Review #426 - Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon (Batch 3, KC003)

In 2024, a third batch of Knob Creek's relatively new 18 Year bourbon was released, following two earlier batches in 2022 and 2023. They use a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley, so we should get some spice from the grain, though not an overwhelming amount. That said, there's also likely to be some tannic influence from such a long period in new white oak barrels.

Like the majority of their standard age-stated Knob Creek releases, Jim Beam bottles this 18 year bourbon at 100 proof. How will it fare in comparison to the earlier batches?

Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon (Batch 3, KC003)

USA - Bourbon

Price Paid: USD 160 (2024)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 160 (2024)

Age Statement: 18 Years

Strength: 50% ABV

Details: Batch KC003, bottled 2024

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 2 months; bottles at 100%, 90% (blind tasting), 80% (blind tasting), and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Dark and drying oak - oak is dominant. There's a bit of perfume and tobacco, little hints of dusty peanuts; brown sugar adds some sweetness later. Pleasant, if slightly simple.

Palate: A medium mouthfeel; more nutty now, and some baking spices: cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses, icing sugar. Oak is still pretty strong, adding tannins, and the overall profile is still dry; peanuts can be found in the background. After a long wait, subtle hints of cherry pop up.

Finish: Medium length, tannic, with barbecued oak - oak is the main flavor. There are soft undertones of butterscotch and vanilla, maybe hints of clove and nutmeg... a tiny bit of cola at the end.

Final Note: Not a bad whisky, but definitely disappointing considering our expectations of an 18 year bourbon from a heritage distillery, especially when the price point is taken into consideration. There was improvement in the glass after it rested for a very long time, but still not enough to bump up this score. The lack of texture and the length of the finish were the biggest issues, and this was more simple than the previous batch.

On the plus side, there is plenty of oak - if you like mature bourbons, this could be a solid pickup. That said, it's also expensive, and you can get plenty of oak like this for a much lower price with Knob Creek bottles like the 12 year. Value, then, isn't great.

Our Average Rating: 6.5 / 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: 4.79

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.