Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 93 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 50% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $179.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2024-12-17 |
Knob Creek 18 Year 2024 Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review
Knob Creek 18 first hit the market in 2022 as the Beam-produced brand’s oldest-ever whiskey. At the time, the release wasn’t entirely unexpected. Over the prior few years, in addition to its standard 9-year expression, Knob Creek had rolled out both 12-year and 15-year bourbons; the 12-year expression subsequently became a permanent addition to the lineup. (It remains a personal favorite at the intersection of quality, price, and availability.)
Despite coming with a label that said KC001, that original 18 year release was initially marketed as a one-off, with Beam reps declining to say whether it would become a more permanent or annual release. (I inquired!) As I somewhat expected, we saw another 18-year release the following year (KC002).
And now, in 2024, we’re on to batch number 3 (KC003). Let’s see how this newest — and still oldest — Knob Creek tastes!
Knob Creek 18 Year Old Bourbon: Stats and Availability
Knob Creek 18 Year Old Bourbon carries a suggested retail price of about $180. Back in 2022, the first batch of this expression commanded markups on some retail shelves; that wasn’t terribly surprising, especially since producer Beam was noncommittal about future releases. Since then, I’ve seen those markups come down, and generally this is a fairly accessible bottle for close to (or within $20 of) MSRP. That helps it stand out from many other highly aged bourbons, which are often the American whiskeys most likely to be listed for well over the manufacturer’s suggested price.
Knob Creek 18 Year Old Bourbon Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
The early nose is as I remember the first two batches of Knob Creek 18: dusty, oak-forward, and rich in classic Beam nuttiness. I’ve heard that nut aroma compared to a lot of different things; roasted peanuts, peanut butter, roasted peanut skins, hazelnuts, even macadamia nuts. Whatever the case, it’s an early and lasting aroma with this bourbon, increasing in intensity over time.
Dark cherry and peach cobbler layer in just after the initial nuttiness; there’s plenty of fruit here, and at this proof point, it’s not quite as nuanced and multifaceted as some other small batch products from Beam, most notably Booker’s (cask strength) and Baker’s (107 proof). It’s not so much that this Knob Creek 18 is lacking. Rather, at 50 percent ABV, even those cooked/preserved fruits stay relatively light in the nostrils, standing a little apart from the oak elements instead of getting entangled with them.
And tucked just behind the nuts and cooked/preserved fruit comes that oak, beginning as burnt caramel and developing into lighter wood sugars. Sawdust, sour mash, and a bit of damp earthen floor come next. Eventually, after more than five minutes in the Glencairn, the nose is extraordinarily close to smelling like the bottom floor of a rackhouse.
Compared to my memory and initial notes on 2022’s Batch 001, this most recent bottling might boast a tad less intensity on the nose. While I jotted down “sticky figgy pudding” more than two years ago, here, the sweetness is closer to freshly baked snickerdoodle — enticing, to be sure, but not quite as fruity and decadent.
Taste
Wood reigns king on first taste, coupling barrel char and toasted oak sugar with pan caramel, brown sugar, and concentrated vanilla. It’s instantly satisfying (though not quite superlative), especially for those who like classic Kentucky bourbon notes, especially from Beam. Flavors become more complex with the second and third tastes, peanut butter developing alongside a little ripe banana and toasted sourdough. (It’s like an elevated take on the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.)
Light candied ginger and leather come next, spice pairing with tannins even as the early sweetness never seems to fade.
Starting at the midpalate, there’s a tiny bit of bitterness akin to gentian root. For some other 18 year old bourbons, that might lead to too much astringency. With Knob 18, there’s enough residual sweetness that a little bitterness is fully welcome.
The first time I tasted Knob Creek 18, I was impressed by the balance between oak and, well, everything else. The whiskey conveyed age — and plenty of it — without turning into dreaded wood soup or losing its other characteristics. (I’ve heard many a lower-proof, highly aged bourbon referred to as “oak flavored water.”) It’s a pitfall that, personally, I think Knob Creek 15 veered too close toward, even if it didn’t fall in outright.
Rest assured, this latest Knob 18 is not oak water. It’s predominantly sweet and oaky, but with enough character to speak beyond that flavor combo. And while I would certainly like to try this at higher proof, even at 100, there’s enough viscosity to convey depth and structure across the full palate.
Finish
The finish is a bit of a paradox: Lingering sweet caramel and vanilla remain, while unsweetened dark chocolate accentuates the collection of bitter flavors. It’s long and drying without getting terribly astringent, a common theme across batches of Knob Creek 18.
A quick disclaimer: palates change as much if not more than whiskey does from batch to batch. That said, to my recollection, on the finish, the first iteration of Knob Creek 18 stood a step or two ahead of Batch 003.
Knob Creek 18 Year Old Bourbon Rating
93/100
Recap
This latest batch of Knob Creek 18 Year Old Bourbon is a highly aged, tasty American whiskey that honors the brand’s classic profile. To my palate, it doesn’t quite hit some of the same highs as the first-ever 18 year old release in the lineup.
That said, I found those bottles actually improved after some time in a previously opened bottle. (While it can have vastly different impacts on different spirits, oxidation is real!) My hope is that Knob Creek 18 remains a semi-regular (it seems annual) release fans can find on shelves with some predictability. As 18-year-old bourbons go, that makes this Knob Creek somewhat special in its own right — and thankfully, the taste is quite good, too!
As of 2024, VinePair no longer participates in any affiliate programs. All links included in our content are as a convenience to our readers, not for earning commission — we receive no monetary value from them. Learn more about our tastings & review department here!
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