King of Kentucky returns this year with the release of its seventh edition, hitting shelves in early October 2024
The 2024 expression is a 16-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Approximately 5,100 bottles will be produced. While the majority of this year’s volume will remain in Kentucky, the expression will also be available in limited quantities in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Metro New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.
King of Kentucky was established in 1881. 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 label.
“Reputation alone justifies King of Kentucky’s status as one of the most sought-after Kentucky straight bourbons on the market,” says Brown-Forman master distiller Chris Morris. “But reputations must not only be earned but defended, and this year’s release is sure to please the palate of every bourbon aficionado.”
King of Kentucky is an annual 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, Morris chose two lots of barrels to set aside for the limited-release product from 2007.
“This year’s release of 63 barrels came from the production dates July 19, 2007, and November 15, 2007. All the barrels were aged in Warehouses G and J at the Brown-Forman Distillery,” says Morris. “This showcases what a difference production dates and warehousing can have on barrels hand-crafted in the same year. Plus, the impact that each individual barrel has at this extreme age on the color, flavor, and aroma of this wonderful whiskey.”
Due to the rarity of these barrels, there is no defined annual volume.
Every bottle comes enclosed in a decorative canister and tells the story of its origin through the details on the front and back of its package. All are 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 Morris.
This year’s iteration is 130.4 proof. On the nose is chocolate-covered coconut, vanilla bean, caramel, caramelized fruit, oak and a hint of malt, the distillery reports. The palate brings dark chocolate, old oak, sweet coconut, malt and rich vanilla cover wood spice.
The suggested retail price is $349.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
