Compare
Maker’s Mark 46 vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Maker’s Mark 46 and Knob Creek 12 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker’s Mark 46 | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +6 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$38 – $45 ~$21 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
Maker’s Mark 46
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker’s Mark 46 Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Maker’s Mark 46 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker’s Mark 46 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
spice 4/6 spice: Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
oak 7/9 oak: Maker’s Mark 46 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
fruit 4/3 fruit: Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
heat 4/5 heat: Maker’s Mark 46 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Nutty, grain-driven character is the divider.
- Maker’s Mark 46: Finished with seared French oak staves inside the barrel, which adds the spice and wood that the standard bottling deliberately lacks. The most useful upgrade in the Maker's range.
- 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 Maker’s Mark 46 if you want the softness of Maker's Mark with real oak and spice layered over it at a 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, old-fashioned (Maker’s Mark 46); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).