I've had a bottle of Knob Creek Smoked Maple on my shelf for around two years. In my review, I found it to be very sweet with plenty of candy-like, artificial maple flavor but lacking any sort of smokiness or char. To put it plainly, I did not care for it. For this ill-advised Whiskey Frankenstein ( home whiskey blending ) experiment we will be combining Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon and Costco's Kirkland Islay Single Malt Scotch to try and make something that is actually smoke adjacent. Why the Kirkland? It's cheap, it's on my shelf, and I won't be sad to have used it when this turns out terrible. Vámonos! 🧪Preparation I will make three 60ml samples for a total of just under two shots of each whiskey consumed. We will give the best of the three an appropriately zany name. Samples & Ratios: A: 50/50 "Half and Half" B: 75/25 Majority Knob Smoked Maple C: 75/25 Majority Kirkland Islay Whiskies are measured using a 100ml lab-quality graduated cylin...
Produced (at the time of this bottling) by Heaven Hill in Bardstown Kentucky, Ezra Brooks is a brand owned by Lux Row which itself is a property of the Indiana overlords at Midwest Grain Products. There are 99 proof, 99 proof finished, rye, and seven-year versions of Ezra Brooks floating around. They have a robust private barrel program and also have put out a number of distiller select barrels to large retailers to get rid of excess inventory. Lux Row now produces the juice in house at their own Bardstown Facility. 🛒 Sourced: $41.99 - 750ml - World of Beverage Smyrna, GA - Discounted as the last few bottles of a store pick, normally $54. I see distiller's selects of this around the $60 mark, though some ABC state picks are around $35. March 2025 update - seeing distiller picks in the low $50s, they're trying to move these and not having much success. 🧪 Proof: 120 proof, 60% ABV - This is a great example of how "Cask Strength" is not a regulat...