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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Redemption Bourbon
Knob Creek 12 Year and Redemption Bourbon sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a sourced, rye-forward blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Redemption Bourbon |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +16 proof | 84 proof (42% 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.
Redemption Bourbon
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Redemption Bourbon
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 9/4 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 4 out of 10
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 3 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 5 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 5 out of 10
spice 6/7 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Redemption Bourbon 7 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.
- Redemption Bourbon: Straightforward sourced MGP at a modest proof, and about as clear a reference sample of the high-rye MGP profile as you can buy. Thin neat, but a reliable and inexpensive cocktail base.
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 more proof behind it.
- Go with Redemption Bourbon if you want an inexpensive, unambiguous example of the MGP high-rye style for mixing at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); old-fashioned, cocktails, highball (Redemption Bourbon).