This week I was able to get my hands on a bottle of Knob Creek 18 Year Old Bourbon. I have generally enjoyed the 12 and 15 year old bottlings and Knob Creek Single Barrel at 120 proof is one of my go to favorite bourbons. However, this was not cheap at $170 at Hokus Pokus, but that is generally in line for what you pay for older bourbon. Bottled at Knob Creek’s traditional 100 proof, and given that no one bottles this old of a whiskey above 107 proof, the proofing is good for something this old.

The color of this is a very deep amber with some mahogany flecks in it, which is about right for age and proof. On the swirl is a nice thick film and gravity defying legs. On the nose is lots of vanilla, cherries, and oak. Really nice nose. On the palate, the cherries come to the fore as the initial vanilla note fades, along with hints of clove and baking spices with nice oak on the background. Great flavors and this bourbon is amazingly smooth with a great mouthfeel. On the finish the cherries become more candied, and the oak becomes more present without being overly oaked. The finish is very long but decrescendos nicely.

This is really good, and really shows how extended barrel aging can really benefit a bourbon. Certainly, this is a whiskey on the level with Eagle Rare 17 and the Van Winkle bottlings for ultra-aged bourbon. Based on my prior reviews of Knob Creek, this is the oldest Jim Beam whiskey I have tried. Booker Noe preferred his bourbon between five and eight years, Fred Noe started doing something different with Knob Creek originally having a nine year old age statement. I have tried Knob Creek single barrels as old as 14 years, with the Knob Creek 15 year old being the oldest bottling I had prior to this 18 year old. With Fred at the helm, we should see more of these wonderful long aged releases in the future.