I consider myself incredibly lucky to have secured another unicorn for the bar this season—a bottle that, frankly, I never thought I’d see much less purchase. This is the first bottle of King of Kentucky I have ever seen in a store or even a bar. I was so excited when I picked this up on Christmas Eve, I opened it in the tasting room and shared a dram with the store manager and my father who happened to be there. That feeling I had when I cracked my first Pappy and my first George T. Stagg, well I had it again, with King of Kentucky. When you taste a bourbon that is truly special; ultra aged, handled with care, where a distiller really shows off what they can do, with the right mash bill, the right aging in the right barrel in just the right part of the warehouse. Where the magic happens.

For those unfamiliar, King of Kentucky has achieved true unicorn status in the bourbon community. This Brown-Forman release sits alongside BTAC and Pappy as one of the most sought-after limited releases each year. And with good reason—Brown-Forman only produced 5,000 bottles for the entire 2025 release. That’s an incredibly small number when you consider the massive demand for premium bourbon. To put that in perspective, some fall releases produce 15,000 to 20,000 bottles. King of Kentucky is allocation on steroids.

King of Kentucky 17 Year Old (2025 Release)

Proof: 131.5 Age: 17 Years

The 2025 release marks the eighth consecutive year Brown-Forman has brought back this storied brand, which originally dates back to 1881. Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris personally selected just 63 barrels from the 4th floor of Warehouse J and the first floor of Warehouse G at the Brown-Forman Distillery to create this year’s release. The liquid comes from two production dates in 2007 (mine is the November production date) and uses the classic Early Times mashbill: 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. For me, the low rye mashbill really can produce excellent results at long age. Given that we referred to Early Times as Entertainment Tonight at Sewanee when I was in college, there is something nostalgic here; same mashbill but a whole lot of years in the making.

Color:

In the glass, this bourbon pours a gorgeous deep mahogany with reddish hues. This stuff is more red than brown, given how long it was aged. On the swirl, it leaves a thick, oily film with gravity defying legs that cling to the glass—a clear indicator of the whiskey’s age and barrel strength.

Nose:

The nose is absolutely stunning. I get candied cherries front and center, followed by deep, rich vanilla that speaks to those 17 years in oak. There’s beautifully seasoned oak—not green or tannic, but mature and well-integrated—along with aged leather that adds a sophisticated depth to the aroma. This is a nose that rewards patience; let it sit and open up, and you’ll be rewarded with layer after layer of complexity.

Palate:

At 131.5 proof, you’d expect some heat, but King of Kentucky delivers an extremely rich mouthfeel that is remarkably smooth for the proof. The palate opens with dark chocolate—not milk chocolate, but the deep, bittersweet kind that comes from serious barrel influence. English toffee follows, adding buttery sweetness and complexity. Maraschino cherries bring bright fruit notes that cut through the richness, and then there’s that rich oak again, threading through every sip without overwhelming the other flavors. It’s mouth-coating and dense, with a luxurious texture that makes you want to hold each sip and savor it.

Finish:

The finish is where this bourbon really shows its age and quality. The oak lingers and lingers and lingers—but in the best possible way. It mixes beautifully with cinnamon and nutmeg, creating a warming spice that slowly fades over what feels like minutes, not seconds. There’s no harsh burn, no bitter tannins—just a long, satisfying finish that invites you to take another sip.

Verdict:

This is a really great example of Chris Morris’ distilling and aging prowess. He and his team have created something special here—a bourbon that balances extreme age, high proof, and complex flavor in a way that few releases can match. The fact that it carries a $399 MSRP (up from $349 last year) is steep, no question. But when you compare it to other fall limited releases that are pushing $300-$400 for younger, less complex whiskey, King of Kentucky holds its own. I was always wanting Chris to do this sort of thing because I knew he could do it; King of Kentucky is really the pinnacle of what he has achieved, and I truly love it. I always knew he could do this, and he finally did it. Seventeen years ago. That’s truly the hard part about producing bourbon. You have an idea and it takes decades to see if it works out. This worked out, but I suspect Chris always knew it would, somehow. This bourbon is truly great; not because of hype, not because of scarcity, but because it just is that damn good.

However, the scarcity is real. With only 5,000 bottles produced from 63 barrels who had extreme loss to the angels, with roughly 30% of the spirit making it out of the barrel, this is a bottle that most bourbon enthusiasts will never see on a shelf, let alone have the chance to purchase. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found this one, and even more fortunate to crack it open and enjoy it.

If you managed to snag a King of Kentucky this year, don’t let it sit on your shelf as a trophy. This whiskey was made to be drunk and appreciated. Pour yourself a dram, take your time with it, and savor what 17 years of careful aging and expert barrel selection can achieve.

Long live the King.

Thanks for reading this installment of my fall limited release bourbon series on whiskeyjar.blog. If you managed to snag a limited release bottle this season, let me know in the comments—or better yet, crack it open. Whiskey this good is meant to be drunk and shared with friends. Also, I wanted to plug a new bourbon group on Skool, Bourbonado. The people there seem really nice and the group wants to focus on positivity. So check the group out. Merry Christmas!