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Maker's Mark vs Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Maker's Mark and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 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 | Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 9 years |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 120 proof (60% ABV) +30 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$22 less | ~$45 – $55 |
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 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
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/7 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
heat 3/8 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
oak 4/8 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10
nuttiness 3/7 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 6 out of 10
fruit 4/3 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The gap between these two is mostly about spice.
- Maker's Mark: The bottle that made wheated bourbon mainstream. Soft, sweet, and deliberately low on spice and oak, with baked bread and honey doing most of the work. Consistency is its real feature.
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve: The same nine-year Knob Creek juice bottled from a single barrel at 120 proof, and the extra strength suits it. Everything the standard bottling does, turned up — with the barrel-to-barrel variation that comes with the format.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Maker's Mark if you want a reliably sweet, low-spice wheater that is easy to find and easy to drink at a lower price point.
- Go with Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve if you want the Beam profile at serious proof for well under what most barrel-strength bourbons cost.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, old-fashioned (Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve).