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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Old Grand-Dad 114
Knob Creek 12 Year and Old Grand-Dad 114 are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$55 – $70 vs. ~$28 – $35).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Old Grand-Dad 114 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 114 proof (57% ABV) +14 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$28 – $35 ~$31 less |
- Knob Creek 12 Year and Old Grand-Dad 114 do not publish an official mash bill.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 Grand-Dad 114
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Old Grand-Dad 114
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 6/9 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 9 out of 10
oak 9/6 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 6 out of 10
heat 5/8 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 8 out of 10
nuttiness 7/5 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 5 out of 10
fruit 3/4 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 4 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Old Grand-Dad 114 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line 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.
- Old Grand-Dad 114: The best proof-per-dollar in American whiskey and it is not especially close. The 27% rye mash at 114 proof is loud, peppery and completely unsubtle, which is exactly why it makes such a good old-fashioned.
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 Grand-Dad 114 if you want maximum rye spice and proof for under thirty dollars.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Old Grand-Dad 114).