Compare
Penelope Four Grain vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Penelope Four Grain and Knob Creek 12 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: a blender-built, classically built bottling versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Penelope Four Grain | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Four-Grain Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat, 3% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$30 – $40 ~$28 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- Penelope Four Grain and Knob Creek 12 Year do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Penelope Four Grain
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Penelope Four Grain Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/9 oak: Penelope Four Grain 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
spice 3/6 spice: Penelope Four Grain 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 2/5 heat: Penelope Four Grain 2 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/7 nuttiness: Penelope Four Grain 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 5/3 fruit: Penelope Four Grain 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Penelope Four Grain 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Penelope Four Grain: A light, low-proof blend of corn, wheat, rye and barley. Honey, almond and orchard fruit keep it sweet and easy, though it reads young and thin when sipped neat.
- 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 Penelope Four Grain if you want an easy, light, honeyed bourbon that mixes well 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 more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed highball, cocktails (Penelope Four Grain); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).