or at least it was when it came out), but I think KC is of sufficient quality that it deserves something a little classier. At some point the current design is going to look dated.
Hmmm, sorry, but I pretty much like the KC labeling.
Tim
When it first came out there was an argument it was a bit contrived since it looked like the kind of package that might have been put out a long time ago by a smaller company, one not conscious of the marketing potential of labelling and packaging. Ironic, since that was precisely the intent of the KC package. But that's okay. It is a good whiskey and has maintained its quality although I don't think it is quite as good as when it first came out.
Gary
Ah, a man after my own heart!
Ken
I’ve enjoyed reading all the posts about Knob Creek in this thread. I don’t have anything original to contribute, but here, in no particular order, are my reactions to some of the posts.
Bamber, I tried to detect the licorice edge that you mentioned, but my palate wasn’t up to the job.
Jeff, I’ve been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to use the following emoticon. http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...iagreejeff.gif During the last few years I’ve drunk three-plus bottles of Knob Creek. During that time it seemed to change from rough to smooth, perhaps too smooth at this point. It never occurred to me that it was the bourbon that had changed. I assumed my taste buds were becoming hardened. As to the maple flavor being in all JB bottlings, I recently tried KC and JB Black side by side. They were less similar that I anticipated. The JB Black seemed to have floral, honey-like nose and palate. I had never detected these flavors when drinking it alone. I didn't get the maple flavor that I thought I remembered.
TrueBarrel, the “bold, spicy, full-bodied taste” that you found reminds me of the way I perceived KC a couple of years ago. Now I would use less intense adjectives to describe it. I still wonder how much it has changed and how much I have changed.
Dane, your “middle of the road” description of KC pretty well sums it up for me. It’s comforting to see it on a shelf in a bar with limited choices of bourbon, but I would never seek it out. My only disagreement is in regard to your ranking Booker’s at the head of the Small Batch class. I’ve really tried to enjoy Booker’s but without success. I’ve tried it neat and at proofs from 110 down to 80 by tens. At high proofs it overwhelms me and at lower proofs the flavors are unappealing to me. When I finish my current bottle, purchased at least three years ago, I don’t plan to replace it. I'll probably replace my Baker's, unless I hear that its flavor has been diminished akin to Knob Creek's.
Gillman, I agree with your assessment. As I’ve implied above, I believe there was a more noticeable char component when I bought my first bottle.
Hedmans, your post will inspire me to look for the flavor elements you mentioned as I near the end of my current bottle of KC. However, I stopped and reread your comparison to Hirsch and Pappy 20 to make sure you really wrote what I thought I had read. While I’ve yet to open my lone bottle of Pappy 20, I’ve tried three bottlings of Hirsch, and, IMO, none of them invite comparison to KC. I will try to keep an open mind in that regard, but it will be difficult.
Tim (TN), “burnt caramel” is a good description of the flavor that I formerly found too harsh. Now I miss it. To me anything is better than “bland”. (Thanks for posting the photo. It’s all the more appealing to me now that I live in predominately brown, dry Arizona. We do have gorgeous sunsets here, though.)
Tim (AL), no fair doing a tasting with The Grateful Dead as a backdrop. Would your findings be different if you were listening to, say, The Canadian Brass? While watching a Bond video? Regardless, you and I are pretty much on the same page.
Mike1, when did you buy your bottle of KC? Your description of it reminds me of my impression of KC of old.
Edward_Call_Me_Ed, the Knob Creek you describe reminds me of the Knob Creek I used to drink. That’s a drink worth having on the shelf, even if, I as I once thought, it might be overpowering at times.
Yours truly,
Dave Morefield
Dave, I spoke not so much of a similarity of flavours as rather a sense of refinement that I think all three share - something that is perceived to be luxurious. The Bourbon equivalent to Swiss milk chocolate, perhaps?Quote:
Hedmans, your post will inspire me to look for the flavor elements you mentioned as I near the end of my current bottle of KC. However, I stopped and reread your comparison to Hirsch and Pappy 20 to make sure you really wrote what I thought I had read. While I’ve yet to open my lone bottle of Pappy 20, I’ve tried three bottlings of Hirsch, and, IMO, none of them invite comparison to KC. I will try to keep an open mind in that regard, but it will be difficult.
Hello Dave,
I might be drinking older bottlings here in Japan. Then again it might be that I am approaching the KC with a less experienced palate. I have been playing catch up this year. It is safe to say that I have tried more whiskies each month this year that I did in my whole life before December 2004. Not that I didn't drink much whiskey in those days. I just didn't cast my net as widely as I do now, nor did I go after the really big fish back then.
Ed