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Four Roses Single Barrel vs Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Four Roses Single Barrel and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 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 Single Barrel | Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 9 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 120 proof (60% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $55 | ~$45 – $55 |
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 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 Single Barrel Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Single Barrel Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 7/3 fruit: Four Roses Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Four Roses Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
oak 6/8 oak: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
heat 6/8 heat: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
spice 8/7 spice: Four Roses Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Four Roses Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Fruit character is what sets these apart.
- 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 Single Barrel Reserve: The same nine-year Knob Creek juice bottled from a single barrel at 120 proof, and the extra strength suits it. Everything the standard bottling does, turned up — with the barrel-to-barrel variation that comes with the format.
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.
- Go with Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve if you want the Beam profile at serious proof for well under what most barrel-strength bourbons cost.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Four Roses Single Barrel); neat, old-fashioned (Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve).