Review #681 - Rowan's Creek Kentucky Bourbon
Willett produces a number of brands via both their own distillate and sourced whisky. Here's one that's distilled, aged, and bottled at the distillery: Rowan's Creek, a Kentucky straight bourbon. It takes its name from a creek that runs through the distillery, which is located in Bardstown.
Rowan's Creek bourbon is made using a mashbill of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% malted barley; it shares that mashbill with a number of other products: Noah's Mill and Old Bardstown use it exclusively, while it's a component in the blended batches of Pure Kentucky, Kentucky Vintage, and Johnny Drum. This bourbon enters the barrel at a proof of 125, and after an undisclosed amount of aging time, water is added, and it's bottled at 50.05% ABV (100.1 proof).
Rowan's Creek Kentucky Bourbon
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 50 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 50.05% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 3 years; bottles at 50% and 100% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Somewhat mellow and refined, with a bit of a musty or musky floral perfume note to start. Vanilla and brown sugar bring baking notes, followed by darker sweetness like molasses and some cardamom; oak is mild at first, but it brings dusty leather notes.
Palate: More oak to start the palate - a bit drying, mild astringency. There's more musty leather and a bit of a licorice bitterness; brown sugar, maple syrup, and a hint of caramel bring balance. The mouthfeel has a medium thickness, and it's a relatively straightforward, but classic, profile.
Finish: Somewhat dry with plenty of wood notes like dark oak and a bit of perfume. Hints of licorice, grain, and dark cherry are found at times; time mellows it all out. The finish has a medium length.
Final Note: This is a decent bourbon from Willett - it has a nicely developed oak profile despite the lack of an age statement, and while the strength isn't high enough to deliver tons of complexity or punchiness, it is high enough that the flavors have a nice strength. While the oak influence was more reserved on the nose, it became quite strong in the palate and finish, especially when adding that licorice spice note.
Value is decent, as this release is generally reasonably priced around $50. This bottle used to be a little harder to find during the peak of the bourbon craze, but for the last few years, it seems that production has caught up, and this is now much more available at the suggested price.
Our Average Rating: 6.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.06
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
