Compare
Four Roses Bourbon vs Knob Creek 9 Year
Four Roses Bourbon and Knob Creek 9 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 9 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 | 9 years |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$22 – $28 ~$13 less | ~$35 – $40 |
- Knob Creek 9 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 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Bourbon Knob Creek 9 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/8 oak: Four Roses Bourbon 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Four Roses Bourbon 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 6/3 fruit: Four Roses Bourbon 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10
heat 2/5 heat: Four Roses Bourbon 2 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: Four Roses Bourbon 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Four Roses Bourbon 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 9 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 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 Four Roses Bourbon if you want the Four Roses fruit-and-floral signature at its lightest and cheapest.
- Go with Knob Creek 9 Year if you want a classic peanut-and-oak-forward Kentucky bourbon with an older age statement with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed cocktails, highball, rocks (Four Roses Bourbon); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year).