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Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Knob Creek 12 Year
On paper Four Roses Small Batch Select and Knob Creek 12 Year are near neighbours — both high-rye bourbons — so age (6 years vs. 12 years) is what actually decides it.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch Select | 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 | 6 years | 12 years +6 yr |
| Proof | 104 proof (52% ABV) +4 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $65 | ~$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 Small Batch Select
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Select Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 8/3 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch Select 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
oak 6/9 oak: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
spice 7/6 spice: Four Roses Small Batch Select 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 6/5 heat: Four Roses Small Batch Select 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch Select 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 Small Batch Select: Six recipes, non-chill-filtered, at 104 proof, and the most complete thing Four Roses makes at a normal price. The house fruit character with enough proof and texture to carry it.
- 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 Small Batch Select if you want the fullest expression of the Four Roses fruit-forward style without chasing an allocated bottle with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- 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 an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Four Roses Small Batch Select); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).