Brown-Forman has unveiled the fifth annual edition of its coveted King of Kentucky bourbons. Parent company of many popular brands such as Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, and Jack Daniel’s, Brown-Forman acquired King of Kentucky Bourbon in the 1930s and turned into an inferior blended whiskey. Over the last half decade, however, the company has been doing their best to rectify that mistake.
The first release from King of Kentucky is a 15-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, with 3,500 bottles available priced at $249.99. The mash bill is 79 percent corn, 11 percent rye, and 10 percent malted barley, and is bottled between 125 and 135 proof depending on the barrel. Tasting notes feature dark sorghum, oak, honey, and a heap of dried fruit and cigar tobacco.
The second release is an older and much more limited-edition whiskey—an 18-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon. Just 250 bottles were released exclusively to the Kentucky market at a price of $349.99. Notes of molasses and caramel, with a bit of tea and dried fruit, deliver on the palate.
“This brand demonstrates Brown-Forman’s commitment to and expertise in the growing American whiskey category,” commented King of Kentucky master distiller Chris Morris. “This year’s releases come from two production days, two years apart. This showcases what a difference two years at these extreme ages make on the color, flavor, and aroma of this wonderful whiskey.”
King of Kentucky comes housed in a decorative tin canister, and each bottle is wax-dipped with details like proof, age, warehouse location, lot number, and barrel number handwritten on the label.
For more information, check out Brown-Forman’s official website.