Long Time In The Making - Knob Creek 120
FIRE UP THE GRILL
World class chefs cooking up bodacious east meets west inspired BBQ and copious amounts of wine being poured is what I was expecting (at least the former was spot on). This was, after all, opening night of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. I expected swank digs with the elitist of Miami socialites attempting to rub elbows. This was, after all, going to be hosted at Turnberry Isle. But what it turned out to be was something far more laid-back, not like a Snoop Dogg laaaaid-back, but considering the scenario, I'd say the vibe was on point for something a bit smoother around the edges.
The food was JJ from good times... Dynamite! The chefs didn't disappoint. From a plate of grilled prawns & squid to a steamed bun filled with pancetta and arugula, they served an array of dishes that took you from a street cart to your backyard to the best table in the house and back again. The two dishes that truly exemplified their vision were the Polenta with a Sausage & Porcini Ragú and the Korean Barbecue Kurobuta Spare Ribs with a Kimchi Slaw. The polenta dish was an absolutely creamy, rich and jam-packed sensation of flavor with the polenta providing the brawny lush foundation while the sausage & porcini ragú added the perfect balance of texture and savoriness to compliment. The barbecue spare ribs ate like a symphony in the mouth. At first they tingles the palate with a sweet spiced rub which slowly transitioned into a tantalizing zing of subtle heat throughout. The meat was smoked through and perfectly crusted which sealed in the juicy locked-in goodness of the dish with the kimchi slaw providing the balanced acidity to the meaty richness.
The ambiance was chill. The people were aight, although I did get my 15 minutes of desperate, middle-aged, Northeastern-transplant debutante. I'm not knockin’ the hustle. She had all the right weaponry; designer fabrics, shows and accessories. (Sorry, had to do it.) When she locked onto me she jumped right into it. It was the typical rhetoric and discourse; "I live here", "I know so-and-so", "My trainer is gonna kill me". I gave her enough cord to let her slowly hang herself as I devoured platefuls of decadent eats. Then she finally came out of her crystal bubble and realized the wedding band promptly on display in my drinking hand. Her serenade quickly screeched to a halt. Vocal fry included she asked, "Oh, where's the wife tonight?" This conversation was over; which was fine by me ‘cause by now I was keenly focused on the content of the glass in said drinking hand. What was in it? Allow me to elaborate.
IN THE LAND OF LINCOLN
A name is only as powerful as its predecessors. When you hear the name Knob Creek you can think of it as a singular, but it's much more a part of a whole; a part of a generational lineage. When Booker Noe created his line of Knob Creek small batch bourbon over two centuries ago, it wasn't just an overnight fling. It wasn't some kind of anomaly occurring in the universe. This was years, lives, centuries in the making. It dates back to the 18th century, when a family by the name of Böhn, eventually changing it to the all-too-familiar surname of Beam, came to the United States as immigrants and started producing a style of whiskey which later came to be known as Bourbon.
You can't simply tell the story of Knob Creek without sharing these moments of the past because these moments formulated the vision and mission of Booker Noe for what Knob Creek was to become. You also have to touch on the story of prohibition in the early 1900s. After prohibition, the restart of many whiskey distilleries was impacted by financial difficulties which forced producers to age their whiskeys for less time and to be more resourceful with their blending and ingredients. In turn, this developed a pallet of the American consumer for a softer smoother whiskey.
Being from a family of bourbon whiskey master distillers (his mama was the daughter of Jim Beam after all) he felt there was a need to reach back into time to produce bourbon reminiscent of the pre-prohibition style. They use top-quality, high-charred, new American white oak barrels for bold flavor extraction from high sugars produced by the wood. The bourbon is bottled at an honest 100 proof or, in the case of the scrumptious Knob Creek 120 in my glass, to 120 proof. All their final blends are derived from 9 year-old small batches aged at their Clermont, KY location.
This drive to produce top-notch bourbon led Booker to be the first to introduce "super premium" bourbons as part of the Original Small Batch Bourbon Collection, which is still part of the family of Jim Beam bourbon whiskies today; along with other known brands such as Booker's & Baker's. ‘Til this day they are still winning awards and being recognized as some of the forerunners of the newly energized small batch bourbon craze running through the world of American intoxicants.
ONCE IT HITS THE LIPS
The first sip resonated like a gong in my head, and all was right in the universe. It was the perfect complement for the night's theme-driven eats; much better than the comparatively shitty complimentary wine being offered. This is rich small batch bourbon with all its sweet grainy/cereal delightfulness only to be pulled back down to earth like a tethered balloon by the high alcohol heat. It slowly reminds us that we are mere humans destined to be locked down to this burning mass of rock & water slowly drifting around in the infinite space. The aromas are brown sugar oatmeal with allspice and cinnamon. They invite you in for a taste of spicy cereal and rye grain giving way to caramel and toast. Even the color draws you in with its golden rusted amber hue.
There was no fault in my step; no hesitation in my decision when it came to my liquid accompaniment for this feast of flame-grilled delicacies. I got it right and so did Mr. Noe all those years back, and with that the story continues as the lineage lives on. With every sip I’m reminded of the beauty which small batch bourbon brings to the table. The years of a single family’s effort to produce high quality bourbon in a manner that redefined a style and continues to shape future generations of craftsmen and connoisseurs alike. I tip my glass to you and to all your forefathers who paved the way before you.
