I like Knob Creek 12yr quite a lot BECAUSE it isn't as sweet and reach for it when I don't want a sweet pour, but have never put it up against something else to compare. (Lucked into it at $60 at Target, of all places!) I know that 1924 has been hard to find since release, but I lucked into one at MSRP.... and was kinda, sorta disappointed. I expected more from 1924 because I LOVE the rest of the OF Whiskey Row series and it's supposed to be like an older Early Times or a younger King of Kentucky; it's fine, but over-priced for what you get, and didn't live up to the hype. FOMO got the better of me, for sure.
I’m not trashing you guys because I really enjoy your content. But a lot of times I think we have vastly different flavor profiles. This is probably one of those times. You can have all the Rare Breed and I’ll take all the Knob 12 - deal? 😊
Did a blind a couple of weeks ago with KC12, Four Roses SB, JD Bonded, OF1897 - KC12 won it followed by JD Bonded. KC12 is probably my favorite shelfer.
You nailed it on both bottles! They both lack a little bit more sweetness. 100 proof is my favorite and I like older bottles. I love KC12 but I agree with the lack of sweetness there. OF 1924 tested better for me as well, but I would not re-purchase again for the price point. I still have not found a balanced 10+year 100-proofer bottle that balances nuttiness and sweetness as well as I like.
Yeah where is the Sweetness on the 1924? The problem with this pour is the mash bill is not the traditional Old Forester mash bill but the Early Times Black cap Mash bill. Being from the same "Whiskey Row" Series, I am disappointed that they didn't use their own juice. and for 120 (199 here in NY if you can find it), it's an easy pass for me.
There's a story behind why they didn't use the regular OF mashbill. Something like how in 1924 during prohibition OF became the only distillery that could sell their whiskey for medicinal purposes, and this was the mashbill they used back then, and the 1924 was released because of the 100th anniversary of this occasion.
I enjoy your show very much but wow! I think you may have taken a giant crap at the Wonka Chocolate Factory before before sampling these. I appreciate the transparency but I just love KC12.
I wouldn't buy another 1924 at the $115-$120 price tag...it's just OK, nothing about it really impresses me. You can get an OF barrel strength rye (green label) for less than that, which blows the 1924 away.
Like you guys always say.. know thyself... there are times when KC12 hits SO good for me. But it all depends what mood I'm in. Oreo's or Nutter Butter cookies. Cheers!
Did ya check your glasses? You ever had leftover dish soap or just stank water from a wash, leftover on the glass that clouds the booze? Happens ALL the time. I stopped putting glasses in the dishwasher...KC12 freaking rules just sayin'
I'm a fan of OF and KC. I prefer the 1920 and the single barrel for KC. I had the 12 year and it was okay but the 120 proof is the better way to go. I won't get the 1924 just over priced. I can get other 10 year bottles for under 45. All day. I think these samples didn't do these bottles justices. Or like you said could have been a off day for you.
I think you had something earlier that messed up your taste buds for the day. I haven't tried 1924 but I have a KC12 and I've had it in restaurants and it's always very sweet to me.
We always sip a calibration pour before blinds and it was spot on. If we felt like our palates were off we wouldn’t have recorded. That said, sometimes things just don’t hit you right. Especially blind.
$45-50 is an amazing price. In other videos we’ve been far more favorable towards it (including one video where we were two thumbs up on it) but Jim Beam as a whole is very mood dependent for us.
Did guys take a covid test on this day? This tasting is wild! These are both very sweet pours for me. 1924 reminds me of melted brown sugar, and KC12 is like sugar baked oak. I love them both. However, on some days, 1924 does smell like nail polish remover.
You mentioned it, so I'm wondering if your pallets were off that day. I know it's obviously a personal taste thing, but Knob12 is and has always been an outstanding pour for me, and you can't beat the price of $70. Never had the Old Forester 1924 as it only goes for secondary out here in So Cal ($200 or more). I'm a big OF fan, so I really want to try it, but considering 1910 feeds my sweet tooth and 1920 covers the proof-hore that I am, I just can't justify the price tag for 1924. Keep up the great content
1924 is a hard pass. Lost every 100 proof blind I’ve done with it - unless the competition is $50 or less. OF trying to pull a fast one with that release.
After all your double blinds, would be interesting to see a video in which you each choose your best bottle that is regularly on the shelf under $30, under $60, and under $80. KC12 is definitely on my list as a solid but at $70, but it sounds like you two value it less.
We always grab something like Wild Turkey 101, Buffalo Trace, 1792 Small Batch, Bowman Brothers Small Batch, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond, or Jack Daniel’s 94 proof Single Barrel Select. All bottles we’re super familiar with profile-wise, so if they taste off, we know our palates are off that day and we don’t record. I’m almost sure it was 94 proof Jack Daniel’s SiB this specific day.
I have both of these in my collection. If booze sounds good later today (the thought of booze was disgusting yesterday and the day before, so I didn't drink any), I'll have pours of these and see if I get some of the same impressions. Knob Creek was my first bourbon, so maybe I imprinted on the Jim Beam flavor profile. I tend to like their stuff. I have to agree that Knob Creek store picks are the best; they are higher strength, and the greater concentration helps bring out some complexity. I find Knob Creek 12 to be harmonious and easy to drink, and Knob Creek 18 is messy but interesting. Knob Creek 12 is readily available where I live, and store picks turn up from time to time. I also tend to like the Old Forester flavor profile, and I have all five of the Whiskey Row series. I like 1924, but I think it is overpriced, so I probably wouldn't buy it again unless the price comes down. I don't think it is any better than my two favorites out of the others - 1920 and 1897. It's just a little different, and it is a mood pour for me.
Had the OF 1924 a week or so ago. It’s good, but I also thought it lacked the sweetness you’d expect to balance that age. Good but glad I didn’t pay 120 for the bottle.
I've felt the same about 1924 - it's just harsh, bitter oak, and not great. Over the past year I've run a couple 4 bottle blinds a week and the consistent outcome is that hyped/allocated bottles are not special. Expensive whiskey is also often just expensive with minimal added complexity/flavor. Many of the best bottles in my blinds are regular shelf releases and the one exception is Bombergers. That bottle scores very well for me because it suits my palate. Most people are obsessed with labels and even when they do a blind they are trying to identify the label (look at Brewzle content) and they rank according to what they think is the allocated bottle. In a double blind you start getting real results. Often those results are that hype bottles are only hype. This hobby is so driven by FOMO/HYPE/Marketing that it has almost turned me off it completely. The hunt for bottles has almost died for me and I used to hunt a few weekends a month. Nearly every expensive allocated bottle I've owned has flagged to easily findable whiskey in double blinds. The best whiskey on my shelf, in my opinion, is Russel Reserve Picks, Planter's (local brand) picks, Knob Creek 9 picks, Pikesville Rye, and Redwood Empire Cask Str/Bonded releases. The 4 highest rated bottles in my very large collection are Planters 100% Malted Rye Single Barrel, Planters Single Barrel, Bombergers 2023, and Redwood Empire Grizzly Beast. Those 4 bottles are better than Weller 12, Weller FP, Jack 10, Jack 12, Birthday Bourbon, OF 1924, Russels 13, and EHT Barrel Proof (2024). Other than Bombergers the other bottles are all around $75 and I can find them any day of the week.
Y’all know I’ve been with youse since like week one or two. The crazy thing is that the last year has seen me falling for a lot of Beam. While I can’t do KC9, I’ve always dug the picks (and I came up after the old ones). It is KC12 that I first started to get into, when they were hard-ish to get…than Baker’s…then the last three Booker’s batches…so concentrated…wish they were $20 cheaper like an ECBP. I got a KC18 at MSRP, and don’t regret it. I still fancy myself a Turkey/Elijah Craig guy, but will I ever see anything north of Rare Breed from Turkey in front of me? Four days b4 I meet you two at BFH, the 2nd thing I scheduled in KY (Peerless just fit to start the Monday), was the new Beam Generations tasting, and then Wilderness Trail the next day (my first fave love store pick…the wheater), but then the new bougie Russell’s immersion experience on Wednesday. Cya Friday after y’all cocktail and I see Kenny and Ryan. David
I'm pretty new to bourbon but I have noticed that the more oaky flavors usually means less sweetness and I usually prefer the sweeter stuff. The only outlier I found was a Yellowstone store pick that had a lot of woody flavors but the sweetness was also through the roof. I've never tasted anything else like it.
There’s a lot of great older bourbons out there that still pack a lot of sweetness. Unfortunately they’re usually ultra premium offerings and incredibly difficult to find.
All you can do is be true to what you are tasting on that given day and then reconciling that with cost. Love your shows, you guys are my top 5 on the Whiskey Tube!
This also points up how little correlation there can sometimes be between price and flavor or satisfaction, and thus what makes this channel so great. Thanks!
