King of Kentucky Coming Out, But In Smaller Market Spread

King of Kentucky is returning this year with the release of its third edition.  Hitting shelves in September, this will be the third release for the brand.  With the majority of the volume being only available in Kentucky, this year the expression will also be available in limited quantities in select markets in Illinois and Ohio. The 2020 expression will be a 14-year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and will produce approximately 1,900 bottles with a suggested retail of $249.99.

King of Kentucky was established in 1881 as a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.  Brown-Forman acquired the brand in 1936 from Selected Kentucky Distillers and, by 1940, converted it to a blended whiskey until it was discontinued in 1968.  In 2018, Brown-Forman revived the lapsed label paying homage to the brand’s past.

“Given Brown-Forman’s 150 year history of crafting great Kentucky Bourbon, it is a memorable event to bring back to life a long retired brand and to introduce it to a new generation of aficionados,” said Master Distiller Chris Morris. “King of Kentucky will provide whiskey connoisseurs with a rare look into Brown-Forman’s rich barrel archives.”

King of Kentucky is an annual/on-going periodic 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, Master Distiller Chris Morris chose 37 barrels to set aside for the limited-release product. At maturity, several barrels were lost to the Angel’s Share.

“The King of Kentucky, now in its third year of release, continues to teach us about the impact that long-term heat cycled maturation has on barrel yield and flavor presentation,” said Master Distiller Chris Morris. “Some barrels yield as little as one case of King but are not over wooded or astringent – in fact they are incredibly complex and flavorful.  This is another stellar release of rich, dark Kentucky Bourbon flavor at its best.”

Due to the rarity of these barrels, there will be no defined annual volume. Just like the extra time it takes for the liquid to age, the package will also show a personal craftsmanship. Every bottle will tell the story of its origin through the details on the front and back of its package. All will be filled, bottled, wax-dipped, and numbered by hand with details including proof, age, warehouse location, lot number, serial number, and barrel number, all selected by Master Distiller Chris Morris.