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Larceny Small Batch vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Put Larceny Small Batch next to Knob Creek 12 Year and you have a classic, high-wheat stalwart set against a classic, high-rye stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Larceny Small Batch | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 92 proof (46% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +8 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$34 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- 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
Larceny Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Larceny Small Batch Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 4/9 oak: Larceny Small Batch 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
spice 2/6 spice: Larceny Small Batch 2 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Larceny Small Batch 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 5/3 fruit: Larceny Small Batch 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
heat 3/5 heat: Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Larceny Small Batch: Heaven Hill's everyday wheater and the most affordable way into the style. Soft honey and butterscotch with almost no spice, and a texture that makes the low price hard to argue with.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Larceny Small Batch if you want an easy, sweet, genuinely inexpensive wheated bourbon at a significantly lower price point.
- 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 slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Larceny Small Batch); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).