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Eagle Rare 12 Year vs Knob Creek 9 Year
Eagle Rare 12 Year and Knob Creek 9 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 12 Year | Knob Creek 9 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 | 12 years +3 yr | 9 years |
| Proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +5 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$50 – $80 | ~$35 – $40 ~$28 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Eagle Rare 12 Year and Knob Creek 9 Year do not publish an official mash bill.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
Eagle Rare 12 Year
Top 3, behind George T. Stagg and Jack Daniel's 14.
Knob Creek 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Eagle Rare 12 Year Knob Creek 9 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 6/3 fruit: Eagle Rare 12 Year 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10
nuttiness 4/7 nuttiness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10
sweetness 7/5 sweetness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10
oak 7/8 oak: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The fruit-versus-grain contrast drives this one.
- Eagle Rare 12 Year: Two more years and five more proof points than Eagle Rare 10. Brown sugar and toffee lead, with a drier, more astringent oak finish.
- Knob Creek 9 Year: This classic Jim Beam offering leans heavily into traditional oak, rich caramel, vanilla, and the signature Beam peanut-funk nuttiness. At 100 proof it delivers a bolder, more structural wood-and-spice influence with a touch of citrus zest and mint on the finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Eagle Rare 12 Year if you want an older, richer step up from Eagle Rare 10 with more brown sugar and oak with an older age statement.
- Go with Knob Creek 9 Year if you want a classic peanut-and-oak-forward Kentucky bourbon with an older age statement at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Eagle Rare 12 Year); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year).