Jump to content

Knob Creek Rye


cowdery
This topic has been inactive for at least 365 days, and is now closed. Please feel free to start a new thread on the subject! 

Recommended Posts

Well, you don't have to label something straight even if it is. If it were under two years old, it would have to carry an age statement, which it doesn't, so I'm guessing they just decided not to use the label straight. The alternative would be that it has caramel coloring.

Maybe it's just that the target clientele for the product don't understand the term and it's just more text to clutter up a title.

Similarly, removing "Old" from some expressions of a brand could clean up the look and message for those who aren't cognizant of and sentimental towards historical labels. Charter 101 is a great example.

Roger

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Knob Creek Rye is 2.5 year old LDI juice with caramel coloring? I'm liking this new rumor!:lol: :lol:

In all seriousness, I've had it, and it tastes nothing like LDI to me. Then again, I've never added caramel to Templeton. Hmm...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe it's just that the target clientele for the product don't understand the term and it's just more text to clutter up a title.

I think that is most likely. Most people have no idea what "straight" means. I'm surprised more whiskeys don't drop it from the label.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tasted this at Beam's Spirits Confidential event last week in New Hampshire and talked to Fred Noe about it. Apparently it is rolling out earlier in control states because of fixed windows in which they can add products -- NH got it this month.

Fred said that Knob Creek Rye differed from ri(1) by proof and age -- up to 9yo, but keeping a 9yo age statement was too woody for the rye mashbill. ri(1) was claimed to be 6 years old.

Bernie Lubbers was filling flasks with dry grains representing the various Beam mashbills, which were checked off on the label. "Rye Whiskey" was listed as Jim Beam Rye/Old Overholt/ri(1) -- either the label predates the introduction of KC Rye, or another sign for the conspiracy theory? (Bakers and Bookers were not listed with Jim Beam/Knob Creek either.)

I'll confess that I did not notice the lack of "Kentucky Straight" on the label...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Knob Creek is the whiskey that got me into bourbon, which in turn led to my rye weakness. I will need to pick up a bottle to try. Being a Beam rye, I don't have high expectations, perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name a rye whiskey that does say "Kentucky Straight" on the label.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name a rye whiskey that does say "Kentucky Straight" on the label.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saz 18?

Van Winkle Family reserve?

just off the top of my head.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pikesville, Rittenhouse, Old Overholt, and Michter's are also "straight."

Just that Knob Creek Rye makes no mention of "Kentucky" OR "straight" makes me curious. Basically every other major rye producer, including Beam on the OO, put it on the label. Why not for the KC rye? It just makes no sense they would leave it off for "marketing." After all, the bourbon is labeled "Kentucky Straight" so if it was for marketing, wouldn't it be omitted from the bourbon label as well?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just having my first sips from the bottle I picked up today. Nice tobacco and bright nose. Definitely gets my attention. Chewy, spicy, and bold on the palate. Yes, Bold. So, Beam can make a Bold rye! It's waking my arse up from the 7 hours I spent behind the wheel today visiting customers in TN, VA, and NC. My first impression is that this is a keeper. This just roared past alot of other ryes in my "favorites" line-up. My early impression would be that if you liked WTR 101, you will like this at least as much, if not more. They are similar in their bite. But, you may not like that it's cost is twice as much as the Turkey was. Operative word being was. To me, no matter. This rye is worth the coin.

BTW, the Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye I also sipped from may be influencing my opinion. Nothing wrong with it, just not alot right, either. Both were $38. The KC is light-years better. Nut, that probably ain't a fair comparison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those are pretty much my thoughts on the KC rye as well. A great replacement for the WT 101 rye!

Just having my first sips from the bottle I picked up today. Nice tobacco and bright nose. Definitely gets my attention. Chewy, spicy, and bold on the palate. Yes, Bold. So, Beam can make a Bold rye! It's waking my arse up from the 7 hours I spent behind the wheel today visiting customers in TN, VA, and NC. My first impression is that this is a keeper. This just roared past alot of other ryes in my "favorites" line-up. My early impression would be that if you liked WTR 101, you will like this at least as much, if not more. They are similar in their bite. But, you may not like that it's cost is twice as much as the Turkey was. Operative word being was. To me, no matter. This rye is worth the coin.

BTW, the Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye I also sipped from may be influencing my opinion. Nothing wrong with it, just not alot right, either. Both were $38. The KC is light-years better. Nut, that probably ain't a fair comparison.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally got a chance to try KC rye.

Let me start out by saying that I'm not a rye fanatic; more of an occasional drinker. But when I have a rye, I want a rye..... bold and spicy. (Same with rye bread... I don't want any wimpy light rye) That's why I liked the Bowman rye so much ---- a real slap in the face of flavor.

So, the KC rye: some mint, some cinnamon, most definitely a rye. Nice; very serviceable. But when compared to Ritt BiB (the closest in terms of age & proof that I had opened), the Ritt was brighter, spicier, more flavorful.

So.... nothing wrong with KC rye: decent flavor and proof; in a word --- nice. But very middle-of-the-road in every respect. Kinda the JCPenney of rye whiskies.

My overall impression?

Meh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Out of 12 ryes I have open, only WT says Kentucky Straight. As for Cotoctin Creek, I like it for a 1.5 month old whiskey. I put it in the unusual artisan whiskey class but probably won't buy another bottle.

Does the KC have the funky yeast test of other Beam products?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does the KC have the funky yeast test of other Beam products?

Not sure exactly what you notice, but I didn't detect anything like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only a few say "Kentucky"--Van Winkle, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Russell's Reserve. It's a recent addition for Beam, added with I think the most recent label redesign. Older labels don't say it.

It definitely is not on Overholt or Rittenhouse.

Sazerac is an interesting case. It's not on the bottle but in the BT Media Kit, there is a reproducable logo that says "Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey." Of course, none of the Indiana ryes say "Kentucky."

Most say "straight."

In my opinion, neither omission means anything, except that Beam decided "RYE" was the word its consumers wanted to see next to "Knob Creek" and everything else was superfluous. Remember, they want to make sure folks don't buy the rye when they mean to buy the bourbon and vice-versa, likewise the single barrel, as the packaging on all three is pretty similar.

People thought it suspicious when Maker's 46 put "Kentucky" but not "Straight" on that label. It wasn't.

Rye--or Straight Rye--isn't bourbon. It doesn't even have to be made in the United States. "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey" has become a mantra, but only the words "Bourbon Whiskey" are required. The other two are optional.

Let's just say the typical Knob Creek drinker is a simple soul who doesn't want to read extra words.

Again, just an opinion. Folks who want to work up some conspiracy theories can be my guest. I'm just saying that, in my opinion, the omissions are not meaningful or even very interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Only a few say "Kentucky"--Van Winkle, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Russell's Reserve. It's a recent addition for Beam, added with I think the most recent label redesign. Older labels don't say it.

It definitely is not on Overholt or Rittenhouse.

Sazerac is an interesting case. It's not on the bottle but in the BT Media Kit, there is a reproducable logo that says "Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey." Of course, none of the Indiana ryes say "Kentucky."

Most say "straight."

In my opinion, neither omission means anything, except that Beam decided "RYE" was the word its consumers wanted to see next to "Knob Creek" and everything else was superfluous. Remember, they want to make sure folks don't buy the rye when they mean to buy the bourbon and vice-versa, likewise the single barrel, as the packaging on all three is pretty similar.

People thought it suspicious when Maker's 46 put "Kentucky" but not "Straight" on that label. It wasn't.

Rye--or Straight Rye--isn't bourbon. It doesn't even have to be made in the United States. "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey" has become a mantra, but only the words "Bourbon Whiskey" are required. The other two are optional.

Let's just say the typical Knob Creek drinker is a simple soul who doesn't want to read extra words.

Again, just an opinion. Folks who want to work up some conspiracy theories can be my guest. I'm just saying that, in my opinion, the omissions are not meaningful or even very interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, I look for the "straight" on the label before I buy it. Not because I'm homophobic, but because I prefer my whiskey aged in new barrels. Its important to me.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Straight doesn't have to do with new barrels. All bourbon and rye whiskey have to be aged in new charred oak, regardless of whether they are straight or not. Straight means they are more than two years old and do not contain caramel coloring, among other things.

If something is aged in used cooperage, it will be called "whiskey made from rye mash" or "American whiskey" or something like that, but it can't be bourbon or "rye whiskey" or "wheat whiskey" or "malt whiskey" as they require new charred oak.

I used to think straight meant not blended. Then I learned that it meant aged at least 2 years in NEW charred oak barrels, as well as, not blended. Now you're telling me that it can be straight without being in a new barrel? hmmm... ok. Thanks. :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to think straight meant not blended. Then I learned that it meant aged at least 2 years in NEW charred oak barrels, as well as, not blended. Now you're telling me that it can be straight without being in a new barrel? hmmm... ok. Thanks. :cool:

It's not that it can be straight without being in a new barrel, it's the opposite. Bourbon and rye whiskey are always required to be in new, charred oak, whether or not they are straight. Straight means they have been aged at least two years, contain only whiskey from one state and have no additives. So a bourbon that isn't straight still has to be aged in new, charred oak. And of course, straight corn whiskey, like all corn whiskey, cannot be aged in new barrels.

The one place where the designation "straight" does tell you it's new, charred oak is for whiskeys made from a mash in which no grain composes more than 51%. In such cases, "straight" means new oak but the lack of "straight" could mean reused barrels.

And you're right that it means not blended. That is, straight as a term is the opposite of blended (at least blended with GNS), but has these other requirements as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to think straight meant not blended. Then I learned that it meant aged at least 2 years in NEW charred oak barrels, as well as, not blended. Now you're telling me that it can be straight without being in a new barrel? hmmm... ok. Thanks. :cool:

In simpler terms, by law (in the US), it cannot be BOURBON or RYE if it is not in new oak barrels. If it is not aged in new oak, then as sku correctly points out it will be simply "whiskey" as by definition there is no such thing as bourbon (or rye) aged in used barrels.

Now as for "finishing" in another barrel or with French Staves (like Maker's 46), I am less certain about the laws, but all (as far as I know) clearly state that what has been done to the bourbon.

Edit : A quick trip to the law website informs that if the spirit is "treated" with wood, that it must be clearly labeled as such.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a bottle of this the other day. I Think it's fairly decent, although, I like WT 101 rye and Bulleit rye better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After a couple of more pours, I need to amend my take on this. I think KC rye stands toe to toe with both the WT and Bulleit. I'll definitely be purchasing another bottle.:cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That didn't take long!! ;)

I put it in the "biting" ryes family, similar to WT.

On the other hand, the LDI's (Bulleit) are a thing all alone by themselves. I really like them, but a totally different animal.

I am very happy to see so many nice ryes making their way to market.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reckon any will finally make its way into the Volunteer State? Still looking for my first bottle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.