Knob Creek Rye Vs. Old Overholt Bonded Rye

I like this comparison because these are both value-bottles ($20-30), both from the Beam family, and both solid “Kentucky style” ryes in that the mash bill is only about 51% rye. To me they both taste like high-rye bourbons. But let’s see which one is the better value!

Old Overholt) Aged 4yrs, 100proof, $23
-The Nose is full of rye-bread, vanilla, and some baking spices with a slight sour note on the end.
-The Palate is flavorful and initially brown-sugar sweet that quickly moves into lots of baking spices (allspice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon), along with oak char, and some peanuts.
-The finish is medium in length with black-pepper spice, oak char, and a slightly bitter, slightly off-putting finale.
Overall this is a better-than-average rye that is made better by the very good price point!

Knob Creek) Blend of ages up to 9yrs. 100proof, $28
-The Nose is also rye-bread, but more oak, and some herbal notes. Vanilla and peanut shells also make an appearance.
-The Palate is a little oily with good full flavor that starts with sweet caramel and vanilla, and moves into more oak, baking spices, peanut shells, and a little bit of fruitiness (?cherry).
-The medium-long finish is slightly drying with vanilla sweetness, oak char, rye-spice, and tobacco.
Overall this is a very good rye at the price of a mixer bottle!

VERDICT) Fancy chose well today and she goes home with a strong victory! The Knob Creek Small Batch Rye is one of the best value-rye bottles out there! Old Overholt Rye is no slouch either (I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s actually the same mashbill, just a younger age), but it doesn’t quite match up to the KC.