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Four Roses Small Batch vs Knob Creek 12 Year
On paper Four Roses Small Batch and Knob Creek 12 Year are near neighbours — both high-rye bourbons — so price (~$32 – $38 vs. ~$55 – $70) is what actually decides it.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Four Roses Small Batch | 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 | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$32 – $38 ~$28 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 Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Four Roses Small Batch Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 5/9 oak: Four Roses Small Batch 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
fruit 7/3 fruit: Four Roses Small Batch 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Four Roses Small Batch 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
heat 4/5 heat: Four Roses Small Batch 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
spice 6/6 spice: Four Roses Small Batch 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- Four Roses Small Batch: Four Roses' yeast strains push this toward fruit and florals rather than wood. Red berry and cinnamon over a light body, with the rye showing up as brightness instead of bite.
- 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 if you want a fruit-and-floral profile that stands apart from the usual caramel-and-oak template 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 with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Four Roses Small Batch); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).