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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Smooth Ambler Old Scout
Knob Creek 12 Year and Smooth Ambler Old Scout are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is age (12 years vs. 5 years).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Smooth Ambler Old Scout |
|---|---|---|
| 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 +7 yr | 5 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 99 proof (49.5% ABV) |
| 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.
Smooth Ambler Old Scout
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Smooth Ambler Old Scout
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 3 out of 10
oak 9/6 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 6 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 5 out of 10
spice 6/7 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 out of 10
heat 5/6 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 6 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.
- Smooth Ambler Old Scout: Sourced MGP bourbon selected and bottled in West Virginia, and one of the more honest sourced brands about exactly what it is. The characteristic MGP dill-and-pepper signature, cleanly presented.
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 an older age statement.
- Go with Smooth Ambler Old Scout if you want the classic MGP high-rye profile from a bottler that has always been upfront about sourcing at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, old-fashioned, cocktails (Smooth Ambler Old Scout).