Beam Bourbons Part 2: Small Batch Collection

Sorry for the short break, but I'm back, it's Friday and I finally have time for a  tasting session.

Having started tasting the "Small Batch Collection" with the comparison of Basil Hayden's to its younger, OGD brethren, it is only natural to finish out the Small Batch Series. Unlike "single barrel," "small batch" is a term in the whiskey industry with no mutually agreed-upon definition. Operationally, it tends to mean a product produced in significantly smaller batches than the base level product (in this case "Jim Beam"). Also presumed (sometimes incorrectly) is the idea that these smaller batches allow the distiller to target a more specific profile through barrel selection favoring characteristics that might be otherwise obscured if they just mixed them all together.

The term and marketing idea itself was created by Booker Noe, then the master distiller at Jim Beam in 1987, and began with his namesake Booker's, a barrel-strength and unfiltered bourbon aged around 7 years. This was in the early days of premium bourbon offerings and was likely in response to offerings like Blanton's, the first single barrel bourbon, itself released in 1984. Since the release of Booker's, the Small Batch series has expanded and now includes:

• Booker's: aged 7 years, 120–129.2 proof (60–64.60% ABV)
• Baker's: aged 7 years, 107 proof (53.5% ABV)
• Basil Hayden's: aged 6-8 years, 80 proof (40% ABV); recently lost it's age statement.
• Knob Creek: aged 9 years, 100 proof (50% ABV), with a 9 year, 120 proof (60% ABV) single barrel expression.

As noted in the Basil Hayden's post, that bourbon uses the OGD mashbill of 27% rye, while Booker's, Baker's and Knob Creek all share a traditional high-corn mashbill with 15% rye (the same as Jim Beam). The latter 3 will be the subject of this review and will serve, I hope, to illustrate how important barrel selection and aging can be in imparting a flavor profile to bourbon. As I've said before, mashbill is important but I think we can get too hung up this one variable. These will be tasted in order of proof so as to avoid burning out my palate unfairly.

Knob Creek KSBW 9 years old, 50% ABV ($32/ 750mL)

Nose: Oak, vanilla, earth and citrus first, then noticeable cinnamon candy. No trace of acetone or other volatile aromas. Intense overall and here the earthy yeasty quality is well matched by the other aromas.

Palate: Medium bodied with noticeable alcohol on the attack despite the 9 years. The palate brings more earth, lots of oaky/vanilla flavors, cinnamon, cloves and small amounts of orange. A bit hotter than would be preferred for a 9 year 100 proofer.

Finish: The initial finish continues the palate quite pleasantly and is rather warming, but then trails off quickly, leaving a faint and less than ideal bitterness.

On Ice: Interestingly, this is one of they few bourbons that I have had that can not only stand up to ice but improves on the rocks. Perhaps this should not be surprising as I'm sure most of the KC made is drunk in this fashion. I find that ice fixes the hot palate immediately, and brings much more prominent vanilla and clove notes to the fore. Apparent sweetness also increases. The only part that suffers is the nose, which becomes predictably more muted.


84/100 (but a champion on ice will be my go to once temperatures dictate ice in my drinks this summer)

Baker's KSBW 7 years old, 53.5% ABV (~$40/ 750mL)

Nose: Notable for much less Beam yeastiness. Very prominent caramel here as well as oak, honey, cloves and a wisp of acetone. More of a dry attic/ furniture oak aroma here.

Palate: Thinner than the Knob, but apparently less hot despite the increased alcohol. The palate here is much more balanced with caramel, toasted bread, and popcorn along with caramel, honey and vanilla. Very well balanced.

Finish: The finish is more focused on vanilla, has less of the bitterness I found in the Knob and fades gradually and more cleanly, leaving a note of apples.


Overall I like this one, and find it far more refined and pleasant to drink neat than the KC. It is on the generic side, but it is clear that this batch was selected from barrels than show an impressive degree of balance, versus the more raw intensity of the Knob Creek. This, as has been said elsewhere, seems a good crossover for brandy drinkers and I am now sad I missed the PA closeout sale of this ($25). For the full list price, though, it is a bit generic: it has no real flaws, but has little of special interest. I like the departure from the Beam house style into something more elegant, though.


87/100

Booker's KSBW 6-8 years old, 63.7% ABV, ($50)

Nose: Much more intense; round. Lots of earth, lots of vanilla. Seriously lots of vanilla. Otherwise more similar to the Knob than the Baker's, but I can't overstress how powerful the vanilla is here.

Palate: Good Christ. This is anesthetic at full proof, and while vanilla, oak and toast flavors arrive, they are fleeting and lost in the alcohol.

Finish: Alcohol and maybe some apples. Really just feels like GERD.

So, this is not really pleasant at full proof, as I think tends to be the case with most barrel strength American whiskies that reach into the 120s. Some bottles of Stagg are an exception; this is not. However, while I rarely enjoy a mouthful of alcohol like this, I do favor high proof bottles for the reason that you can taste them undiluted, and then make your own decision about how much water to add. And so:

Watered to 107 proof and rested for 5 min:

The nose remains very pleasant, with the vanilla toned down a bit and a bit more nuttiness coming forward along with some honey and citrus. Smells more like dessert than a bottle of vanilla extract and is really rather nice. The palate is really much improved as well and is very different from the Baker's despite similar age and proof. This is much more forward, still hotter, but sweeter and more focused on desert-like flavors than spices or oak. The finish too is more manageable and fades into apples, vanilla and a cooling sensation that I usually associate with good distillation.

87/100

Tasting these together, as I had hoped, has been an interesting exercise in the effect of barrel selection and (maybe) aging on flavor, considering they all enter barrels as basically identical spirits. The Knob Creek seems like it was designed to be iced, and in this capacity I will likely see it again this summer; even with the extra 2 years in oak factored in, this seems a very different bourbon from the other two.

The Booker's and Baker's comparison at 107 I think is the most illustrative: they are totally different. Baker's has a much more refined and balanced profile, though maybe to the point of boring, while the Booker's is much more aggressive if rough.

Overall these are all well-made and pleasant bourbons, but other than waiting for a sale to buy some Knob to drink in the rocks on my roof deck this summer, I probably won't buy these again. I like the other 2, but I just don't think they represent a good value at the prices for which I usually see them listed. The Booker's and Baker's are about equal to each other in price per proof, but the former is too rough and too much a vanilla bomb, while the latter lacks interest. There is just too much good competition for these to move me to spend $40-50. At a 15-20% discount, however, I might be swayed.

Beam Bourbons Part 1: Old Grand-Dad versus Basil Hayden Bourbon Review

You down with OGD?

Having flirted with outlandish spirits for a while there, I am firmly back in the US with a 2-part series on the bourbons made at Jim Beam's Cleremont distillery. Beam currently utilizes 2 bourbon mashbills, one with a traditional 15% rye and another, 27% high-rye version. The latter serves as the base of the venerable Old Grand-Dad series of bourbons as well as the more up-market, "small-batch series" Basil Hayden (which was OGD's name, by the way).

Basil Hayden, Sr. himself was a prominent Maryland Catholic who led a mini-Exodus to Nelson County Kentucky in 1785 and promptly established the first Catholic church in Kentucky. Like the similarly famous Elijah Craig, this religuous man was also a distiller, and one known to favor a higher proportion of rye in his whiskey. His grandson, Raymond B. Hayden founded a distillery in Nelson County, Kentucky  in 1840 and named it in honor of his "Old Grand-Dad." The distillery would change hands a number of times over the years: in 1899 it was sold to the Wathen family, who would later form the National Distiller's Group. An interesting note is that this group was one of the few able to continue production through prohibition, producing OGD as "medicinal whiskey." I've yet to prescribe whiskey myself, but I'm sure there is an indication somewhere... Anyway, in 1987 ND sold the brand to Fortune Brands that would become Beam Inc. (NB to the dusty hunter: if it says "Cleremont" on the label it's Beam, if it only says "Frankfort," then you've found an ND dusty... or so I'm told, I've never had any luck in this regard.) If you like this sort of history, be sure to check out Mike Veach's new book, where (along with wikipedia and straighbourbon) I so far have gotten the info for this blog.

Fast-forwarding to today, the market for American whiskey is currently exploding, as I'm sure you are all aware. This piece in the Washington Post noted that Basil Hayden is the fastest growing in Beam's portfolio, having grown 35% in 2012. I rarely hear people talking about it so it is hard to know what to make of this. However, I also find it notable that as part of its growth, they have dropped the 8 year-old age statement. Beam high-rye mashbill and NAS? Sounds like Old Grand-Dad to me. Not that there is anything wrong with OGD, I find the 114 one of the best values in bourbon: near-barrel proof, high rye and $20 on sale. However if all you are going to do is water this stuff down and put a fancy label on it for $40, I begin to wonder. No one is confirming that NAS Basil is exactly that, but I've my own suspicions.

As a preliminary survey of the differences between the current Beam high-rye expressions, I picked up a few minis of OGB (86 and BIB) to taste against the mini of BH I got as part of a "small batch" sampler (we'll be seeing the others in the next post). Of note, I did not have any OGD 114 handy at the time of the review; nor did I have the new NAS BH or the new, 80 proof OGD. Can't say I'm really excited about the latter two in any case. But on to these guys:

Basil Hayden's KSBW 40%ABV 8 Years Old ($38)

Nose: Wood heavy with worshop and hot-attic notes. Earthy Beam yeast is definitely here, as are rye and spice notes, especially cloves. Also notable is orange zest, leading to a pomander-like smell with the spices. More faintly chocolate and butter. A bit woody, but a nice nose

Palate: Very spicy attack with ginger, cinnamon and cloves, distinct rye as well as oranges. The mouthfeel is very thin and among the driest bourbons I've tried. Wood and yeast here as well. Interesting but also very hot and "angular."

Finish: The finish echoes the palate, trailing into spices and butter. Very clean and relatively brief.

Overall this is a nice high-rye bourbon. I think that the wood predominates a bit much and it is a little lean and dry for my palate, as well as a bit thin, likely due to the low proof. It's a nice enough drink, but I think the price is higher than Bulleit and Four Roses, high-rye competitors that I find superior. 85/100

Old Grand-Dad KSBW 43%ABV ($16)

Nose: Similar, but less intense that the BH with wood notes essentially absent. Caramel here that is not present in the BH. Less yeasty as well but overall a more corny/generic bourbon nose than the BH. It's pretty faint.

Palate: Somewhat weightier than the BH, similar heat. Sweeter and more rounded, but also more simple. Oranges and spice are still here as well as a faint mustard note. Corn/popcorn notes here as well. Simple.

Finish: The finish is warm and sweeter than the BH.

Overall this is a simple, serviceable bourbon that shares an obviously similar flavor profile to the BH, but with overall less intensity and interest. Not really interesting enough to drink straight and I'm not sure it wouldn't get lost in a cocktail. 82/100

Old Grand-Dad KSBW Bottled-in-Bond 50%ABV ($20)

Nose: The nose is similar to the 86 with more oranges, orange blossoms, more spice and definitely more earth/yeast (almost knob creek level). Still little wood.

Palate: A big payoff here. After a barely improved nose vs. the 86, the palate has very good weight with balanced sweetness, butter, caramel, and loads of rye/spice notes. The only detractor here is a very high level again of the (to some people off-putting) Beam yeast notes. Notably not much hotter subjectively than the 86

Finish: The finish is warm and sweeter than the BH, as with the 86.

Overall this is very well made bourbon, a great representation of the high-rye syle and really a bargain at $20. It still lacks some of the complexity of the BH but it makes up for this with power and more balanced sweetness. I think it's a dead heat between this and the Basil Hayden. 85/100

Summary
So, I have to say that I expected things to go about like this. The BH is certainly the most complex, but I don't know that it makes it any more pleasant. It certainly does not make it, to my palate, worth a 100% premium over the OGD BIB and there is absolutely no way it is worth 2 bottles of the 114. All of that said, this should really read as praise for the underpriced and over-delivering OGD 100 and 114 than as a criticism of the Basil Hayden's.
 

Knob Creek Rye Review

Continuing the rye theme is this guy, who was on sale at the state store on the walk home from work. Knob Creek Rye is a 100 proof offering distilled at Jim Beam, carrying no age statement. Beam Global is the subject of lots of complaining over the past few days about the decision to decrease the proof of Maker's Mark (who they recently acquired) from 90 to 84. I never drink it anyway, so I don't really care. This will be the Jack Daniel's story all over again, and I expect that, like JD, MM will have no problem selling whiskey to brand loyalists (as opposed to enthusiasts). Every Weller product is a superior wheater in my opinion  as is Larceny from Heaven Hill.

Anyway, this post is about KCR. As opposed to Knob Creek bourbon (which is around 75% corn, 15 % rye, a mashbill shared with Jim Beam, Booker's, and Baker's), this stuff is at least 51% rye (by law as discussed in my previous post). This is reportedly the same mashbill as Jim Beam Rye, the ill-fated Ri(1) and the stalwart Old Overholt, which just lost its age statement (it was 4 years). There must be significant barrel selection and/or age differences at play: I can't get anywhere near Beam Rye, but I still have a fondness for the OO in an old-fashioned. I've not had the new, younger stuff, but the OO I'm used to seems more tannic and older than the Beam Rye. I had Ri(1) a long time ago and ended up giving it away.

This, however, is a different story. I don't know that I would have blindly identified it as a rye, rather than a high-rye bourbon. This makes me think that it is somewhere near the 51% minimum rye in the mash. When first opened, it begins with a nose very similar to  Knob Creek bourbon, Booker's and Baker's, essentially betraying the Beam yeast, though in this application it is not at all unpleasant. As the glass airs out, candied ginger, honeysuckle and spices come through, suggesting a rye after all. The nose is actually, once the yeast blows off, surprisingly similar to Sazerac 18. On the palate it is very round, especially in comparison to the unpleasant sharpness I find in LDI ryes. The palate shows corny sweetness, but this is balanced by firm rye spices that keep it from being a round, sweet mess. In this respect it is far more balanced that the KC bourbon (which tends toward to rounds, sweet mess end). It tastes certainly older than the Willett, maybe 7 years? The finish is very pleasantly drying and brings back the candied ginger again.

Not content to leave things alone, I hoped to create a vatting of 50:50 KCR and Willett Rye, hoping for a 75% rye to combine the best of both whiskeys. The thought was to combine the roundness and depth of the Knob with the more characteristic rye notes of the Willett. Unfortunately, I ended up with a nose full of Beam yeast and a hot palate full of grass... It was worth a try.

Overall, this is a very pleasant drink and is leading my list of inexpensive rye whiskeys. It is certainly more of a bourbon-drinker's rye, as the corn content seems rather high, but if you like bourbon, I think this is as fantastic as it is easy to find (around me it's everywhere). In some ways it tastes like what I wanted Basil Hayden's to be, an upgraded Old Grand-Dad (high-rye Beaminess but with more polish, rather than just more water).This one, unlike the Willett, will be drunk neat.

In coming posts, I hope to wrap up my current streak of rye whiskey with a review of Sazerac 6 (in the mail), maybe an investigation of the effects of air on high-end rye, and hopefully a visit to the nearby Mountain Laurel Distillery, maker's of Dad's Hat Rye. I'm also happy to take suggestions in the comments below.