Bourbon

Knob Creek Blender’s Edition 01 Bourbon Whiskey

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Knob Creek Blender’s Edition 01
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

53% ABV
$42
Website
Knob Creek Blender’s Edition 01 Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Blender’s Edition 01 marks the first release in a new limited series dedicated to the craft behind every bottle of Knob Creek. Created by our Master Distiller and expert Blenders, this special release is hand-selected and meticulously blended to showcase their unique vision of bold, full-flavored bourbon.

Designed to unlock the sweeter side of the Knob Creek profile, Blender’s Edition 01 reveals rich layers of vanilla and indulgent confectionary notes, balanced by the signature depth and character you expect. It’s a rare opportunity to experience Knob Creek exactly as our Blenders intended – precise, expressive, and unapologetically bold.

TASTING NOTES
TASTE: Sweet confectionary notes and a full mouthfeel complimented by notes of vanilla bean
AROMA: Bold vanilla, slightly fruity with subtle caramel notes
COLOR: Amber Brown
FINISH: Velvety with soft vanilla and seasoned oak

What Gary Says

Nose: Vanilla, peanut brittle, caramel, rickhouse mustiness, leather and a hint of chocolate.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with bold vanilla, caramel, cherry, unroasted peanuts, oak, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Finish: Moderately long and damp with vanilla, honey and oak.
Comments: This is just a delightful dram! The vanilla notes are prominent, and this is definitely sweeter than your standard Knob Creek – but not cloyingly so. A really well balanced dram that showcases how variable individual barrels are (with this being a batch that represent one profile). This drinks nicely neat, but a few drops of water thickens the mouthfeel nicely, and amps the cinnamon with a bit of cocoa. This is absolutely a ‘Must Try’, and with every pass I lean more towards ‘Must Buy’ (although I do prefer my bourbon more on the sweeter side).

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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Blue Note Wheated Blend 101

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Blue Note Wheated Blend 101
Straight Bourbon Whiskey Unfiltered Small Batch

50.5% ABV
$45
Website
Blue Note Wheated Bourbon 101
We would like to thank B.R. Distilling Co and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Soft winter wheat takes the lead as Memphis heat pulls hidden nuance to the surface. Ripe peach, dark caramel, apricot, and cinnamon rise on the nose. The palate brings sticky toffee, pastry sweetness with a little grit, and hazelnut rolling into a honey-soaked finish. Smooth, but never timid—Blue Note Wheated carries true Southern swagger.

Nose: Caramel, apricot, peach, cinnamon
Body: Velvety, smooth
Taste: Toffee, pastries, hazelnut, sweet oak, graham cracker
Finish: Floral, honeysuckle, honey

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Product Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash Bill: 70% Corn, 21% Wheat 9% Malted Barley
Proof & Filtration: 101 proof, unfiltered
Availability: Select Markets, Crafted in Memphis

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel, peach filled pastry w/ cinnamon and vanilla cream frosting, bit of oak.
Palate: Rich mouthfeel, pastries w/ caramel drizzle, pecan praline, honey and cinnamon.
Finish: Moderate length w/ honey and floral notes.
Comments: Very nice! I appreciate the ABV as well as the unfiltered treatment. As a straight bourbon with no age statement, guaranteed to be 4 years old (sources say 5 years, which wouldn’t surprise me). Strong honey notes on this, which I enjoy. Their limited edition Honey Cask is one I keep an eye out for (definitely worth picking up!). A bit of water brings out honey glazed brioche on the nose, and thickens the mouthfeel further bringing out some subtle fruit notes.

Rating: Stands Out

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Old Forester 1924 10 Year Old

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Old Forester 1924 10 Year Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

50% ABV
$115
Website
Old Forester 1924 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

What the Distillery Says

The Whiskey Row Series’ 1924 10 – Year – Old is a limited annual release celebrating another milestone in Old Forester’s storied history.

During Prohibition, more than 200 distilleries were forced to close. Old Forester, however, continued operations because the federal government issued us one of six medicinal licenses, P-3. In 1924, Old Forester acquired barrels from closed distillers, with different mash bills, and bottled that liquid as Old Forester. This release commemorates that moment in time.

Aroma: Soft notes of fudge, cocoa, marzipan, and cured tobacco layered over hints of rich oak and warm cinnamon.
Taste: Chocolate covered graham cracker dusted with cinnamon.
Finish: Hints of spice and graham cracker crumbles.

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel, fudge, vanilla, walnuts, pipe tobacco, charred oak and a hint of leather.
Palate: Chocolate, vanilla, caramel, walnuts, cinnamon with a hint of cherries and oak.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with toffee and oak spices.
Comments: This drinks well neat but try a couple of drops of water – brings out a bit of citrus on the nose and palate, and also thickens the mouthfeel nicely (borderline creamy). 10 years is a solid age for bourbon in my humble opinion – definitely getting some oak notes but not approaching too much. My only objection on this one is the price. It isn’t insane by today’s standards, but at almost twice the price of Old Forester 1920 – definitely didn’t love it that much.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Gambit No. 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

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Gambit No. 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Wine, Apple Brandy, Sherry & Tokaji Casks

46% ABV
$70
Website
Gambit No. 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Foley Family Wines and Raptor Communications for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

THE DETAILS
ARE THE
DIFFERENCE
A rich and dry six-cask finished bourbon whiskey that reveals itself in layers of baking spices on the nose, and a balanced palate with hints of cacao, sweet tobacco, and a diverse blend of ripe fruit notes. Perfect sipped neat or in an Old Fashioned.

6-year Kentucky Bourbon
6 Distinct Cask Finishes

  • Sonoma Chardonnay
  • Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Apple Brandy
  • Oloroso Sherry
  • Muscatel
  • Tokaji

Why 6 Casks?
That’s the GAMBIT. Chip originally envisioned a double wine barrel-finished bourbon but found that adding four more barrel finishes added something unique to the blend in structure, palate, and finish.

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruity with pears, apricots, figs, vanilla, oak, bit of cocoa, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint and a hint of mandarin orange.
Palate: Dark chocolate covered cherries, toffee, red wine, red berry compote, cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla, brown sugar and pepper spice.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with citrus spice, cinnamon and honey.
Comments: Very interesting pour. The nose is bourbon with the fruit dial cranked up. On the palate the wine cask really stands out, enough so that the bourbon doesn’t stand out quite as much (not that it’s “not bourbon”, but harder to pin down). All that said, this is very enjoyable sipping neat, although a few drops of water doesn’t hurt it – bringing out more cocoa on the nose and taking the dark chocolate more towards milk chocolate (plus thickening the mouthfeel nicely).

Rating: Stands Out

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Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon Batch 444

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Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon
Batch 444

56.63% ABV
$150-300
Website
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon

What the Producer Says

Cigar Blend Bourbon
Bold, rich aromas of tobacco, spice, vanilla, fig, prunes, and dried fruit

Artfully blended to enjoy with a fine cigar. A combination of award-winning Joseph Magnus Bourbon and 11 and 18-year-old whiskeys to assume bold, rich aromas of tobacco, spice, leather, vanilla, blanched almonds, and toffee. The Armagnac cask finish lends fruity notes of fig, prune, and dried apricot.

TASTING NOTES:
Aurora Borealis Batches #437-446
The set of batches that hail from this particular coupe mere are inspired by a host of Scandinavian and other desserts hailing from Northern countries where the Aurora Borealis can be spotted. Dark red berry fruit notes of Hindbæsnitter (Danish raspberry squares), lingonberry jam over dark rye bread, and Våfflor (Swedish waffles) topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream prevail on the nose, while Cranashan, a famous Scottish dessert of toasted oatmeal, raspberries, toasted oats, cream, and heather blossom honey fills the palate. These berry-filled batches are sure to put stars in your eyes.

What Gary Says

Nose: Dark fruit, tobacco, oak, caramel, cherries, apples, fudge, mineral notes with a hint of cardamon and pipe smoke.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with caramel, fruitcake, cinnamon, toffee, blood orange, nutmeg and pepper.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with oak, mint, tobacco and honey.
Comments: This is a lovely dram, and quite fitting for a ‘cigar blend’. I love the tobacco and oak notes which definitely bring me to sitting with a pipe while sipping a fine bourbon. A bit of water brought notes of cheese danish on the nose, and tamped down the pepper on the palate, bringing out honey and peaches. Joseph Magnus batches can vary, and this one in particular has tasting notes shared in batch ranges. They’re not exactly easy to locate (had to thumb through prior months until finding the right range) but they do a great job of calling out the differences.

Rating: Must Try

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