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Four Roses Single Barrel vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Four Roses Single Barrel and Knob Creek 12 Year are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$45 – $55 vs. ~$55 – $70).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Single Barrel | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $55 ~$13 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 Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Single Barrel Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 7/3 fruit: Four Roses Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Four Roses Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
oak 6/9 oak: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
spice 8/6 spice: Four Roses Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The fruit-versus-grain contrast drives this one.
- Four Roses Single Barrel: The OBSV recipe on its own at 100 proof — the highest-rye mash Four Roses uses, paired with their most floral yeast. Cherry and clove in equal measure, and a genuinely distinctive glass.
- 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 Single Barrel if you want the most expressive, spice-and-fruit-forward single recipe in the Four Roses range at a 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.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Four Roses Single Barrel); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).