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Blanton’s Single Barrel vs Knob Creek 12 Year
On paper Blanton’s Single Barrel and Knob Creek 12 Year are near neighbours — both high-rye bourbons — so price (~$80 – $150 vs. ~$55 – $70) is what actually decides it.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Blanton’s Single Barrel | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 93 proof (46.5% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +7 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$80 – $150 | ~$55 – $70 ~$53 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Blanton’s Single Barrel and Knob Creek 12 Year do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Blanton’s Single Barrel Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Blanton’s Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
oak 6/9 oak: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
fruit 6/3 fruit: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
heat 4/5 heat: Blanton’s Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
spice 6/6 spice: Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- Blanton’s Single Barrel: The bottle that invented the single-barrel category and still trades largely on its horse-stopper cork and its scarcity. The whiskey itself is genuinely good — honeyed and citrus-led with nutmeg spice — but at secondary prices you are paying for the bottle as much as the pour.
- Knob Creek 12 Year: Three more years in the barrel than the standard Knob Creek, and the wood does all the talking. Deep oak and leather over the familiar Beam peanut note, drying toward genuinely tannic on the finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Blanton’s Single Barrel if you want the original single-barrel presentation and a honeyed, citrus-led profile, and the hunt is part of the appeal.
- Go with Knob Creek 12 Year if you want the Beam house profile pushed as far into oak as it goes while staying balanced at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Blanton’s Single Barrel); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).