Knob Creek 12 Year Old Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
Knob Creek 12 Year Old Cask Strength is a limited-edition Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey — 750mL, aged a full twelve years in charred American white oak and bottled uncut at cask strength. For the current 2026 limited release, announced by Suntory Global Spirits on September 16, 2026, that means 121.2 proof (60.6% ABV), hand-selected from ten distinct lots in Knob Creek's Clermont rickhouses; cask-strength proof varies by release. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 60.6% (121.2 proof) — 2026 limited release; proof varies by release
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 12 years in charred American white oak
- Selection: Hand-selected from 10 distinct lots, Clermont, Kentucky rickhouses; batched and bottled at cask strength
- Distillery: James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, Kentucky (Suntory Global Spirits)
- Master distiller: Freddie Noe, eighth generation
- Mash bill: Not stated for this bottling; the widely reported Knob Creek bourbon mash bill is 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
Twelve Years, Uncut: The Small Batch Collection at Full Proof
Knob Creek was built on pre-Prohibition patience — full-flavoured bourbon given real time in the rickhouse — and the 12 Year Cask Strength is that philosophy with the water left out. Eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe's team picked ten lots of twelve-year-old bourbon in Clermont and bottled them as they came from the barrel, so the 2026 release lands at 121.2 proof with the oak, caramel and dried fruit of a dozen Kentucky summers fully intact. It is a limited edition, released nationwide for a limited time, and a very different pour from the standard 100-proof Knob Creek 12 Year. Find its siblings in our bourbon whiskey and whisky collections, or on the Knob Creek vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Caramel, char and dried apple (distillery notes). Palate: Butterscotch and dried apple over seasoned oak, full and warming at cask strength. Finish: Warm and long, with caramel and a subtle cinnamon edge.
How to Enjoy
Start neat in a Glencairn to meet it at full proof, then add a few drops of water or a single large cube — twelve-year cask-strength bourbon opens in layers as it dilutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What proof is Knob Creek 12 Year Cask Strength? The 2026 limited release is 121.2 proof (60.6% ABV). Because it is bottled at cask strength, the proof is set by the batch: the earlier 2020 release was 124.3 proof.
How is this different from regular Knob Creek 12 Year? The standard 12 Year is bottled at 100 proof. This limited edition is uncut and unfiltered in strength terms — batched from ten selected lots and bottled at the barrel's natural proof.
Where is Knob Creek made? At the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky, where the 2026 release's ten lots were hand-selected from the rickhouses.
Twelve years at natural proof — order Knob Creek 12 Year Old Cask Strength online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.