Kings County Empire Rye Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Kings County Empire Rye
(Credit: Kings County Distillery)

Seeing as how I was down in the Brooklyn Navy Yard just a few days ago, enjoyed a warm cocktail on a frigid, pre-Snowpocalypse 2022 day, it seems like as good a time as any to address Kings County Distillery’s Empire Rye. It’s a good example of one of the key features of the Empire Rye appellation: use of at least 75% New York State-grown rye grain. That precludes going the low rye, Kentucky route, and Kings County has gone for 80% Danko Rye (noted in bread for its cocoa and baking spice flavors) and 20% English barley. Aged for at least two years (but not as much as three) and bottled at 102 proof, it’s a straight rye coming from a well-established fixture in American craft whiskey.

The Whiskey
This one takes up a bronze look in the glass. The nose comes forward with rich chocolate and caramel coupled to tangerine cream, followed by a second and almost larger wave of oak and cinnamon. The flavor follows in much the same vein, albeit with these two aspects coming hand-in-hand rather than single file. The finish is dry, woody and spicy.

This Brooklyn take on Empire Rye is big bodied, well-rounded, and very much worth your drinking time and dollars. I would love to see a bonded version.

The Price
A 375 ml bottle of Kings County Empire Rye costs $60.