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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Larceny Small Batch
Put Knob Creek 12 Year next to Larceny Small Batch and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a classic, high-wheat stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Larceny Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +8 proof | 92 proof (46% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $32 ~$34 less |
- 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.
Larceny Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Larceny Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 9/4 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 4 out of 10
spice 6/2 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 2 out of 10
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 8 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 5 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- Larceny Small Batch: Heaven Hill's everyday wheater and the most affordable way into the style. Soft honey and butterscotch with almost no spice, and a texture that makes the low price hard to argue with.
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 slightly more proof behind it.
- Go with Larceny Small Batch if you want an easy, sweet, genuinely inexpensive wheated bourbon at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, rocks, cocktails (Larceny Small Batch).