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Knob Creek 12 Year vs Wild Turkey 101
Comparing Knob Creek 12 Year and Wild Turkey 101 is a closer contest than it looks — both are high-rye bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$55 – $70 vs. ~$25 – $30).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 12 Year | Wild Turkey 101 |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 101 proof (50.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$25 – $30 ~$35 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.
Wild Turkey 101
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 12 Year Wild Turkey 101
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 7/3 nuttiness: Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 3 out of 10
spice 6/8 spice: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 8 out of 10
oak 9/7 oak: Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 7 out of 10
fruit 3/4 fruit: Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 4 out of 10
heat 5/6 heat: Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10, Wild Turkey 101 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.
- 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.
- Wild Turkey 101: The workhorse high-rye Kentucky bourbon and one of the best proof-to-price ratios anywhere. Vanilla and orange up front, then a genuinely spicy, peppery, tobacco-tinged middle that punches well above $25.
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 Wild Turkey 101 if you want bold rye spice and real proof at the lowest price of anything comparable.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year); neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Wild Turkey 101).