Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye Quick Review

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My reviews tend to be long-winded and detailed. I know that many readers don’t have the time or patience to read them all. This is why I have decided to create a “Quick Review” format. I’m not going to cover backstories, distilling methods or anything like that if I know I’ve covered it in a previous review of a similar bottle. You’ll find that a lot of these quick reviews will be based on single barrel picks because their backstory is usually the same with the exception of the group that picked them.

Introduction

Sometimes a new type of whiskey comes along that was the result of careful planning and maturation. Other times new whiskies happen in lab where blenders start mixing various barrels together until something clicks. This is probably how the first bouryes were created (a blend of bourbon and rye whiskey). While some enthusiasts might think of these as two distinct categories of whiskey that should be kept separate, the truth is that each of them bring something to the table that the other typically lacks.

2024 was the year that Jim Beam brought two bouryes to the market. The first one was Little Book Chapter 8 which placed very high on my 2024 Top 10 Most Memorable list. The second was the bottle you see before you today – Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye. But can this Knob Creek match the greatness of Little Book? Was it even meant to?

Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye Blended Straight Whiskeys

This bottle is the epitome of a no-nonsense whiskey. There is no backstory that Beam is trying to shoehorn in to make it something it’s not. It says what it is on the label – which is a blend of 30% bourbon and 70% rye whiskey. It even lists the ages of each – the bourbon was aged for 9 years and the rye whiskey was aged for 7. These are the standard ages that the individual offerings are now aged to.

One thing to note is that Bourbon x Rye is bottled at 113 proof. This is slightly lower than either Knob Creek’s Single Barrel versions of bourbon and rye whiskies (120 and 115, respectively) but more than their standard offerings (100 proof). I’m not sure how they landed on this exact number, but I’m happy they didn’t settle at 100 proof. This makes the $50 price tag feel worth it.

I’d like to take a minute and express my appreciation for Jim Beam actually following the TTB’s labeling rules for this expression. Whenever a producer has a blend of multiple age-stated straight whiskies listed on the label, there’s a requirement to list the percentage of each component. Hardly any producer follows this rule and it’s never enforced. Some brands will follow it with one such example being MGP’s Remus Repeal Reserve line. Bardstown Bourbon Company is also a staunch follower. Lately Four Roses has even been forthcoming with percentages for their Limited Edition Small Batch series; albeit on their website instead of their label.

Anyway, I’ve grown to appreciate Jim Beam’s barely-legal rye whiskey recipe over the past couple years, so let’s see if it can add an extra kick to their bourbon. As usual, I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Noes

Nose: The nose is somewhat simple with notes I’d expect from Knob Creek bourbon like caramel, corn bread, and some baking spices. The nuttiness is really dampened compared to other Beam products. The baking spices (with cinnamon shining through the most) mix with a few non-descript herbal scents. The one thing I find most lacking are fruit scents on the nose. Bummer.

Palate: For 113 proof, this tastes surprisingly mild. Unfortunately, the proof doesn’t seem like it’s amplifying anything particularly well. I find cinnamon and black pepper to be the flavors that pop up first followed by a mint flavor (likely from the rye whiskey). Sweetness comes from caramel and a bit of light brown sugar. Typical Beam nuttiness is there, but blends itself into the background. Once again, I’m not finding much in the way of fruit except maybe a touch of citrus oil. Overall the palate is very competent but lacks any standout features.

Finish: Up to this point, every flavor and scent in this dram has been fairly modest. The finish is the last chance to spark something unique but alas, it doesn’t. I find notes of cinnamon rolls with vanilla icing and ground pepper for a little spice. There is very little oak and even less fruit. The entire experience at this point makes for an easy drinker but one that lacks much of an impact. 

Score: 7/10

After being absolutely blown away by Little Book Chapter 8, I’ll admit that this example kept me wanting more. I suppose I ruined it for myself by buying a bottle of Bourbon x Rye months after the most recent Little Book, but that was the way Jim Beam released them. It was like being served a salad after a big Porterhouse steak.

I was expecting the rye whiskey to do more of the heavy-lifting in a product like this. I’ve enjoyed many of the extra-aged Old Overholt rye whiskey releases that have come out over the past 4 years and was prepared for that same experience (with those extra fruit and licorice notes). Instead what I found was a whiskey that tasted mostly like a bourbon with some added black pepper and mint.

There’s nothing inherently wrong about Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye, but it’s not a whiskey that is going to change your life when you drink it. Since this is a limited-time release, Beam is probably waiting to see if it’s a hit before committing to future releases. Sadly, I don’t think they’re going to keep making it even though the value is excellent. There’s simply nothing that would encourage most enthusiasts to buy a bottle. Jim Beam has had an incredible string of releases in 2024, but Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye falls a little flat.