Compare
Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel and Knob Creek 12 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 10 years | 12 years +2 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$40 – $70 ~$8 less | ~$55 – $70 |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- 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
Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 5/7 nuttiness: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
oak 8/9 oak: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
fruit 4/3 fruit: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.
- Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel: A ten-year bonded single barrel, which is a specification almost nothing else on the shelf matches. Dry and oak-forward with real age showing, though barrel variation means bottles differ more than most.
- 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 Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel if you want a bonded, ten-year single barrel with genuine age at a sane price.
- 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 (Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).