Review #441 - Knob Creek 15 Year — Me, My Wife & Whisky

In 2020, Jim Beam released a new 15 year old bourbon product through their Knob Creek line, bottled at 100 proof. They followed that up with batch KC002 in 2021 - that's the version we're looking at today. This carries the same strength of 50% ABV (100 proof).

Even at a younger ages such as 9 years or 12 years, Knob Creek can have a strong oak influence. How will the extra years in the barrel affect the flavor profile?

Knob Creek 15 Year

USA - Bourbon

Price: USD 99 (2024)

Age Statement: 15 Years

Strength: 50% ABV

Details: Batch KC002, bottled 2021

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 30% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Oak is definitely strong up front - it brings baking spices like cardamom and demerara sugar, and we also get a salty and savory side. Roasted peanuts show some of that Jim Beam character in the background.

Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; quite oaky and smoky, with lots of nutty flavors, too: pecans, almonds, specifically blanched almonds. There's a little hint of red fruit hiding in the glass - cherry - and with time, the oak brings some leathery flavors.

Finish: Oak is still strong, but it isn't overdone. Leather and drying tannins show more of that maturity, but they're balanced by vanilla and brown sugar. The length of the finish is medium.

Final Note: Very tasty bourbon - it's absolutely oak-forward, but this didn't seem over-oaked to us at any point. Nicely integrated mature flavors, and while it wasn't the most complex pour, it did have a lot of classic bourbon flavors, especially that nutty Beam note. If we had to pick one point of improvement, we would have loved to see this bottled at a slightly higher proof point.

That said, this still presents decent value if you can find it at the MSRP around $100, especially considering the higher age statement. If we saw a bottle on the shelf, we would be happy to pick it up.

Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 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: 6.49

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.