King of Kentucky Reveals Trio of Unicorn Bourbons for America's 250th Anniversary
This year marks the 250th anniversaries of both the founding of the United States and Kentucky County, Virginia, which became the state of Kentucky in 1792. To honor the occasion, Brown-Forman’s King of Kentucky brand just released its new Small Batch collection, which features three bourbons crafted from barrels aged between 12 and 18 years.
It’s the same whiskey in all three bottles. The difference between them is their proof, which shows how minute differences in alcohol content can have a profound impact on a spirit’s flavor profile.
“When you add water to a whiskey of this complexity, it really activates certain oils, acids, and other flavor profile components,” Brown-Forman master distiller emeritus Chris Morris explains. “Some are more water-soluble. Some are more alcohol-soluble. And that little bit of water releases certain characteristics.”
Courtesy Matt Prezzato
The bourbon blend used across all three expressions was made at the Brown-Forman Distillery in Shively, Kentucky with a mash bill of 75 percent corn, 15 percent rye, and 10 percent malted barley. The barrels used to age the whiskey were built with staves that were air-seasoned for over a year. To put that number in perspective, many brands season their barrels for three to six months. According to Morris, this prolonged seasoning period makes the barrels — and ultimately, the whiskey — less tannic. The barrels were given a slightly lower char level than those used to age other Brown-Forman brands like Woodford Reserve and Old Forester, and stored in the company’s heated warehouses. Some barrels had a drastically high angel’s share (evaporation rate), with only 16 percent of their original liquid volume remaining after aging.
“For years, I’ve held onto these rare, aged barrels, waiting for a moment significant enough to share them,” Morris says. “To celebrate the founding of our country with a whiskey of this caliber feels like the perfect tribute.”
Courtesy Matt Prezzato
The History of King of Kentucky Bourbon
The King of Kentucky brand was founded in 1881 by distiller and horseman John Roach in Louisville, Kentucky. As for the brand name, it’s not a braggadocious claim about the whiskey’s quality, but a nod to thoroughbred horse racing, otherwise known as the sport of kings.
Since 1881, the brand has been on and off the market many times in different forms. Brown-Forman acquired King of Kentucky in 1936, where it became a standard batched whiskey, then a blended whiskey before its discontinuation in 1968.
Brown-Forman revived the brand in 2018 as a single barrel product, but this release marks the first time since King of Kentucky’s comeback that the brand will offer a batched product.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
Batch 1 was bottled at 105 proof (52.5 percent ABV). Batch 2 was bottled at 107.5 proof (53.75 percent ABV). And Batch 3 clocks in at 110 proof (55 percent ABV). The first expression opens up with a delicate bouquet of caramel, toasted marshmallows, clove, and apricot, while notes of coconut and toasted oak take center stage on the palate. Batch 2 doubles down on dark fruit aromas like dates and figs with accents of caramel, and dishes up a vanilla-forward palate with undercurrents of mint. Last but not least, Batch 3 presents notes of brown sugar, chocolate, and citrus on the nose, followed up by bold spice and oak on the palate, and a long, smooth finish.
Related: What Happens When Bourbon Is Made With a Nearly Extinct Corn
The King of Kentucky Small Batch Collection Price & Availability
All three expressions featured in the King of Kentucky Small Batch Collection will be available in limited quantities in select markets nationwide for a suggested retail price of $299 per bottle.