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Knob Creek 12 Year vs W.L. Weller 12 Year
Knob Creek 12 Year and W.L. Weller 12 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | W.L. Weller 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 12 years | 12 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 ~$63 less | ~$70 – $180 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Knob Creek 12 Year and W.L. Weller 12 Year do not publish an official mash bill.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.
W.L. Weller 12 Year
No notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year W.L. Weller 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 6/2 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 2 out of 10
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10
fruit 3/6 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/8 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 8 out of 10
oak 9/7 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 7 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line 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.
- W.L. Weller 12 Year: Twelve years on a wheated mash at a modest 90 proof, which is the combination that made this bottle famous. Deep caramel and baked fruit with polished rather than aggressive oak — the closest widely-discussed analogue to the Pappy profile.
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 W.L. Weller 12 Year if you want age and elegance on a wheated mash, and you are willing to chase it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat (W.L. Weller 12 Year).