Compare
Knob Creek 9 Year vs Eagle Rare 12 Year
Knob Creek 9 Year and Eagle Rare 12 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek 9 Year | Eagle Rare 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 9 years | 12 years +3 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +5 proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$35 – $40 ~$28 less | ~$50 – $80 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Knob Creek 9 Year and Eagle Rare 12 Year do not publish an official mash bill.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 9 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Eagle Rare 12 Year
Top 3, behind George T. Stagg and Jack Daniel's 14.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek 9 Year Eagle Rare 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
fruit 3/6 fruit: Knob Creek 9 Year 3 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 6 out of 10
nuttiness 7/4 nuttiness: Knob Creek 9 Year 7 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 4 out of 10
sweetness 5/7 sweetness: Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Knob Creek 9 Year 6 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10
oak 8/7 oak: Knob Creek 9 Year 8 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Knob Creek 9 Year 5 out of 10, Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The fruit-versus-grain contrast drives this one.
- Knob Creek 9 Year: This classic Jim Beam offering leans heavily into traditional oak, rich caramel, vanilla, and the signature Beam peanut-funk nuttiness. At 100 proof it delivers a bolder, more structural wood-and-spice influence with a touch of citrus zest and mint on the finish.
- Eagle Rare 12 Year: Two more years and five more proof points than Eagle Rare 10. Brown sugar and toffee lead, with a drier, more astringent oak finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Knob Creek 9 Year if you want a classic peanut-and-oak-forward Kentucky bourbon with an older age statement at a lower price point.
- Go with Eagle Rare 12 Year if you want an older, richer step up from Eagle Rare 10 with more brown sugar and oak with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Knob Creek 9 Year); neat, rocks (Eagle Rare 12 Year).