Compare
Knob Creek 12 Year vs Uncle Nearest 1856
Put Knob Creek 12 Year next to Uncle Nearest 1856 and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a sourced, corn-forward blend.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Uncle Nearest 1856 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$55 – $70 |
- Knob Creek 12 Year and Uncle Nearest 1856 do not publish an official mash bill.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.
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Uncle Nearest 1856
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 7/4 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10
oak 9/7 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Uncle Nearest 1856 5 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.
- Uncle Nearest 1856: Named for Nathan 'Nearest' Green, the enslaved distiller who taught Jack Daniel, and now backed by the brand's own distillery in Shelbyville. Sweet and maple-leaning with the charcoal-mellowed softness of the style.
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 Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856).