Blind tasting throwdown
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 7:19 pmI like the new Russell's Reserve Single Barrel (at least this barrel) and the Knob Creek Single Barrel (at least this barrel). Both come out as high proof bourbons, KCSB is 9 years old and is bottled at 120 proof. The RRSB has no age statement (a guess would be around 8 years old, but that is just a guess on my part) and is 110 proof.
For this blind tasting I reduced both to about 85 proof. I tasted RRSB yesterday and reduced to the 80s proof to see if it still held the barrel flavors, which it did. Curious to see if KCSB does so and if it holds it own against the RRSB.
One of these is very slightly darker than the other. The nose on one of them (#1) is noticeably sweeter, with more vanilla and a maple shade. The other (#2) seems to have more leather and more organic/woody aromas, it is also has a stronger cast of perfume.
Both display excellent flavor retention to the taste and are more alike than I expected them to be based upon the noses. The sweetness is there in pretty equivalent amounts, although #1 has a bit more of the rye spice than #2 and a touch more fruitiness. #2 displays a bit more oak and is slightly drier than #1, but both are dry. They both have long finishes with the spice hanging on and on.
Each of them is distinct in its sweetness. When I taste #1 it has a more straight forward sweetness and I think I like it best. Then I taste #2 and think its slightly softer sweetness is better. Both give up some of the flavor intensity of their undiluted as bottled state. Still they retain enough of their boldness to be just what one wants when he/she does not want to be shocked by strong flavors.
As you might have guessed, #1 is the Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve and #2 is the Jim Beam Knob Creek. A major difference, in my opinion, is likely to be the degree of char in the barrels. And, the Knob Creek probably spent a little longer in the barrel (although I do not know that with any certainty).
For this blind tasting I reduced both to about 85 proof. I tasted RRSB yesterday and reduced to the 80s proof to see if it still held the barrel flavors, which it did. Curious to see if KCSB does so and if it holds it own against the RRSB.
One of these is very slightly darker than the other. The nose on one of them (#1) is noticeably sweeter, with more vanilla and a maple shade. The other (#2) seems to have more leather and more organic/woody aromas, it is also has a stronger cast of perfume.
Both display excellent flavor retention to the taste and are more alike than I expected them to be based upon the noses. The sweetness is there in pretty equivalent amounts, although #1 has a bit more of the rye spice than #2 and a touch more fruitiness. #2 displays a bit more oak and is slightly drier than #1, but both are dry. They both have long finishes with the spice hanging on and on.
Each of them is distinct in its sweetness. When I taste #1 it has a more straight forward sweetness and I think I like it best. Then I taste #2 and think its slightly softer sweetness is better. Both give up some of the flavor intensity of their undiluted as bottled state. Still they retain enough of their boldness to be just what one wants when he/she does not want to be shocked by strong flavors.
As you might have guessed, #1 is the Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve and #2 is the Jim Beam Knob Creek. A major difference, in my opinion, is likely to be the degree of char in the barrels. And, the Knob Creek probably spent a little longer in the barrel (although I do not know that with any certainty).