2026 King of Kentucky Batch 1 Bourbon Review

 

King of Kentucky is a Bourbon brand with a long history. Founded in 1881 by Kentucky Select Distillers, its name is derived from The Sport of Kings (thoroughbred horse racing). Brown-Forman purchased the brand in 1936. King of Kentucky had been a Straight Bourbon; however, Brown-Forman changed it to a blended whiskey. The brand ended its run in 1968.

 

King of Kentucky rose from the ashes in 2018, when Brown-Forman reincarnated it as a single-barrel Bourbon with older age statements.

 

This year, Brown-Forman launched limited-edition releases of King of Kentucky to commemorate the 250th  anniversary of the United States and Kentucky County, Virginia, later to become the state we all know and love. Each Batch is made from barrels aged 12 to 18 years. Some of the barrels only had 16% of the liquid left after the angels stole their share!

 

“For years, I’ve held onto these rare, aged barrels, waiting for a moment significant enough to share them. To celebrate the founding of our country with a whiskey of this caliber feels like the  perfect tribute.” – Chris Morris, Brown-Forman Master Distiller Emeritus

 

Originally, these barrels were slated to be single-barrel offerings, but due to the extreme angel’s share losses, it was decided to create blends.

 

In the past, King of Kentucky used a mashbill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley for its annual single barrel releases. The three-bottle collection is distilled from a slightly different mash of 75% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. The single-barrel program will continue; I’ve not heard which mashbill the distillery will use.

 

Batch 1 is packaged at 105°, Batch 2 at 107.5°, and Batch 3 at 110°. Each was designed to spotlight specific flavors. Some barrels had an ABV of up to 75%. Chris Morris tinkered with each blend, proofing them down a bit at a time until he felt they were just right. As it turned out, Batch 1 was used as a baseline, and what he considered balanced. Batches 2 and 3 are described as “out of balance” but in a good way.

 

Despite the differences in proof, each Batch has a suggested price of $299.99. Distribution is to 36 states, with each state receiving an equal number of bottles. Still, as you can imagine, finding any of the three on store shelves will be challenging.

 

Brown-Forman was kind enough to provide me with a sample of Batch 1 in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and see what all the hoopla is about!

 

• Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Brown-Forman Distillery, crafted at DSP-KY-354 (formerly Early Times Distillery)
• Age: 12 years (aged between 12 and 18 years)
• Mashbill: 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 52.5% ABV (107°)
• Price per 750mL: $299.99

 

Appearance: I poured King of Kentucky into my Glencairn glass to explore it neat. Inside, the Bourbon was a beautiful mahogany color. It created a very fragile rim with a myriad of legs; some were thin and slow, others were wide and fast. Regardless of their size, they were tightly packed.

 

Nose: I waited about 20 minutes before bringing the glass beneath my nostrils and sniffing. Cherries and plums leapt out, followed by chocolate, dried tobacco, toffee, and char. When I drew the air through my lips, I experienced a blend of dark chocolate and charred oak.

 

Palate: The first sip revealed a full-bodied, almost creamy mouthfeel with a spicy palate shock. The front tasted of leather, older oak, and toffee. I found orange zest, caramel, and cherries on my mid-palate. There were notes of black pepper, nutmeg, and dark chocolate.

 

Finish: Flavors of caramel, toffee, and vanilla led to spiced nuts, which then switched to black pepper, charred oak, and leather. It wasn’t the longest, weighing in at 1:43. Yet it was even-keeled and lacked any heat.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I found King of Kentucky to be quite unusual. It started dry, then became sweet, then turned to spices, while the finish returned to sweet, then revisited the spices. It was incredibly well-balanced, almost like a seesaw hovering back and forth with neither side gaining traction. It drank a handful of points below its stated proof.

 

I have no idea which Brown-Forman distillery created this. None of Early Times, Old Forester, or Woodford Reserve uses 75/15/10 as a standard mash. I even checked Jack Daniel’s… nope.

 

A value statement becomes challenging. When you consider a $300.00 Bourbon, it is something that most people won’t buy (assuming they can even find it). King of Kentucky is special; very few would disagree. I consider it a luxury whiskey where the price becomes less important. Quality-wise, I’m very, very impressed. Today was one of those fun sipping experiences that are few and far between. Because of that, it deserves my Bottle rating. Cheers!  

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.