The New King of Kentucky Bourbon Is Fantastic

Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review.

A lot of highly collectible American whiskeys are released every fall. We’ve already gotten news about some of them, like the annual Pappy Van Winkle collection, the final Wild Turkey Master’s Keep, and this year’s Birthday Bourbon. That last one is part of the Old Forester lineup, a distillery owned by Brown-Forman, and that’s not the only unicorn whiskey this company has in its portfolio. This week the latest edition of King of Kentucky arrived, and this limited-edition, high-proof bourbon is one of the very best in the series to date.

The King of Kentucky brand has a long history, dating back to the late 19th century when it was created as a Kentucky straight bourbon. It was acquired by Brown-Forman in 1936 from Selected Kentucky Distillers, but was changed to a blended whiskey four years later and ultimately discontinued in 1968, a time when American whiskey overall had really fallen out of favor. Brown-Forman revived the name in 2018, making this the eighth annual release in the series. And while it’s sort of impossible to really say without trying all of the expressions side-by-side, this is the best one I’ve tasted so far.

Despite this bourbon being owned by the same parent company as Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, and Jack Daniel’s, King of Kentucky is made from a different mashbill than these brands. It’s the same recipe used for Early Times (at least before it was sold to Sazerac) and one Old Forester expression, 1924—79 percent corn, 11 percent rye, and 10 percent malted barley. The 2015 edition is a single-barrel release bottled at barrel strength, which ranges from 124.4 to 135 proof depending on the cask. The sample I got to try was right in the middle at about 127 proof, which is a bit high for my liking but still managed to be an incredibly drinkable whiskey. Master distiller emeritus Chris Morris selected 63 barrels for this release that were distilled on two production dates in 2007, making this a 17-year-old bourbon, and the whiskey was matured on the fourth floor of Warehouse J and the first floor of Warehouse G at the Brown-Forman Distillery.

Seventeen years is pretty old for a bourbon, but in this case the whiskey is not overtaken by bitter tannic oak notes. On the contrary, the first thing that jumped out at me were big marshmallow flavors, reminiscent of freshly prepared s’mores with hints of milk chocolate and warm graham crackers. There is a bit of heat present, of course, but it is warming, sweet, and sturdy, not oppressive. You’ll also find notes of ripe plum, maple, vanilla, black pepper, and honey on the palate. Something that struck me, and possibly because I was distracted or am just a messy drinker—a bit of whiskey dribbled onto my chin at one point, and when I instinctively rubbed it off I noticed a pleasant whiff of pipe tobacco. Do try this at home.

Of course, this will all vary depending on which barrel your bottle comes from, and whether or not any of these are relevant sense memories for you. Bottom line is that the new King of Kentucky, which is proving to be one of Brown-Forman’s most coveted and collectible releases, is a fantastic and delicious bourbon. The price keeps rising (it hit $400 this year), and a quick online search shows previous releases selling for more than two grand, which is annoying. Is this whiskey worth that much? I don’t think so, but if you’re willing to shell out the cash, or are lucky enough to find a bottle for close to its asking price, you are in for a treat.

Score: 92

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