Weller 12 vs Knob Creek 12: Battle of the 12-Year Titans
Weller 12 Year Bourbon & Knob Creek 12 Bourbon
Weller 12 vs Knob Creek 12: Battle of the 12-Year Titans 🥃
📺 Watch the full episode here:
👉 Weller 12 vs Knob Creek 12 Bourbon Showdown (Episode)
Some bourbon debates are friendly…
Some are fiery…
And some are memes in the making.
Tonight on Tortured Bourbon, we dove head-first into one of the internet’s most argued matchups:
Weller 12 vs Knob Creek 12 — two 12-year bourbon heavyweights that bourbon lovers treat like rival sports teams.
Both bottles are age-stated 12 years, but that’s where the similarities end. One is a wheated legend shrouded in rarity, the other an oak-forward Kentucky staple you can actually walk into a store and buy.
Welcome to the bourbon contact sport.
🥃 Meet the Bottles
Weller 12
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Proof: 90
Mash Bill: Wheated bourbon
Age: 12 years
Vibe: Elegant and soft… if you can find it.
Weller 12 has reached near-mythical status among bourbon fans. It’s beloved for its silky profile and subtle sweetness, and its scarcity has turned it into a hobby all its own among bourbon hunters.
Knob Creek 12
Distillery: Jim Beam
Proof: 100
Mash Bill: Traditional high-rye bourbon
Age: 12 years
Vibe: Bold, oak-driven, and unapologetically classic.
Knob Creek 12 is a shelf-friendly bourbon with structure to spare. It doesn’t whisper — it announces itself with oak, spice, and a rich caramel backbone.
🔍 Tasting Notes (Expected)
Weller 12
Nose: Dark cherry, vanilla cream, caramel, light oak
Palate: Soft caramel, dried fruit, warm spice
Finish: Gentle oak, light cocoa, soft spice
A refined and polite bourbon.
Knob Creek 12
Nose: Toasted oak, dark caramel, vanilla, tobacco
Palate: Rich caramel, leather, spice, nutty undertones
Finish: Long, warm, oak-heavy and nutty
This bottle lives loudly.
🥊 Head-to-Head
Weller 12 = smooth, subtle, refined
Knob Creek 12 = bold, structured, oak-forward
Same age. Completely different philosophies.
Weller 12 leans into a softer wheated character, while Knob Creek embraces rye-driven spice and oak presence. Many bourbon enthusiasts actually prefer the oak and spice punch of Knob Creek when compared to Weller’s lighter profile — especially at actual, obtainable prices.
💸 Availability & Value
Weller 12: MSRP ~$40 (good luck finding it anywhere near retail)
Knob Creek 12: MSRP ~$70 and actually on shelves
One is a unicorn.
One is reliably in stock.
🥃 Final Verdict
There’s no universal “winner.” It all depends on what you’re after:
If you love delicate, elegant wheaters: Weller 12 scratches that itch… if you can find it.
If you want rich oak, spice, and accessibility: Knob Creek 12 is an easy recommendation.
Your palate decides the champion.
📺 Watch the episode and tell us:
Which 12-year bourbon wins for you — Weller 12 or Knob Creek 12?
Drop your pick in the comments and join the debate!
Head over to torturedbourbon.com for more episodes, blogs, and merch.
Cheers! 🥃
