“This can be to showcase and replicate on all of our brand names, to point out we’re a large-top quality spirits creation corporation. If it’s the release that carries the Brown-Forman identify, it has to be of particularly top quality.”
All those Exclusive releases serve as a reminder for their enthusiasts “this is why you like us.” Brown-Forman is a type of distilleries which i’m talking about. They’re a powerhouse among the business Nonetheless they truly only had just one once-a-year release that they could showcase: Outdated Forester Birthday Bourbon.
King of Kentucky is an yearly launch of one barrel stock showcasing a barrel-strength, minimally-filtered proof presentation, with Each individual release and every barrel currently being exceptional.
I currently stated that the very first launch of King of Kentucky was aged for fourteen a long time and arrived from Warehouse K. The following two years of King of Kentucky utilized a similar warehouse (albeit from various flooring). But in 2021, Brown-Forman changed it up and pulled barrels from Warehouse I. In 2022 they pulled barrels from Warehouse H. 2023 observed the warehouse modify another time to Warehouse G.
All barrels Employed in the 2025 edition ended up sourced from the fourth flooring of Warehouse J and the main floor of Warehouse G. The barrels ended up aged in heat-cycled environments, this means the whiskey was exposed to warm, Energetic getting older temperatures All year long, which includes throughout the winter months.
On the one hand, I understand that little, Particular releases such as this often place their very best foot forward right out the gate and then start to “Coastline” as time goes on. It’s also a incontrovertible fact that Brown-Forman is deciding on a ton additional barrels with Just about every successive 12 months. That might show they aren’t becoming as picky about which of them make the Slash because they was once. This really is typical when a company realizes they might now profit on an attained reputation. But I must also keep in mind that every King of Kentucky launch is comparatively tiny whenever you examine the dimensions of other distillery’s Unique releases.
I used to be thinking of beginning this overview that has a zippy just one-liner like “King of Kentucky requires no introduction,” but then it happened to me there are quite a few fans who may be unfamiliar with the brand. In the event you’re among those people, right here’s why you may not have heard of this manufacturer right before. Firstly, it’s only dispersed in some states – in 2022 they ended up Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio.
Once in a while festivals or bourbon brand names will give absent King of Kentucky as being a prize. When unlikely to earn, getting into sweepstakes prices practically nothing. Adhere to bourbon accounts on-line to listen to about these unusual chances. Purchase from the secondary marketplace.
But Warehouse O was properly torn down in 2020 which intended that long term releases wouldn’t have that luxury. Having said that, I found out that Warehouses G and H had their warmth turned off as late as 2018.
“But reputations must don't just be gained but defended — which 12 months’s release is sure to you should the palate of every bourbon aficionado.”
As an alternative, Morris appears for barrels that deliver a “massive, lush” bourbon drinking expertise — Particularly since flavors can differ from 1 barrel to another.
Seventeen decades is pretty old for a bourbon, but In this instance the whiskey just isn't overtaken by bitter tannic oak notes. On the contrary, the first thing that jumped out at me had been huge marshmallow flavors, reminiscent of freshly ready s’mores with hints of milk chocolate and warm graham crackers. There is a little bit of warmth current, naturally, however it is warming, sweet, and sturdy, not oppressive. You’ll also locate notes of ripe plum, maple, vanilla, black pepper, and honey within the palate. Something that struck me, and possibly because I was distracted or am simply a messy drinker—a certain amount of whiskey dribbled on to my chin at just one place, and Once i instinctively rubbed it off I seen a pleasant whiff of pipe tobacco. Do try this at home.
Alas, You're not very likely to find it for that price tag. The king of kentucky bourbon particularly limited releases lead to King of Kentucky bourbon marketing out promptly on a yearly basis. If you discover a bottle in a liquor store, it is likely to run you anywhere from $650 to $1000.
Whiskey aficionados may perhaps recommend sipping the spirit from the tulip-shaped Glencairn glass, since the spherical bowl that narrows at the top should help focus the aromas. Although I take pleasure in the vessel, especially for assessing spirits, I choose to consume from a lower-ball, rocks-style tumbler by using a weighted base. It feels excellent as part of your hand and is simple to drink from.
There is in fact a large amount of science and experimentation that goes into storing barrels in warehouses, believe it or not. Quite a few distillers imagine the floor with the warehouse a barrel is on substantially impacts the velocity at which the whiskey matures, its flavor, and proof.