Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon 30th Anniversary (2022 Release)

It’s great to see a bourbon line get expanded in the way Jim Beam has done with Knob Creek. The additions of the 12 and 15 year were fantastic (especially the 12) and I’m really excited for this one. It cost me a couple bucks, but the age statement and the quality of this one’s younger brothers, I have confidence in my purchase. Nose: Gala apple/apple pie. Brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Peanut brittle and toasted almond. Fudge, cocoa, and milk chocolate. Black tea and tobacco. Maple. Rye, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak spice. Red ginger. A touch of sawdust and baking soda. Palate: More of that peanut brittle and toasted almond. Gala apple. Heaps of brown sugar with some caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Dried apricot. Pumpkin spice. A peppermint/baking soda note. New couch leather. Carrot cake. Cocoa, black tea, pipe smoke. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black and white pepper, rye spice, dill pickle, and oak. Finish: Brown sugar, caramel, fudge, vanilla, milk chocolate, and toffee. Pipe smoke, cocoa, and black tea. Rye spice, red ginger, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Long finish. Very nice. This does the classic bourbon profile perfectly. Plenty of sweet, a healthy dose of dry fruit, barrel char and smoke to boot. And of course, a truck load or two of spice notes. It’s not overoaked, which is a concern for a lot of bourbons once you get into the teenage years. Instead, it’s got depth and sophistication, and does a beautiful job of encapsulating the finer elements of the Knob Creek line. This is really something. I’d say it measures up to the 12 and beats the 15 in terms of VFM. Which is impressive because it cost quadruple the former and almost double the latter. This was $200, which is exactly what I paid for the Elijah Craig 18. This is at a much higher proof, and matches the EC18 for quality. It’s amazing, and I’m really glad I managed to nab it. This was crafted to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Knob Creek, and I’d say this did a heck of a job honoring the line. 5/5.

Stephanie Moreno needs to retire or get checked fOR CTE. 83? Wtf is this womans problem? This is an insane rating for this.

Was good but wasnt very complex for an 18 year. Little baking spice that stays on the after taste. But a good oak front palette. Dont know if I would have in my collection for $170 a bottle. Realistically a $85-$100 bottle of bourbon. Couldn’t notice an OMG difference than the 9 year single barrel.

Nose is full of oak, cherry, caramel, vanilla, barrel char, dark chocolate, and baking spices. While that description doesn’t sound that thrilling, there’s a fantastic cohesion here with no one scent standing out above any other. Ethanol nearly non-existent. Oh wow. Palate features layer upon layer of soft sweet oak, along with creme brûlée, orange zest, nutmeg, French vanilla, and flan. Flavors are rich, decadent and well integrated. Once your tongue adjusts to the wood the other flavors really shine. Lengthy finish is a slow morph and features chocolate covered orange slices, cherry, the oak from the palate, charcoal, white pepper, and a hint of allspice. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium and dry as the Sahara desert. A masterclass example of what an ultra aged bourbon can be. While oak is the star AND the co-star, there’s enough of a supporting cast of flavors to keep you from feeling like you are chewing a tree. At the $225 I paid, this is stupid expensive but I don’t have any regrets as it offers a unique experience with the only other obvious comparison being Elijah Craig 18 and honestly, this is superior.

Nose: I like the nose, but there’s a little acetane in the back. Some sweetness. Palate: It’s not great. KC tastes like wet, fall leaves and not in a good way. This is a little less worse than that. Am I overreacting? Finish: It should be higher proof for the price, I think. Overall: I guess it’s a better version of KC, which is not a great whiskey in my opinion. It’s less nutty than most Beam products. I was hoping for $180 it’d be a can’t miss, however, this is one my biggest whiskey buy regrets.