Compare
Uncle Nearest 1856 vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Put Uncle Nearest 1856 next to Knob Creek 12 Year and you have a blender-built, corn-forward bottling set against a classic, high-rye stalwart.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Uncle Nearest 1856 | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Tennessee Whiskey | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$55 – $70 |
- Uncle Nearest 1856 and Knob Creek 12 Year do not publish an official mash bill.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
Uncle Nearest 1856
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Uncle Nearest 1856 Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 4/7 nuttiness: Uncle Nearest 1856 4 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
oak 7/9 oak: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
fruit 5/3 fruit: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
sweetness 7/6 sweetness: Uncle Nearest 1856 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
heat 5/5 heat: Uncle Nearest 1856 5 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- Uncle Nearest 1856: Named for Nathan 'Nearest' Green, the enslaved distiller who taught Jack Daniel, and now backed by the brand's own distillery in Shelbyville. Sweet and maple-leaning with the charcoal-mellowed softness of the style.
- 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 Uncle Nearest 1856 if you want a sweet, maple-forward Tennessee whiskey with a story worth knowing behind it.
- Go with Knob Creek 12 Year if you want the Beam house profile pushed as far into oak as it goes while staying balanced.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Uncle Nearest 1856); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).