|
Now Viewing: Knob Creek
Combined together in different proportions, corn, rye and barley malt represent the unique bourbon mash bill recipe. All the grains are grown in America, carefully sampled and tested before they are unloaded to assure that they meet the brands’ stringent quality standards The grain is ground into meal and combined with Kentucky limestone water and setback, a portion of previously distilled mash added to each batch. The setback plays an integral role in the mashing process to ensure consistent quality and flavor. Once the grain, water and setback are mixed, it is heated. The temperature in the cookers is then lowered and ground barley malt is added. The malt converts grain starch into the sugars needed for the next step in the distillation process, fermentation. When Jacob Beam sold his first barrel of whiskey in 1795, he began a family legacy that continues today with Frederick “Fred” Booker Noe III , a seventh-generation Beam, and son of the late master distiller Frederick “Booker” Noe Jr. A proud family heritage, original recipes and centuries-old knowledge and craftsmanship, all combine to give Knob Creek® Bourbon and The Small Batch Bourbon Collection® their unique character and flavors. When mashing is complete, the sugar-laden mash is cooled to the appropriate temperature and pumped into fermentation vessels. Setback is added again in a step called topping off to maintain the highest quality consistency. Finally, select yeast, which has been cultivated continuously since Jim Beam himself isolated it after Prohibition, is added. The strain of yeast is unique and produces some of the special flavor components that characterize Knob Creek® Bourbon and the rest of The Small Batch Bourbon Collection®. Upon adding the yeast, natural fermentation begins. This typically takes three to five days converting the sugar to alcohol in an unhurried natural process. The end result is called distiller’s beer. The distiller’s beer is transferred into the first distillation column, which is appropriately called the beer still. The distiller’s beer enters the beer still and descends through perforated plates. Simultaneously, steam rises from the bottom of the still up through the plates, stripping alcohol from the beer, creating a vapor. The alcohol vapor leaves the top of the beer still and goes through a condenser that cools it into a colorless liquid called low wine. The low wine is delivered to the doubler, a second still where it is heated and converted again to a vapor that is collected and condensed. The product of this second distillation step, called doubling, is high wine or white dog. By law, high wine can be no more than 160 proof, or 80% alcohol by volume. Though it has a strong grainy flavor, it already has some of the aroma and flavor notes that characterize its specific brand. In the cistern room the high wine is reduced to 125 proof (or less depending on the product) with pure water. By law, bourbon must be aged in a new charred oak container (barrel) and cannot be entered into storage at higher than 125 proof. Barrels are filled with the crystal clear whiskey/high wine and are stored in rackhouses for aging. The temperature in the rackhouse cycles with the seasons, causing the bourbon to breathe in and out of the charred barrel. Each natural cycle in and out of the wood adds to the rich red-amber color and the distinctive taste and aroma of the bourbon. Knob Creek is aged for nine full years in 4-char barrels – the deepest possible char to allow the caramel notes in the wood to really shine through. A small batch bourbon is formed by the perfect blending of art and science. To a true connoisseur, the work and love that has gone into every bottle of a small batch bourbon is present in every sip. As the name suggests, small batch bourbon is made in limited quantities. Aged to nine years, small batch bourbons offer strong, rich flavors and aromas characteristic of pre-Prohibition whiskies. The complex balance of tastes and flavors is what makes them unique – the way bourbon was meant to be. In 1988, Booker Noe introduced his own signature bourbon, Booker’s® Bourbon. Inspired by a 20-year-old tradition, Booker’s Bourbon was first created as a holiday gift for Booker’s special friends. It was so well-received that Booker himself decided to make this formerly private stock available to bourbon lovers across the country. The debut of Booker’s revolutionized the bourbon industry and paved the way for small batch bourbons. The Small Batch Bourbon Collection®, Booker’s®, Baker’s®, Knob Creek® and Basil Hayden’s® is handcrafted in limited quantities using time-honored recipes. These special recipes, some dating back two centuries, help make each Small Batch Bourbon distinctively different. Carefully aged from six to nine years in new, charred American white oak barrels, each Small Batch Bourbon captures the rich flavor and heritage that is unique to Kentucky bourbon. Bourbon is a complex whiskey that engages your senses at every level. Some say that properly tasting bourbon is an art. And while everyone can – and should – enjoy it the way they want (neat, on- the-rocks, with a mixer), there are a few basic steps you can take to enhance your tasting experience whether you’re out with friends or simply enjoying some quiet time alone by the fire The first thing you will notice about bourbon whiskey is its rich, deep warm amber color. As a rule of thumb, the deeper and darker the color, the more complex and sophisticated the bourbon. Bourbon gets all of its color during the years it spends aging in new, charred oak barrels. No artificial colors are added. According to research, humans can detect more than 2,000 aromas. So properly nosing the bourbon will go a long way toward enhancing the overall tasting experience. There is an art to nosing bourbon: put your nose deeply into the glass and inhale with your lips parted. Keeping your mouth open a bit will involve the back of your pallet and help you enjoy the bourbon in a “three-dimensional” manner. It will also allow you to “preview” the bourbon before actually tasting it. Without a doubt (and quite obviously), the most enjoyable step in the tasting process is to actually taste the bourbon! The best way to do this is to put a bit on the tip of your tongue and roll it around — and up and down — inside your mouth. In short, try “chewing” the bourbon, before swallowing (we call this “the Kentucky Chew”). By involving your entire mouth in the tasting process, you’ll experience the many subtle flavors that the whiskey offers. Important to note: after tasting the bourbon straight or “neat,” Fred recommends adding a splash or two of distilled water to achieve your desired proof. This addition will help open up the bourbon, making it even more enjoyable. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Hand-bottled in limited quantity for superior taste and smoothness.
|
