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Knob Creek, part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection along with Baker’s, Booker’s, and Basil Hayden, expanded its lineup a few years ago with a trio of higher-age statement bourbons. The oldest of those, the 18-year-old expression, is back for another run, but you’ll have to act soon if you want to get your hands on this limited-edition bottle.
Jim Beam master distiller Booker Noe introduced Knob Creek in 1992, when he created the aforementioned Small Batch Collection. The core bourbon had its 9-year-old age statement removed for a time in 2016, much to its dedicated fans’ dismay, but it returned to the label in 2020. This is a solid value bourbon for that age, and it’s assertive enough to use in any whiskey cocktail, no matter what other ingredients you’re throwing into a mixing glass or shaker.
The James B. Beam Distilling Co. team, led by master distillers Fred and Freddie Noe, decided to add other age statements to the lineup over the past few years, including making 12-year-old bourbon a permanent expression, offering up limited-edition 15-year-old and 18-year-old bourbons, giving the core rye whiskey a 7-year-old core age statement, and introducing a 10-year-old version of that whiskey. While it bears repeating that age doesn’t always equal quality in whiskey, fans of the brand definitely appreciated the return of the 9-year age statement after its absence and the addition of these others to the family.
Knob Creek 18 was first released in 2022, so this is the third time this extra-aged bourbon has been on offer. Like other expressions from the brand, it’s bottled at 100 proof, which is well above the minimum 80 and a marker of what makes the brand stand out from others. Nearly two decades in a barrel is a long time for a Kentucky bourbon, given how the extreme shifts in temperature and humidity throughout the year affect the interaction between wood and whiskey. Many distillers prefer bourbon about half that age, which is, of course, how old the core bourbon is, but this release is worth trying nevertheless. There are indeed strong notes of oak and tannin on the palate, as one might expect, but there are also flavors such as vanilla, cinnamon, tobacco, leather, dried stone fruit, and a whiff of barrel char smoke on the palate to round it out.
The SRP for Knob Creek 18 is $175, and you can actually find it pretty close to that from websites like ReserveBar, which again makes this bourbon a pretty good deal considering its age. You can find the rest of the Knob Creek lineup, including the excellent new Bourbon x Rye blend, available to purchase as well.
