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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Charles Goodnight Bourbon
Put Knob Creek 12 Year next to Charles Goodnight Bourbon and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against an uncut, high-rye heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Charles Goodnight Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years +6 yr | 6 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 115 proof (57.5% ABV) +15 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 ~$15 less | ~$75 – $80 |
- 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
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Charles Goodnight Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Charles Goodnight Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 3 out of 10
fruit 3/6 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 6 out of 10
heat 5/8 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 8 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 7 out of 10
spice 6/7 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 7 out of 10
oak 9/8 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Charles Goodnight Bourbon 8 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.
- 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.
- Charles Goodnight Bourbon: A barrel-strength Texas bourbon. The hot Texas climate pulls a lot of oak in six years, giving deep wood, brown sugar and dark fruit with plenty of rye spice.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Knob Creek 12 Year if you want the Beam house profile pushed as far into oak as it goes while staying balanced at a lower price point.
- Go with Charles Goodnight Bourbon if you want a bold, oak-heavy Texas bourbon at barrel strength with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, rocks (Charles Goodnight Bourbon).