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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Knob Creek 12 Year and Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is proof (100 vs. 115).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 115 proof (57.5% ABV) +15 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$55 – $70 |
- 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.
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 8 out of 10
oak 9/7 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 5 out of 10
heat 5/7 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10
spice 6/7 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- 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.
- Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style: Dense and syrupy for its age, with molasses and dark chocolate carrying a serious 115-proof punch. The high rye reads as baking spice rather than sharpness, and the body is unusually thick.
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 Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style if you want a rich, high-proof, dessert-leaning bourbon with real weight in the glass.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, old-fashioned (Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style).