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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Stagg
Put Knob Creek 12 Year next to Stagg and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a full-proof, unfiltered heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Stagg |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 130 proof (65% ABV) +30 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 ~$33 less | ~$70 – $120 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Knob Creek 12 Year and Stagg do not publish an official mash bill.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.
Stagg
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Stagg
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 5/10 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Stagg 10 out of 10
nuttiness 7/4 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Stagg 4 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Stagg 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Stagg 7 out of 10
spice 6/7 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Stagg 7 out of 10
oak 9/9 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Stagg 9 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Proof and heat dominate the difference.
- 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.
- Stagg: Uncut and unfiltered Buffalo Trace at a proof that demands respect. Dark chocolate, espresso and charred oak arrive with genuine heat, and a few drops of water unlock a surprising amount of fruit.
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 significantly lower price point.
- Go with Stagg if you want the biggest, hottest, most concentrated expression of the Buffalo Trace profile with significantly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat (Stagg).