Knob Creek 21 Year Review
“Age-Stated Series”
Knob Creek was introduced in 1992 by Booker Noe as part of the original Small Batch Bourbon Collection which included Knob Creek 9 year, Basil Hayden’s, Baker’s 7, and Booker’s. Knob Creek was created to showcase the flavors of pre-prohibition style whiskey and it is named after the creek that ran through President Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home’s property. I was able to score this at Total Wine for a little above msrp and am very much looking forward to working on this Knob Creek 21 year review.
The Knob Creek Age-Stated Series consists of whiskeys that are at least 9 years old and are bottled at 100 proof. Current selections include:
- Knob Creek 9 year
- Knob Creek 12 year
- Knob Creek 15 year
- Knob Creek 18 year
- Knob Creek 21 year
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 21 years
Proof: 100
Proof Designation: na
Filtered Status: Chill Filtered
Mash bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Barrel Char Level: 4
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Still Type: Column Stills
Distillate Source: James Beam Co.
Distillery: James Beam Co.
Company: Beam Suntory
Bottled By: James Beam Co.
Distilled/Aging Location: Clermont, Kentucky
Master Distiller: Fred Noe
Release Date: 2025
MSRP: $250
Secondary Market: $300 – $400
Availability: Low/Rare
Knob Creek 21 Year Review
December 23, 2025
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (about 1 week), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
Beads formed on the crown at about 6 seconds, the first legs began to fall at 18 seconds, and the first legs reached the bowl at about 32 seconds.
Nose
Lovely nose! Rich toffee, dark brown sugar, old oak, sawdust, glazed doughnut, dark chocolate, dark caramel, brandy-soaked vanilla, nutmeg, leather, a hint of banana foster.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: On the nose, I get dark fruit, which is a note that I love to
find in Jim Beam. So cherry mainly is what I get, but I think it actually veers a little darker into a black cherry, maybe even a blackberry type of area.
There’s almost like a fried or slightly burnt pastry note that I’m picking up where it’s like a buttery croissant that’s been just in the oven a little bit too long. I feel like I’m getting that almost burnt smokiness which is probably from the age in the barrel char as well. But I think the biggest fear that everyone had for this bottle was the oakiness. Was it going to be too oaky? I’m not getting that. But you get your caramels, your vanillas. The oak isn’t overdone to me. It smells fantastic.
The Whiskey Wash: Early aromas scream classic Beam: roasted hazelnuts (some might say it’s more peanut-y), vanilla extract, baked red apples, cocoa dust, and buttered crumble topping. There’s also a double-whammy of tart scents, specifically unripe blackberries and a little stewed tomato; the latter is a note familiar from recent batches of Booker’s Bourbon, and here, the whiskey carries it well. Lemon zest comes through later on, lending much more citrus tartness than usual for this line.
But let’s get down to brass tax. We’re here for the oak, and in that realm, Knob Creek 21 gives plenty to sniff. Sweet wood smoke and toasted barrel staves meet a heaping helping of earthen funk, and overall, this is the closest Knob Creek has ever gotten to smelling like the inside of a Kentucky rickhouse. It’s oakier than most Knob Creek 18 (with some batch to batch variation) and more balanced than the polarizing 15 year expression — with greater intensity than both its predecessors in the lineup.
Is it over-oaked? On the nose, my vote is a resounding “no,” but individual tolerance and mileage may vary. When it comes to an oak-forward yet still noseable bouquet, Knob Creek 21 delivers. There’s no way around it: This is a great nosing bourbon.
Secret Whiskey Society: Excellent toasted oak, heavy vanilla, rich caramel, cinnamon, citrus, green apple, cinnamon apple pie, buttered cinnamon sugar toast, leather, tobacco, cocoa, chocolate, light rye spice.
Palate
The palate is semi-dry due to the oak influences, but is still nicely balanced with the sweetness that follows. Barrel char, old oak (but not too much!), rich toffee, creme brûlée, dark caramel, mild cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet apple, caramel corn, a hint of bubble gum, leather, banana foster. Very pleasant to sip!
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: There’s a lot to unpack here. First and foremost, yes, there is some oak here, but it’s not overdone. I think the oak is enough to let you know that there is some age here without it making you feel like you’re licking a tree or licking a piece of charred oak. But that dark fruit note that I found on the nose does come through on the palate. That black cherry, blackberry type of note, maybe even like borderline raisin.
It’s such a nice palette. It’s velvety. Now, the 100 proof point, I think, might be the one thing that some people might have an issue with this. But I tell you what, it has a nice finish for a 100 proofer. But man, this is a very beautifully well done 21-year bourbon, especially from Jim Beam. There’s a good amount of spice here, and I think it’s coming through with oak spice, black pepper, plenty of cinnamon here. I mean, this is really, really enjoyable. As it’s opening up and the more I’m sipping it, the more dark fruit is coming out, which is just the best. This is so good.
The Whiskey Wash: Chocolate and mocha dominate the first sip, carried by a notably creamy mouthfeel. Indeed, some of the early palate reminds me of sweetened condensed milk, or even panna cotta. Apple strudel builds as flavors shift toward orchard fruit and a tiny hint of dried pineapple; tart blackberry carries over from the nose, but it’s comparatively muted. Meanwhile, the mocha morphs into drip coffee as Heath Bar toffee develops.
A few more sips bring lemon bars, with sweet and sour bundled together nicely. The midpalate is a little spicier, here in the form of both gingerbread and rustic rye bread. Ginger especially is a segue to the oak, heavily spiced and prominent but not as bold as one might assume. While the nose smelled quite like an old bourbon barrel, the palate doesn’t particularly taste like licking one. (A good thing!) As with Knob Creek 18, the decision to bottle this at 100 proof pays off, insofar as it avoids dialing astringency past the point of general tolerance.
Overall, we’ve got a very good palate that follows a truly fantastic nose. If I have a small critique, it’s the relatively tame midpalate. Instead of dialing up the experience, it acts like a bridge between complex early flavors and a lovely oaky finish. Here, the midpalate gets the job done, but I’m still left wondering if there was more room to soar.
Secret Whiskey Society: Bold heavy oak, charred wood, rich caramel, vanilla, apple, black cherry, plum, hints of citrus, cinnamon spice, clove, nutmeg, rye spice, pepper, leather, tobacco.
Finish
Medium-long finish with toasted oak, dark chocolate, brandy-soaked vanilla, dark caramel, leather, tobacco.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: It has a nice finish. It’s got some peppery spice. Starting to pick up a little chocolate there, too, which is kind of nice.
The Whiskey Wash: The finish elevates the experience back up, not quite to the level of the nose, but getting there. Berries, lemon meringue, and oak linger. It’s composed, potent, and satisfying across a broad swath of the flavor wheel.
Secret Whiskey Society: Extremely rich finish with a nice oaky tannic spice that dries out your mouth like a cask strength despite being only 100 proof. Leaves you with delicious caramel, oak, and fruits with a light note of pepper on the tail end.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is Creamy and very pleasant.
Mouthfeel Rating Guide: Thin = Watery | Silken = smooth & slippery, but not mouth coating | Creamy = coats the tongue like heavy cream does. | Rich or Unctuous = coats the entire palate like quality olive oil
The Burn
Average. This means that the burn from the alcohol is about what I would expect it to be. If I didn’t know the proof, I would guess this to be around 100 proof.
The Burn Rating Guide:
Very Low = it drinks like it is a much lower proof
Low = it drinks like it is a little lower proof
Average = the heat is about what I would expect
Hot = it is hotter than what I would expect
Scorching! = it drinks much hotter than what I would expect
Tasting Summary
The nose on the Knob Creek 21 is very enticing, full of sweet, dark caramel, rich toffee, brandied vanilla bean. On the palate, it is more dry but still lovely. Old oak, toasted oak, dark caramel, creme brûlée, old leather, baking spices (nutmeg, mild cinnamon), a flash of sweet apple, some bananas foster, and dark chocolate.
To enjoy this, it is essential that you enjoy the flavors of old oak. It is certainly oak-forward, but definitely is not over-oaked. It plays a nice balance between oakiness, sweetness, and spice.
Pass, Bar, Buy, or Bunker?
Rating: BUY- If it weren’t so expensive, I’d get a backup.
Rating Scale:
PASS – I wish that I had never put this in my mouth!
BAR – I don’t love it or hate it…I suggest trying this in a bar before purchasing it.
BUY – I would buy it once…maybe more.
BUNKER – Love this! I want a back-up bottle…or 3.
My Rating – 8.9
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 8.9 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
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