Compare
Elijah Craig Small Batch vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Put Elijah Craig Small Batch next to Knob Creek 12 Year and you have a classic, corn-forward stalwart set against a classic, high-rye stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Elijah Craig Small Batch | 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 | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +6 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$28 – $35 ~$31 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- Knob Creek 12 Year does 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
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Elijah Craig Small Batch Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 4/7 nuttiness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
oak 7/9 oak: Elijah Craig Small Batch 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Elijah Craig Small Batch 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 4/3 fruit: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
heat 4/5 heat: Elijah Craig Small Batch 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Elijah Craig Small Batch 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- Elijah Craig Small Batch: A heavily oak-driven pour for the money, with vanilla bean and brown sugar riding on top of real char and smoke. The extra age shows up as wood depth rather than harshness.
- 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 Elijah Craig Small Batch if you want the best oak-forward value on the shelf, with more wood character than its price suggests.
- 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 slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Elijah Craig Small Batch); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).