Common Bourbons That Seem Less Popular Here

[Nick Danger]

I recently brought up this topic in the chat room, and I'd like to get more opinions.

Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek are fairly common bourbons (at least here in Chicago) but do not appear to have a lot of fans here.

Why is that so? I'm curious to hear from experienced bourbon drinkers. What is it about these brands that make them less interesting? Lack of complexity? Odd flavor notes? Too much hype? Something else?

Full disclosure: I'm a bourbon newbie and I haven't tried either one yet. Frankly, there are a lot of other bourbons that are well-regarded here which are higher up on my to-taste list.

I will say that the two sales guys I trust at my neighborhood Binny's have steered me away from both WR and KC. Given that they introduced me to ETL and FRSB, they seem to have pretty good taste.

Thanks for your guidance, bourbon gurus.

Nick

[black mamba]

I don't have either one in my cabinet. WR is good enough, but it's too expensive, and I just don't care for KC.

[Alden]

Nothing wrong with either, except that they are just a wee bit over hyped and over priced.

I'm a big fan of Woodford Reserve. I just wish it was about $10 cheaper.

Knob Creek has just a little too much oak in it for me.

[TheNovaMan]

I like KC alright. It's nice when you want a bourbon on the sweeter side. It's a bummer it's $36, though. I haven't tried WR in a critical manner, so I can't comment on that one.

[Clavius]

Knob Creek is great, imho. Woodford Reserve? Not so much...

[MyOldKyDram]

Yeah, I actually like the Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve quite a bit. It's syrupy goodness. Sure I wish it were a tad cheaper, but I could say that about most bourons in this price range.

Woodford is fine even if it's nothing I ever reach for, but could really use a lil extra ABV for my taste. I'll drink it at a bar happily if it's all they have.

[Yeti]

At this point I don't keep either of these on hand. Never cared much for WR. It's a perfectly fine drink, but not my style. I've always liked KC, and drink it at my father-in-law's house, or in some bars, but I purchase other bourbons for the house.

[omgmarclol]

i'm off and on with KC. i've had good experiences with bottles but then i'll get a bottle or a pour from a bottle that has too much bitter barrel char which is very off putting to me.

[Parkersback]

Nothing wrong with either, except that they are just a wee bit over hyped and over priced.

I'm a big fan of Woodford Reserve. I just wish it was about $10 cheaper.

Knob Creek has just a little too much oak in it for me.

Agreed. I'd probably buy WR more at a lower price. But it's pretty good. I really like the Double Oaked.

KC is good, but I like Baker's better. I always wonder if something like Baker's would get more love if it was not Beam.

[soad]

If KC were the price of VOB, it would get a lot more love.

[WAINWRIGHT]

Can't really add a whole lot to what's already been said and it basically boils down to price on both versus what's in the bottle.I enjoy KC and KCSB but there are others out there like OGD114 that I enjoy almost as much and at half the price and are consistently good,unlike the KCSB which was mentioned earlier in the thread.I have never had much love for WR and would take OF Signature over it any day of the week,once again at almost half the price of its co-part.

[camduncan]

I like em both, but can only get Woodford Reserve here in Australia, hence why I always grab a bottle of Knob Creek if I can when travelling.

[T Comp]

I think there are some factors beyond just the taste of KC and WR. First there is a culture to the forum that survives even with constant newcomers. Some of that culture was developed long ago from members who were employees of distilleries and had a solid presence here. Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace probably take the lead on that. Hard not to have a fondness for HH when one of them is the Bourbonian of the year or the likes of Ken Weber, Julian Van Winkle and Truman Cox putting up posts. Then there is the reality of the distilleries that seem to go out of there way for us enthusiasts here versus just the paying customer. Barrel buys, special tours or even just a recognition of SB's existence. Beam and Brown Forman could probably fight for last place on this too. I've only been around since 2008, of course I lurked for about 2 years before , but former Bourbonians of the Year and the Boss himself probably set tones that continue to be heard today also.

Me...I usually have a bottle of both open along with the other 50 :grin:.

[Danger]

WR is just fine. So is KC. Nice to have around.

Knob Creek Rye is fantastic, imo, if you're willing to pay for it. Maybe that's apples to oranges, though.

[Grain Belt]

Both are fine bourbons that get good consideration around here. Unfortunately my tongue is tied to my wallet and I tend to buy more Kirkland 103 proof 7 year old and Beam Black instead of KC. When I sip with my dad I break out the Old Forester 100 proofer.

[TheOakMonster]

Woodford Reserve smells and tastes like nail polish remover to me. Cannot even begin to choke the stuff down. But nonetheless, our store sells plenty of the stuff, so obviously other people feel differently about the profile (or maybe they enjoy drinking nail polish remover). I recently retasted Woodford after a year or so and my appraisal remains the same. At this point, Woodford is pretty much the last bourbon I'd ever buy--your results may vary.

[VAGentleman]

As you said your results may vary. I love Woodford and always have a bottle around. I like the Double Oak even better. A little pricey but love the oakiness of it

[BFerguson]

Like most everybody else they are good, well, KC more than WR in my taste.

I use to drink KC frequently, but that was more back when selection was limited. It was just a good go to product at the time. Now, it seems to be more of the go to for me if I'm going to be out eating. In a world where there are few great bourbon selections at the bar, KC is a pretty safe bet when ordering.

I'll add that you are very fortunate to live close to Binny's, where you have a selection that rivals most any store. Have fun trying your way through the selection, including these. You have to try it for yourself to know whether you like it or not.

B

Dreaming of my next Binny's trip..........

[Flyfish]

Yeah, I actually like the Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve quite a bit. It's syrupy goodness. Sure I wish it were a tad cheaper, but I could say that about most bourons in this price range.

Woodford is fine even if it's nothing I ever reach for, but could really use a lil extra ABV for my taste. I'll drink it at a bar happily if it's all they have.

[squire]

I like them both but don't have a slot for either. As long as I can get Forester Signature I don't need Woodford and Beam Black works fine as a representative of that brand. Frankly, both are overpriced for what they are which fact alone is sufficient to ignore them.

[Brisko]

I'm not a huge fan of Woodford. Like many here, I prefer Old Forester Signature. Knob is my go-to bar pour when selection is tight. Knob Creek Single Barrel, on the other hand, is almost always open in my house. I can usually find it for around $30 if I search, and I think it's a very good bourbon at any price.

[qman22]

I'm not a huge fan of Woodford, and I really don't drink much from B-F all together. I do enjoy KC and KCSB, but I usually look elsewhere due to price. If KC was $22-$26 I would keep a bottle on hand, here in PA it is $34.99. At that price, no thanks... If the Single Barrel version was cheaper here, say in the mid $30's I would buy more often as well. PA pricing is $41-$45, at that price, no thanks...

Anyone try any really good private barrels of KCSB? I have came across a couple decently priced ones and have thought about ordering, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

[bigtoys]

I like both KC & WR. even the WR double oaked. and some of the WR master's collection editions, too. Don't hesitate to order them out, esp

KC.

[weller_tex]

Standard KC is OK, but to me KCSB is fantastic stuff. WR is too expensive for what you get, IMO.

[sob0728]

You can usually get Woodford on sale somewhere in the Twin Cities for about $25. For that price, I think it is very nice and I have also found that people who are new to bourbon or not really bourbon drinkers at all enjoy it very much. It would make a great gift to someone you are trying to get into bourbon because it is pretty good and has a very nice looking bottle.