Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 96 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 65.2% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $349.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2024-10-15 |
King of Kentucky Bourbon (2024) Review
Since Brown-Forman revived the King of Kentucky brand in 2018, the bourbon has built a solid reputation as one of the year’s most premium annual offerings. The highly limited release is mostly distributed in Kentucky, but as its contemporary legend has grown, so too has distribution, with some larger states and key cities receiving bottles in limited quantities.
As with the 2023 version, this year’s King of Kentucky is a 16-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. It’s once again a series of single barrel bottlings; master distiller Chris Morris selected 63 barrels for this year’s release, up from 51 in 2023. Likewise, the total number of bottles on the market is also up to 5,100, whereas previous releases tended to number less than 4,000.
All bourbon in the 2024 King of Kentucky comes from a mash bill of 79 percent corn, 11 percent rye, and 10 percent malted barley. All 63 barrels were laid down on one of two production dates: July 19, 2007, and Nov. 15, 2007. The whiskey spent its entire aging cycle in Brown-Forman’s warehouses G and J.
As per usual, the whiskey is barrel strength and “minimally-filtered.” The sample I tried comes from Barrel #10, which Brown-Forman calls a “representative barrel.” (Though the brand itself is also quick to highlight the significant variation across the individual barrels in these bottlings, so your actual mileage may vary.) What I tasted clocked in at 130.4 proof.
Let’s see how the latest King of Kentucky — or at least a hopefully-representative sample of it — stacks up!
King of Kentucky Bourbon 2024: Stats and Availability
King of Kentucky is always a highly sought-after (and equally tough to find) release. Fortunately, production is way up this year, with a nearly 24-percent increase in barrels released. The suggested retail price is $350, up $50 from 2023 (and up a full $100 compared to 2022).
According to Brown-Forman, most bottles will be sold in retailers across Kentucky. However, limited allocations will be distributed in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Metro New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas.
Finding King of Kentucky on a shelf is one thing; finding it for suggested retail is another. Bottles commonly command several times MSRP depending on the year and barrel.
King of Kentucky Bourbon 2024 Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
If this is a truly representative barrel, drinkers are in for a treat on the nose. Punchy, fruit-forward, and with plenty of floral elements, King of Kentucky practically springs out of the glass. I can pick up distinct notes a couple feet away from the rim. Caramelized banana, grilled apricots, and pawpaw (an esoteric note if I’ve ever written one) lead to form a fruity/creamy base that quickly turns to custard and toasted marshmallows. There’s so little ethanol burn that, at least on the nose, it’s easy to forget the actual proof range here.
There’s a very brief point at which aromas — ranging from some of that sweet fruit and to the underlying grain —combine, which reminds me for a split second of a sherried single malt. But that’s only a fleeting recognition, as the virgin oak elements quickly pull things back squarely into bourbon territory.
And the whiskey doesn’t stay quite that sweet for too long. Soon darker and more drying elements fold in — plenty of oak, wet tobacco, and a tinge of burnt sugar.
Things keep developing over long minutes in the glass; damp soil and green moss, dewey and vegetal like a forest floor. But overall, we never shy too far away from that early cooked fruit and sweet, oak-forward sugar. At this point, things feel more grounded and familiar than what I sampled last year.
Taste
A big hit of artificial purple fruit hits on the first sip. Last year’s King of Kentucky reminded me of cream soda. This year, at least at first sip, it’s more grape soda, simultaneously tart and sweet. To be clear, it’s far from offputting, and actually keeps things bright and sweet as the following tastes get progressively more tannic. Toasted almonds and black cherries are up next. That custard-like underpinning on the nose is present here, but it’s contained a layer below; what I’m tasting first is the sweet, syrupy fruit topping, with vanilla cream underneath.
The mouthfeel is satisfying if not particularly viscous, those bright fruit elements keeping things light on the tongue in prescription if not quite in fact.
I expect flavors to get deeper, richer, and woodier with time, and as per usual, King of Kentucky delivers. Creamy chocolate ganache pairs with campfire and burnt marshmallow, more charred here than on the nose. There’s also a robust hearty dollop of baking spice, predominantly allspice and clove.
Finish
The finish is where this whiskey starts acting its proof, and ethanol-forward head accumulates in the throat and toward the back of the palate. It leans far into vanilla territory, as if swallowing a spoonful of french vanilla ice cream laden with grated nutmeg and cinnamon. Final hints of malt and grape flash for just a second before sweet oak carries things the rest of the way.
King of Kentucky Bourbon 2024 Rating
96/100
Recap
My sample of last year’s King of Kentucky was very good, though not quite in “bourbon of the year” territory for me. Claiming that designation is still an uphill battle in 2024, and I’m not ready to give a trophy just yet. But overall I thought this year’s version was a significant step up on the nose and a small-though-noticeable improvement in flavor.
The 2024 version of King of Kentucky will likely go down as one of the year’s best American whiskeys. It’s a bourbon great enough to make drinkers pause and sit up in their seats; I know I certainly did.
As of 2024, VinePair no longer participates in any affiliate programs. All links included in our content are as a convenience to our readers, not for earning commission — we receive no monetary value from them. Learn more about our tastings & review department here!
Related Reads
Learn About Bourbon
Related Bourbon Reviews
Watershed Distillery Bottled-in-Bond:
Hailing from the Watershed Distillery in Columbus, Ohio, this impressive craft release offers exceptional value and notable intensity. ...
Eagle Rare 17 Year-Old Bourbon 2023:
Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection features some of the distillery’s oldest, rarest, and most coveted spirits. And this year’s ...
Old Fitzgerald 10 Year Old Bottled in Bond Decanter Review (2023):
Since its launch in 2018, Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series has paired Kentucky bourbon with drop-dead gorgeous bottles (er, ...
Old Forester 117 Series: Bottled in Bond:
Since it debuted in Spring 2021, Old Forester’s 117 series has featured expressions showcasing the brand’s range and penchant for ...
Featured Bourbon Articles
Next Wave Awards Master Distiller of the Year: Marianne Eaves:
As Kentucky's first female master distiller since Prohibition, Marianne Eaves has rewritten the narrative of what a master distiller does.
How Foursquare Rum Casks Became the Ultimate Whiskey Finishing Vessel:
In many recent cases, Foursquare gets the same billing on product labels as the whiskey brands finishing their products in the rum casks.
Hard Truth Distillery Is Indiana’s Drinking Disneyland:
Located on a 325-acre campus in Brown County, Ind., Hard Truth Distilling Co. breaks new ground as part distillery and part amusement park.
The One Bourbon You Should Bring Home From Every State:
Bourbon doesn't have to come from Kentucky, and great liquid is made all across the U.S. Here's the best bourbon to buy in every state.
