Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Age: 8 years
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Region: Clermont, Kentucky
Knob Creek 9 is one of the most readily available and consistently delicious bottles of bourbon whiskey on the market. Last year, to celebrate 30 years of Knob Creek, James B. Beam Distilling released an expression aged exactly twice as long as the standard expression. The limited edition Knob Creek 18 was an instant hit among enthusiasts and didn’t last long in stores. This fall, Beam brought back the Knob Creek 18 for another round to rejoin the 9 and 12-year expressions. But is older actually better in this case? Find out below.
Tasting notes
On the nose, Knob Creek 18 offers aromas of maple syrup, worn leather, pipe tobacco and butterscotch. Once sipped, the flavor of maple syrup remains prominent along with notes of brown sugar, dates, and dried fig. It’s noticeably tannic and drying around the mid palate and offers a quick burst of baking spice before rounding out with a lingering finish with notes of tobacco, vanilla, and damp oak. This is a tasty, balanced, but unmistakably a heavily aged bourbon.
Final thoughts
18 years is a long time to age a bourbon, and Knob Creek 18 tastes very aged. The influence of the barrel presents is prominent in the flavor notes of sweet tobacco, leather and dried fruit. The notes of maple syrup and dried fruit offer enough sweetness to balance things out.
I thought last year’s batch was outstanding and there isn’t any clearly discernible difference between that bottle and this year’s release. For anyone who is interested in an older Knob Creek expression, but might be sensitive to the woody flavors that come along with an old bourbon like this, I recommend opting for the more affordable and readily available Knob Creek 12.
For those who don’t mind a lot of age on their bourbon, you’re going to love the Knob Creek 18. I have my fingers crossed that someone at Beam will decide to release next year’s KC18 at 120 proof like the brand’s single barrel offerings, but I’m not holding my breath.
