Knob Creek Small Batch 18 Year Bourbon

This is a very interesting bottle. I did a blind tasting of this against other Knob Creek ages (9, 12, and 15), and this one came in last. I certainly wouldn't rate based on a blind tasting, and coming out of it, I really thought this blind didn't play to the 18-year advantage. So, I tried it again on its own the next day with a fresh palate, and it certainly drinks much better than it did in the blind. It is quite oaky with a bit of spice and just a hint of fruit. My biggest complaint is that the finish is bitter, which is not surprising given the age. The mouthfeel is thin, which is very surprising for a bourbon of this age and at 100 proof. And so, this one is very difficult to rate above a 3 1/2 star. I love the 15-year Knob Creek and rate it around a 4-star, and it's my favorite of all the age statements because it keeps some of the age characteristics but actually drinks fuller and doesn't have the bitter note on the end. We're going to let this one rest in the bottle and not go back to it for quite a while to see if it becomes more rounded. I would not buy another bottle of this at its price and think it probably should be somewhere in the low 100s, not close to 200. In fact, I passed on a bottle at 160 today, as frankly, I can get five bottles of the nine-year at the same price.

So thrilled to have tried this at Jimmy Beams. Very smooth with notes of caramel, oak, tobacco, and spice.

I've always enjoyed this one.

I liked it.