BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Brown-Forman
• MASH BILL: 79% Corn | 11% Rye | 10% Malted Barley
• AGE: 16 years
• YEAR: 2023
• PROOF: 125.8 (62.9% ABV)
• MSRP: $299.99

STEVE’S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Bourbon fans who love big, robust, high-proof, barrel-strength whiskeys.

WORTH THE PRICE: Yeah, especially given its quality and current prices. Find me a 16-year-old whiskey this good that sells for $300 anywhere.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle if you can get it. It’s a treasure.

OVERALL: Perhaps it was my palate, but when King of Kentucky was revived and released six years ago, it was hot as hell and simply uncomfortable to drink. It seemed hot just to be hot, which is completely contradictory to Brown-Forman’s love of easy-drinking low-proof whiskeys. I don’t recall anything about the two subsequent releases, but this year’s and those in the prior two years have made this bourbon one of the most exciting releases of the year for me. And like it’s name implies, this liquid rules the palate, and every olfactory neuron and tastebud is a serf in its flavor-packed fiefdom.

The nose is huge, leading with that unmistakable Brown-Forman yeast note that’s fruity, candied, floral and tropical. Browned biscuits, cinnamon, dark chocolate (yeah, it flirts with Mexican hot chocolate), confectioner’s sugar, old oak and licorice. I could go on, but I won’t, because I want to taste it.

On the palate, it’s busy, tingly and warm. It’s not playing around at 125.8 proof. After laying down a veneer of toasted oak, toffee and buttered cinnamon toast emerge. A second sip delivers hard cherry and orange candies and an amazingly honeyed texture–which is welcome, given the heat this creates. The finish is moderately hot, but amazingly long and warming. A whiskey this old with so little tannin and so much fruit … what a pleasure it is to drink!

BRAND NOTES

The King of Kentucky 2023 expression is a 16-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Approximately 3,800 bottles will be produced with a suggested retail of $299.99.

“We are excited to celebrate the sixth year of the King of Kentucky brand with an extremely robust selection of 16-year-old barrels,” said Brown-Forman Master Distiller Chris Morris. “This brand demonstrates Brown-Forman’s commitment to and expertise in the growing American Whiskey category.”

King of Kentucky is an annual release of a single barrel inventory featuring a barrel-strength, minimally-filtered proof presentation, with each release and every barrel being unique. For this year’s iteration, Morris chose a single lot of barrels to set aside for the limited-release product from 2007.

“This year’s release of 51 barrels came from one production date, July 19, 2007. All the barrels were aged in Warehouse G at the Brown-Forman Distillery,” said Morris. “This showcases what a difference each individual barrel has at this extreme age on the color, flavor, and aroma of this wonderful whiskey.”

Proof: 125.8

Age: 16 years

Aroma:  Dark graham cracker, vanilla and charred oak notes sweetened with hints of port, cognac and milk chocolate coated coconut.

Flavor: Dark chocolate mocha with traces of black tea and leathery tannins.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.