Brown-Forman Releases King of Kentucky Small Batch Collection
When it comes to unicorn bottles of highly collectible whiskey, the first names that come to mind usually include Pappy Van Winkle, the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and Blanton’s. In other words, the Buffalo Trace Distillery dominates the paint. But other whiskeys have started to enter the chat in recent years, the most notable of which is Brown-Forman’s King of Kentucky brand. Today, the company announced that it is launching a trio of new bourbons as part of the King of Kentucky Small Batch Collection, but it remains to be seen if these will be easier to get ahold of than the original.
King of Kentucky has a pretty long history, originating in the late 19th century as a straight bourbon whiskey. It was acquired by Brown-Forman in 1936 and promptly ruined by the company, according to today’s whiskey nerd standards, a few years later when it was turned into a blended whiskey (a category that was more popular at the time, and cheaper to make). The brand was discontinued in 1968 as the whiskey market hit some very tough times (tougher than today, it should be noted). But in 2018, Brown-Forman revived it as a small batch, single barrel straight bourbon. The eighth release came out last fall, and while each expression varies as far as proof and age, that was one of the best to date.
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The single barrel version of King of Kentucky has become a prized bottle on the secondary market due to its quality, and of course its scarcity. And, in fact, it’s a really good bourbon that is produced at Brown-Forman’s Shively distillery from a mashbill of 79 percent corn, 11 percent rye, and 10 percent malted barley (the old Early Times recipe, not the one used for Old Forester). The new Small Batch Collection is meant to be a more widely available set of bourbons that is being released in 36 markets around the country at $300 per bottle, but of course it remains to be seen if these will immediately start selling for more than that in the wild.
As mentioned before, this is a trio of bourbons, each a blend of barrels aged between 12 and 18 years and bottled at progressively higher proofs—105, 107.5, and 110. They are all very good, although I kind of liked the Goldilocks middle-proof bourbon the best. If you are able to find (and afford) all three bottles, that’s definitely the best way to taste and compare. Overall, look for notes of ripe berry, dark chocolate, rum raisin, vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon on the palate that change in intensity and proportion as you sample across the three proofs. And while the 110-proof expression has some heat, it’s not overwhelming.
Don’t worry, King of Kentucky Single Barrel isn’t going anywhere and will return in the fall. In the meantime, give the Small Batch Collection a try—it’s just rolling out nationally, but check your local specialty liquor store to try to find a bottle.
