King of Kentucky Bourbon Review (2019)

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Brown-Forman’s revival of King of Kentucky is back for a second go-around. It joins the swollen ranks of annual, hot ticket bourbon releases, but avoids the crunch by being timed for summer rather than autumn. Last year’s was a 14 year old bourbon made from a 75% corn, 11% rye, 10% malted barley (so not Old Forester); this second, 2019 installment is a single barrel collection of some 2,000 bottles (i.e. all single barrels, just not the same barrel), aged 15 years and also bottled at cask strength. My sample was 65.5% ABV, with the single barrel proof range for the entire release ranging from 121 to 135 proof.

The Bourbon
A pour of this middle aged, verging on truly old bourbon has a viscous character. It forms a thick coating on the glass, crowned with a thin, but solid rim. That coat is slow to drop any legs at all, and when it does they are few. The coloring is a bit of surprise, though, given the age and strength, coming across as mid-amber.

The nose yields deep vanilla with a pronounced citrus note, yet at the same time has a dry and oaky current running around it. Even with a little water, the whiskey remains spicy. The flavor takes that profile, puts a spin on it, and comes out the other side much better for it. The palate leads with cane sugar and vanilla, accented by cinnamon and apricot, and is now just a touch oaky and not at all dry. The finish runs sweet, but it’s light and short.

A sip of this King of Kentucky gives you a royal flavor experience. The problem I had was that the nose and the finish weren’t as good, with the former being drier than I would have liked and the latter strangely undistinguished. If either of those hadn’t been true, this would have been an A grade whiskey. As it is, I must point out that it is a single barrel, so some of its siblings may show enough improvement to take that step up.

The Price
This label has seen a big price jump in just the one year it has been around. Last year it was $200, and now it is $250.