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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Penelope Rio
Put Knob Creek 12 Year next to Penelope Rio and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a sourced, corn-forward blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Penelope Rio |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Four-Grain Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +2 proof | 98 proof (49% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 ~$28 less | ~$80 – $100 |
| 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.
Penelope Rio
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Penelope Rio
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 9/4 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Penelope Rio 4 out of 10
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Penelope Rio 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/9 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 9 out of 10
fruit 3/6 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
spice 6/6 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Penelope Rio 6 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Penelope Rio 5 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.
- Penelope Rio: Penelope's four-grain blend finished in honey barrels and then amburana wood. It tastes like a cinnamon roll: honey, gingerbread and sweet baking spice.
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 at a lower price point.
- Go with Penelope Rio if you want a honey-and-amburana-finished bourbon that tastes like a cinnamon roll.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, old-fashioned (Penelope Rio).