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Eagle Rare 10 Year vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Eagle Rare 10 Year and Knob Creek 12 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Eagle Rare 10 Year | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 10 years | 12 years +2 yr |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$40 – $65 ~$10 less | ~$55 – $70 |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Eagle Rare 10 Year and Knob Creek 12 Year do not publish an official mash bill.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
Eagle Rare 10 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Eagle Rare 10 Year Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 4/7 nuttiness: Eagle Rare 10 Year 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
spice 4/6 spice: Eagle Rare 10 Year 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
oak 7/9 oak: Eagle Rare 10 Year 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
fruit 5/3 fruit: Eagle Rare 10 Year 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Eagle Rare 10 Year 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Eagle Rare 10 Year 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- Eagle Rare 10 Year: A 10-year age statement at a gentle 90 proof gives this a polished, dry-oak elegance rather than power. Toffee and orange peel lead into leather and dried fruit, with a long, notably dry finish.
- 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 Eagle Rare 10 Year if you want an elegant, older, low-proof sipper where refinement matters more than intensity at a slightly lower price point.
- Go with Knob Creek 12 Year if you want the Beam house profile pushed as far into oak as it goes while staying balanced with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Eagle Rare 10 Year); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).