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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Put Knob Creek 12 Year next to Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against an uncut, high-wheat heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Maker’s Mark Cask Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 110 proof (55% ABV) +10 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$40 – $50 ~$18 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.
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 9/5 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/9 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 9 out of 10
spice 6/3 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
heat 5/7 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- 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.
- Maker’s Mark Cask Strength: Undiluted Maker's, and the version that finally gives the wheated recipe some weight. Dense caramel and honey with real warmth, and one of the more affordable cask-strength bottles anywhere.
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.
- Go with Maker’s Mark Cask Strength if you want wheated sweetness at full strength for well under what most cask-strength bourbons cost.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, rocks (Maker’s Mark Cask Strength).