Review: Rowan’s Creek Bourbon

Review: Rowan’s Creek Bourbon

Review: Rowan’s Creek Bourbon

Happened upon this bottle of Rowan’s Creek Bourbon at my local liquor store and was intrigued by the almost scrawled logo on the label and hand-numbered coding. Some thoughts on what’s inside.

At 100.1 proof, it’s a hot whiskey and needs a bit of water to bring out anything other than heavy alcoholic characteristics.

With water, it shines. It’s a classic bourbon, aged 12 years in charred oak, a deep bronze in color, and almost textbook in its flavor. Vanilla is hefty on the nose and the palate, with a touch of herbs on the finish and the slightest amount of bitterness, too. Not bad at all, and worth a try, especially if you can find a good deal. Shopping around I’m seeing it on sale for anywhere between $30 and $80 a bottle (but $50 here). I’d snap this up at $30, but shy away in favor of something like Knob Creek ($26) or Basil Hayden’s ($40) once you climb above those levels.

A- / $50 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Rowan's Creek Bourbon

USD50
9

Rating

9.0/10

A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.

3 Comments

  1. Vincent Morabito on July 15, 2021 at 8:41 pm

    Basil Hayden’s? Seriously? Not even in the same taste universe as Rowan’s Creek-which is fabulous. Not close in any way, shape, or form flavor wise.

    • Christopher Null on July 16, 2021 at 9:32 am

      Probably a fair comment. In my defense that was written 13 years ago and a lot has changed since then.



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