Compare
Knob Creek 12 Year vs Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
Knob Creek 12 Year and Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years +2 yr | 10 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$40 – $70 ~$8 less |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- 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.
Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 7/5 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 out of 10
oak 9/8 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 8 out of 10
fruit 3/4 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 6 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel 5 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.
- 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.
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 with an older age statement.
- Go with Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel if you want a bonded, ten-year single barrel with genuine age at a sane price.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, rocks (Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel).