Boys of Bourbon » Matt

Knob Creek | Rating 90

Matt — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:40:07 +0000

Knob Creek…one good whiskey. I had it with water and I must say that it is better served straight on the rocks. The water masked the full flavor of the whiskey and it tasted flat. Knob is a smooth enough whiskey not to have to mix it with anything to take off the edge.   This brings me to a important factor in drinking whiskey: the mix. It is  crucial that you have an experienced and knowledgeable bartender to mix a fine whiskey with anything. If the mixture is correct the full flavor will brought out in the drink. On the other hand, if you have a bartender who commonly mixes other drinks with the sole purpose of seeing how much liquor can be added to a mixture, the whiskey will turn out all wrong and the experience of a good high end whiskey will have been ruined due to the inexperience of the bartender.

I believe that was a major part of the problem with my Knob and water yesterday evening.   Even with the wrong mixtures, Knob is still a very fine whiskey and I would recommend it to anyone looking to expand there whiskey experiences beyond the Jim, Jack and SoCo standards. It is a step up in quality so be prepared to take a step up in price both in the bar and at the store. The extra coin is well worth it in my opinion.   On this particular evening I was enjoying a Knob and water when the  atmosphere was suddenly picked up by a couple of older gentlemen who came driving up to the bar; one was driving a completely refurbished 1962 Corvette and the other a restored 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk with a rebuilt engine that would make the old Chevy 454 cry like a baby. If the Knob and water wasn’t enough, the addition of two classic automobiles to the scene at the bar was enough to make the evening a success in my book. Its not everyday that you get to enjoy a fine whiskey while checking out two classic cars.  Turns out the two older gentlemen were also quite the comedians and kept the bar going for quite some time with their material. I feel obligated to share one of the jokes with you at this time.

Older Gentleman #1: Have you ever heard of a carnival woman?

Older Gentleman #2: No, what is that. *As he wipes off his face* The kind of woman who sits on your face so you can guess her weight.

While the Knob and water was not the best I had ever had, the rest of the  evening made up for it and all is well that goes down as smooth. It if is whiskey too, all the better. I give Knob Creek a 90 on a 100 point scale. It is a must have in my regular rotation.

FYI: 100 Proof

Knob Creek | Rating 90

Matt — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:40:07 +0000

Older Gentleman #1: Have you ever heard of a carnival woman?

Older Gentleman #2: No, what is that. *As he wipes off his face* The kind of woman who sits on your face so you can guess her weight.

FYI: 100 Proof

Phillips Union | Rating 40

Matt — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:30:57 +0000

It states on the bottle that its a blend of Canadian whiskey and Kentucky bourbon. That’s the biggest load of fickle matter I’ve ever heard. They should have labeled it a woman’s whiskey that captures the perfect blend of Malibu rum and (insert a flavored vodka here). It was like I was drinking a white Russian all night long. Needless to say I was very disappointed in it. It does however go very well with coke as it has a very vanilla/hazelnut taste to it. It goes down very smooth. A good selection if you are wanting to break-in the old lady on the art of whiskey drinking, but never would I be caught dead with a bottle of this in my hands around the boys. Not a huge dent in the pocket book as it only cost $18. Like I said its a woman’s whiskey. I like women and whiskey all the same but never at the same time, only one after the other.

Like I said its a woman’s whiskey. I like women and whiskey all the same but never at the same time, only one after the other.

Preferably the whiskey then the woman because then you would be getting lucky at the end of the night, but I’m sure we’ve all been there where a fifth of whiskey was needed to remove any memory of the woman that came before the bottle or had a figure that looked like the bottle.

Rating: I give Phillips Union whiskey a 40 on a scale of 100. Its in that category of “Only drink it if its free or if it will get  you laid, anytime else is just not worth it.”

Phillips Union | Rating 40

Matt — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:30:57 +0000

Like I said its a woman’s whiskey. I like women and whiskey all the same but never at the same time, only one after the other.

Rating: I give Phillips Union whiskey a 40 on a scale of 100. Its in that category of “Only drink it if its free or if it will get  you laid, anytime else is just not worth it.”

Jack Daniel’s No. 7 | Rating 82

Matt — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:58:13 +0000

I’ll admit up front that I am partial to the Jack Daniel’s line of whiskeys, especially the black label. It was the whiskey that I cut my whiskey drinking teeth on. I love the fact that it is somewhere in the middle of the road as far as not being too sweet and not being too dry for my taste. It can be mixed with jut about anything and it still tastes good. Plus it drinks really well by itself. Its my utility infield if you will. It can adapt to just about any situation–on the rocks, or with water in a formal setting, or mixed with coke or sweet and sour mix at a backyard BBQ. not many other whiskeys can do that.
The Taste: As mentioned earlier its a middle of the spectrum taste wit ha slight lean towards the dry side. It doesn’t have the sting that other whiskeys have which I like.
The Bottle: What can you say, it might be the most recognizable liquor bottle ever. The No. 7 label is like none other. Or should I say the others are nothing like the old No. 7. Its an American icon. Enough said. The Price: Its in a good price range. $30-$40 at the store and a reasonable price at the bar. Not too cheap that its a regular on the 25 cent night circuit and not too expensive that it blows the budget with a couple of rounds.
The Hangover: Its a high enough end whiskey that the hangovers are usually mild. When dealing with a dark liquor its key in the hangover department to find something that’s not going to beat you to death the next morning. I’ve drank the better part of a 750 ml in a relatively short time period and woke up the next morning feeling like one million dollars.
Overall: I give Jack Daniel’s Black Label two thumbs up. The taste is good, it has a coolness factor like no other whiskey and its a quality affordable selection that doesn’t stay with you the next morning. Its one of my favorites.

Jack Daniel's No. 7 | Rating 82

Matt — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:58:13 +0000