King of Kentucky is a limited edition offering, of a small group of high age stated single barrels, hand selected by Brown Forman Master Distiller Chris Morris. The modern day King of Kentucky has been released yearly from Brown Forman since 2018. The King of Kentucky brand formed in 1881, was discontinued in 1968 after being converted to a blended whiskey and then was revived in 2018. According to Brown Forman, King of Kentucky was named after “the sport of kings” also known as horse racing.
The King’s mash bill is 79% corn, 11% rye and 10% malted barley. What is interesting is that this is the same mash bill as Early Times bourbon (which Sazerac now owns). It is not the same recipe as some of Brown Forman’s more highly regarded brands (Woodford Reserve, Old Forester and Jack Daniels). This is Brown Forman’s most sought after bourbon release of the year.
There are approximately 3,500 bottles in the 2022 release. The age for this years vintage is 15 years and has an MSRP of $250. Secondary prices on this average around $1400 per bottle.
King of Kentucky 15 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel #7 2022 Release
Color – Damn this is dark! Deep dark mahogany with tints of amber and red. The age is apparent and bourbon this old from Brown Forman is very hard to find.
Aroma – I can smell the bourbon in my glencairn from feet away. A sweetness hits first with scents of molasses and dark cherries/berries. The perfect amount of sweet oak and concentrated tobacco. The alcohol is as subtle as it can be for a 130.3 proof whiskey and I really didn’t get any alcohol until I started moving the glencairn around.
Taste – Concentrated oak hits the front of my tongue. Leather and tobacco notes develop as the whiskey travels back across my palate. It’s not as sweet as the nose but I get hints of dark honey, brown sugar and molasses. These are very strong, concentrated tasting notes. Very complex but a bit unbalanced with dried oak, leather and tobacco dominating. The mouthfeel is phenomenal. This is thick, viscous, oily and my perfect mouthfeel for a bourbon. The alcohol is there but not predominate and drinks below it’s high proof.
Finish – This is one powerful finish. It’s intense in a great way. Strong tastes linger on the palate and extends quickly into you chest. The ideal Kentucky hug.
Rating: 9.5/10
Wow! This barrel of King of Kentucky is a concentrated flavor bomb. Oak, tobacco and leather at the start with hints of sweetness that round this out beautifully. The alcohol is definitely there but the tingle on the gums and tongue compliments the flavors brilliantly. This is a hard one for me to rank as it’s hard to find many bourbons at this proof and this much age now a days . This isn’t a perfect bourbon but it is an experience that I am thrilled I was able to taste. The intense nose, awesome mouthfeel and amazing flavors are the reason I have this at a 9.5. This can be a little hot if it hits the wrong way but the flavors and mouthfeel are amazing.
If I find this for anywhere near MSRP I would buy it. That being said finding this is nearly impossible. I would not pay secondary prices for this bottle even though it is an amazing bourbon. I would rather take a vacation, invest or hell buy a shit ton of shelfers than dish out $1,300+ dollars for one of these bottles. King of Kentucky is good, it’s an experience but there are other bourbons that are a reasonable price with a small decrease in quality.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect
Debonair Gentlemen 
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