Compare
Knob Creek 12 Year vs W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Put Knob Creek 12 Year next to W.L. Weller Special Reserve and you have a classic, high-rye stalwart set against a classic, high-wheat stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | W.L. Weller Special Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +10 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$30 – $60 ~$18 less |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Knob Creek 12 Year and W.L. Weller Special Reserve do not publish an official mash bill.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 Special Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year W.L. Weller Special Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 9/4 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 4 out of 10
spice 6/2 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 2 out of 10
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10
fruit 3/5 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 5 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, W.L. Weller Special Reserve 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- 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 Special Reserve: The entry point to the Weller line and an easy introduction to wheated bourbon. Soft honey and vanilla with almost no rye bite, a bread-dough body, and a short, sweet finish that asks nothing of you.
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 W.L. Weller Special Reserve if you want the softest, sweetest, most approachable wheated pour of the group at a lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, rocks, highball (W.L. Weller Special Reserve).