Knob Creek 10 Year Old Rye Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Jim Beam is almost making a point of taking the croakers who push the “bourbon shortage” narrative out back and smacking them in the face. First, they bucked the prevailing trend and put the age statement back on their flagship premium bourbon, Knob Creek. Then they introduced 12, 15 and 18 year old versions of Knob Creek, all in wider and more regular release than typically associated with annual limited editions. Now they have given the same treatment to Knob Creek Rye, adding a 10 year old expression.

I can already hear the croaking: “But 10 year old isn’t that old!” As anyone who follows the category knows, aged rye whiskey is now and has always been in shorter supply than similar bourbon. Going back to the early 2010s, a 10 year old rye whiskey was actually on the more mature side of things. If you don’t believe me, search up reviews on this website from that era: I’ve got the receipts to prove it. Knob Creek Rye is around 7 years old (it also picked up an age statement, after starting life without one), so 10 years is a clear step up in maturity.

In keeping with the Knob Creek style, this release is 100 proof. Like all but the most esoteric ryes coming from Jim Beam, this comes from their house stock of Kentucky style rye, made with scarcely more than 51% rye content in the mash, but exactly how much rye is used isn’t known for certain.

The Whiskey
The pour takes on a dull bronze look in the glass, while the nose has a theme of gingerbread meets black forest cake. On the one hand, there is a cookie spice blend with an extra helping of the ginger thrown in, leading the nutmeg and cinnamon. Along with that is a rich, earthy and bitter cocoa element.

Sipping on the whiskey develops the spice blend by giving it an herbal aspect while pulling back on the ginger. So, cookie spices plus spearmint and a touch of dill, this coupled to a current of vanilla and musty oak. It’s the cookie spices and musty oak that rolls over into what is a light touch of a finish, but one that lingers on despite being light.

I was undecided on whether to give this an A- or a B+ grade, and ultimately had to apply my conservative grading rule: when in doubt, counter my industry’s awful habit of inflating scores by taking the lower choice. Still, I also want to share the information that it was not just a B+, but a B+ cusping on A-. For the price, it really is a special rye.

The Price
Expect a bottle of Knob Creek 10 Year Old Rye to set your back by $70.