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Charles Goodnight Bourbon vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Put Charles Goodnight Bourbon next to Knob Creek 12 Year and you have an uncut, high-rye heavyweight set against a classic, high-rye stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Charles Goodnight Bourbon | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 6 years | 12 years +6 yr |
| Proof | 115 proof (57.5% ABV) +15 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$75 – $80 | ~$55 – $70 ~$15 less |
- Knob Creek 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Charles Goodnight Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Charles Goodnight Bourbon Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Charles Goodnight Bourbon 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 6/3 fruit: Charles Goodnight Bourbon 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
heat 8/5 heat: Charles Goodnight Bourbon 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Charles Goodnight Bourbon 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
spice 7/6 spice: Charles Goodnight Bourbon 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
oak 8/9 oak: Charles Goodnight Bourbon 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.
- Charles Goodnight Bourbon: A barrel-strength Texas bourbon. The hot Texas climate pulls a lot of oak in six years, giving deep wood, brown sugar and dark fruit with plenty of rye spice.
- 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 Charles Goodnight Bourbon if you want a bold, oak-heavy Texas bourbon at barrel strength with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- 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 lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Charles Goodnight Bourbon); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).