Review #425 - Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon (Batch 2, KC002)

After the first batch (KC001) of Jim Beam's Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon dropped in 2022, they followed it up in 2023 with a second batch - KC002. Still aged for a minimum of 18 years, and bottled at a strength of 50% ABV (100 proof), this Kentucky bourbon uses a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. In our books, that doesn't quite make this 'high-rye,' though it isn't too low, either - a bit of a middle ground.

Knob Creek is a brand known for giving us good age statements, often for a reasonable price compared to the rest of the market. Even the expressions younger than this, such as the 9 year and 12 year bourbons, are quite oak-forward... will this 18 year version walk the line between maturity and over-oaking?

Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon (Batch 2, KC002)

USA - Bourbon

Price Paid: USD 149 (2024)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 160 (2024)

Age Statement: 18 Years

Strength: 50% ABV

Details: Batch KC002, bottled 2023

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 6 times over 4 months; bottles at 100%, 90% (blind tasting), 80% (blind tasting), 70% (blind tasting), 60% (blind tasting), and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: The oak presence is strong, but not overwhelming - leathery and perfumed. Brown sugar, pecans, and peanut butter pie scents add a baking side, and there are little hints of red fruit like strawberries or dark cherry. Very nuanced - hints of balsamic, peanut, and dusty oak. Musty perfume notes grow stronger with time.

Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; a nice kick of leathery oak, but there's a decent amount of cherry and almonds here. Pecans, too, a nice mix of sweet and dry woody flavors; there are some sharper tannins from the oak, but also deeper tobacco, wood char, more wood smoke. In the background, we find hints of candied plum and perfume.

Finish: Oak continues to build in intensity - more tannins now, mild warmth from the proof. Leather still lingers, along with a bit of wood smoke; these are balanced by sweet grains, peanut butter, and caramel. In the aftertaste, we get bitter cherry, even cherry blossoms; it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: This is a very good bourbon. Of course, it's oak-forward, as expected with the age; that said, it isn't overwhelmingly tannic, and there are solid fruity notes and baked nut flavors that add some sweetness. The oak is nuanced, too, with those leather and perfume flavors - this was more subtle than we expected.

If we had to pinpoint an area for improvement, it would be the mouthfeel - 50% ABV is solid, but we would have liked a thicker, more chewy texture at this premium price point. A higher strength likely would have helped the length of the finish, too; the nose was great, but the palate and finish couldn't quite keep up.

Value is mediocre - this is an expensive bottle, and there are others around this price point that we've scored a bit higher. If you can get it around $150 to $160, close to the distillery's suggested retail price, it isn't a bad pickup; we wouldn't pay any more than that, though.

Our Average Rating: 7.6 / 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: 5.51

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.