Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye Review
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
(Credit: Beam Suntory)
Hybrids, or blends of two or more types of whiskeys, have been an interesting and rewarding niche ever since Wild Turkey introduced their now defunct hybrid expression more than a decade ago. Wild Turkey Forgiven was supposedly based on a batching accident, became something of a fan favorite, and consisted of an approximately 3/4 bourbon, 1/4 rye blend. Utah’s High West has also had its noted hybrids, such as Bourye, while Virginia Distilling Company (VDCo) began by crafting hybrids of imported Scottish malts with their then young in-house malts. VDCo continues that practice with their limited edition Cask Selections.
Now Jim Beam has joined the hybrid party, using their Knob Creek brand to introduce Knob Creek Bourbon X Rye. That makes sense, given that Knob Creek is known for both its bourbon and rye. Beam chose to buck the Wild Turkey model and go with a rye-forward blend of 70% rye whiskey and 30% bourbon, and in both cases they are using the literal standards for the brand: nine year old bourbon, same as Knob Creek Small Batch; and seven year old rye, same as Knob Creek Rye. Given the balance, perhaps the order should be Rye X Bourbon, but regardless another feature of Knob Creek’s brand continues here: it’s ballsy, bottled at 113 proof.
The Whiskey
With such a rye-forward hybrid, I wasn’t surprised when my pour of Knob Creek Bourbon X Rye took a light amber coloring, since rye whiskey often leans out of amber and into copper and bronze. Where the weight of the blend sat appeared in the nose as well, as despite Beam’s rye whiskey being a Kentucky style “barely” rye (i.e. scarcely more than the required 51% rye content), it lead with its spicy aspect of cinnamon, clove and a vaguely herbal note, followed by brown sugar and vanilla, plus some dried cherries and orange zest.
The flavor flipped the script, leading with the sweet side of brown sugar and caramel. This was covered by a rising layer of spice which turns from baking spices to musty, woody and peppery by the time the sweetness is subsumed. The finish, however, jinks back to balance and runs like cinnamon toast.
Although this Knob Creek hybrid is not actually superior to either of its constituent expressions, it comes out quite different and equal in quality to either. For diehard Knob Creek or Jim Beam fans, it is a must-buy, just as trying to replicate the blend yourself is a must-try experiment.
The Price
Officially, this item is priced at $45. Because it’s Knob Creek, you will probably be able to snag it at or near that price too.
