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Four Roses Bourbon vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Four Roses Bourbon and Knob Creek 12 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Bourbon | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$22 – $28 ~$38 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
Four Roses Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Bourbon Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/9 oak: Four Roses Bourbon 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Four Roses Bourbon 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 6/3 fruit: Four Roses Bourbon 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
heat 2/5 heat: Four Roses Bourbon 2 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Four Roses Bourbon 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Four Roses Bourbon 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Four Roses Bourbon: The yellow label entry point, blending all ten Four Roses recipes at a gentle 80 proof. Light and fruity to a fault, but the house floral character is already recognisable and it mixes beautifully.
- 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 Four Roses Bourbon if you want the Four Roses fruit-and-floral signature at its lightest and cheapest.
- 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 cocktails, highball, rocks (Four Roses Bourbon); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).