More to Enjoy
Knob Creek 18 Year
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Distiller:
Beam
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Bottler:
Beam
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ABV:
50%
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Age:
18 Years
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Price:
$$$$$
- Raided Score: 90
- Publication: Malt Review
- Excerpt: I’ve always contended that when whiskey is brilliant, the price goes out the window. You will tell stories about it; you will tell stories about this one. This is only the second time I’ve ever awarded this score.
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- Raided Score: 90
- Publication: Drink Hacker
- Excerpt: There’s a curious popcorn note that hits heavy on the finish — not something you often see lingering in a whiskey of this age, but that’s maybe not a bad thing, indicating that these well-aged barrels just might have some life left in them.
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- Raided Score: 91
- Publication: Paste
- Excerpt: I’m impressed that the oak doesn’t completely overwhelm all the other aspects of Beam’s house style.
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- Raided Score: 95
- Publication: Whiskey Raiders
- Excerpt: It is certainly one of the few 18-year-old bourbons you can find on the market if you like big old bourbon flavors. This is the perfect dram for you if you want tannin that isn't over the top, bitter or nasty.
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- Raided Score: 90
- Publication: Breaking Bourbon
- Excerpt: It offers up plenty of oak, but delivers it with just the right amount of complementary flavors and underlying vibrancy.
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Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.
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Intro:
Knob Creek 18 Year Old is a 50%-ABV 2022 release of the brand's newest and oldest whiskey. This 18-year bottling is set in a limited-edition wood box. It is said to be pretty well-distributed across the U.S., although it will not sit on shelves long. Overall, I'm very excited about this whiskey as Knob Creek typically has performed well for me in the past.
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Nose:
Big char, cherry and big beam funk. Peanut brittle, cherry pie, cocoa, caramel and crème brûlée. Big barrel char notes. Old tobacco, musty books, really delightful peanut brittle on steroids.
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Taste:
This is rich on the palate. There is a slight prickle of heat as well as tannin. It is dry, oaky and full of notes like crème brûlée. It is full of cocoa, fudge, toffee and pralines, with a little bit of nuttiness. Big cocoa, big caramel, kind of salted caramel character to it. It is rich on the palate. It extends in waves and has a lot of wonderful texture. The back palate is really enjoyable. Very richly flavored and chewy. This reminds me of some of my favorite extra old bourbons, and this bests some of the oldest Knob Creek single barrels I've had in the past.
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Finish:
The finish is long and full of caramel candies. Cocoa, toffee, peanut brittle, just a wide array of really rich and savory old bourbon flavors. I love the tobacco note, and there's a prickle of heat here once again, but I think 50% ABV was the right choice to bottle this up.
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Overall:
This is an astounding release from Knob Creek. It's extremely high-quality, worth chasing and worth every penny of its $180 price tag. While we do not consider on price as part of our overall ratings, this is one of the better, older whiskeys you can find, and it is certainly one of the few 18-year-old bourbons you can find on the market if you like big old bourbon flavors. This is the perfect dram for you if you want tannin that isn't over the top, bitter or nasty.
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Score:
8
- Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources