Brown-Forman Unleashes a Monster, 16 Year “King of Kentucky” Bourbon

Posted on by Scott Dilley

The 2023 Edition marks the 6th year for the revived King of Kentucky Bourbon brand

King of Kentucky, a super-premium straight bourbon, is returning this year with the release of its sixth edition. Hitting shelves mid-October, the limited-edition expression will mark the sixth anniversary for the brand.

The 2023 expression is a 16-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, featuring a premium embossed label with a stamp border and details. Brown-Forman has produced approximately 3,800 bottles and each will retail for $299.99. The majority of this year’s volume will remain in Kentucky. Limited quantities will be sold in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Metro New York, Ohio, and Tennessee.

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

We are excited to celebrate the sixth year of the King of Kentucky brand with an extremely robust selection of 16-year-old barrels. This brand demonstrates Brown-Forman’s commitment to and expertise in the growing American Whiskey category.

Brown-Forman Master Distiller Chris Morris

King of Kentucky Bourbon is an annual release of a single barrel inventory featuring a barrel-strength, minimally-filtered proof presentation. Each release and every barrel is unique. For 2023, Master Distiller Chris Morris chose a single lot of barrels for the limited-release product from 2007.

This year’s release of 51 barrels came from one production date. July 19, 2007. All the barrels were aged in Warehouse G at the Brown-Forman Distillery. This showcases what a difference each individual barrel has at this extreme age on the color, flavor, and aroma of this wonderful whiskey.

Chris Morris

Due to the rarity of these barrels, there is no defined annual volume. Just like the extra time it takes for the liquid to mature, King of Kentucky’s package shows a personal craftsmanship. 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. Every bottle is hand-dipped in wax and individually numbered. Labels provide details including proof, age, warehouse location, lot number, serial number, and barrel number. Master Distiller Chris Morris selected each barrel for the release.

Taste Notes: “Representative Barrel”

  • Proof: 125.8
  • Age: 16 years
  • Aroma: Dark graham cracker, vanilla and charred oak notes sweetened with hints of port, cognac and milk chocolate coated coconut.
  • Flavor: Dark chocolate mocha with traces of black tea and leathery tannins.

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