Review: King Of Kentucky's 2025 Bourbon Is Absolutely Worth A King's Ransom

Bourbon whiskey is widely considered America's native spirit, and one that distillers must make in the U.S. for it to bear the name. In recent years, distillers have made a decisive marketing shift, offering limited allotments of well-aged, premium bottles of the corn-based liquor at exceedingly high prices. These whiskeys can age for decades in charred oak barrels, such as the longest-aged bourbon to date from James Thompson & Brother, and cost several hundred dollars to tens of thousands, including selections from Eagle Rare, Old Rip Van Winkle, Russell's Reserve, and the new King of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. 

King of Kentucky's limited-release, small-production 2025 expression will be available starting October 1. Brown-Forman Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris says in a press release shared with Tasting Table that the bourbon is the "ultimate expression of American whiskey — a bold, robust bourbon that has been aged to perfection." To verify if his claims are accurate and determine if the bourbon is worth investing a few hundred dollars, I obtained a sample from the distillery to conduct a taste test. I utilized my education and expertise as a trained certified sommelier with over 20 years of experience in the wine and spirits field, combined with my palate as a longtime bourbon lover, to help me analyze the spirit. Here are the results.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

King of Kentucky began in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1881, producing Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. In 1936, Brown-Forman acquired the brand, changing its recipe to a blended whiskey in 1940. By 1968, production on the brand was discontinued. The historic label was revived in 2018 by Brown-Forman. As a tribute to the original recipe, the distillery began offering an annual, limited-edition, high-proof, single-barrel straight bourbon whiskey. Each edition is hand-selected by Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris. Initial offerings included bourbons aged 14, 15, 16, and 18 years. The 2025 single-barrel bourbon release, King of Kentucky's eighth edition, is aged 17 years from two production dates in 2008.

Brown-Forman specifies the location and warehouse of the barrels for each year's release; noting this is important, as the atmosphere will affect the final characteristics of the liquor inside the barrels. Brown-Forman's heat-cycled warehouses keep temperatures regulated, even throughout the cold winter months, ensuring a constant, consistent aging. Morris chose two locations and warehouses for the barrels for this year's release: the fourth floor of Warehouse J, where the liquor has an average proof of 130.5, and the first floor of Warehouse G, with an average proof of 125.9. Higher floors tend to have warmer, drier temperatures, which causes water in the alcohol to evaporate more, increasing the alcohol content. Warm temperatures also cause the liquor to expand into the wood, absorbing the barrel's oaky characteristics and creating a bold flavor with a smooth profile.

King of Kentucky's annual limited-edition bourbon expressions can certainly be called unicorn whiskeys, given their rarity. In all likelihood, that you'll never see one of these bottles at your local liquor store. Still, this year, Brown-Forman has increased the number of bottles available compared to previous years. The initial 2018 offering included only 960 bottles. Brown-Forman released around 1,900 bottles in 2020. This year, the distillery will release 5,000 bottles from 63 hand-selected barrels. 

There is also a slightly higher price this year. Each bottle will sell for $399, $50 more than the 16-year-old King of Kentucky release in 2024. Still, the bourbon's limited availability is one of its essential selling points. The high demand for a finite number of bottles released annually helps to justify the price of this ultra-premium bourbon. While the price is high, the cost may be justified if purchasing a bottle as a commodity or a collector's item, rather than for its enjoyment. Limited quantities of previous editions of King of Kentucky are available at high-end retailers and on the secondary market for thousands of dollars. 

The distillery packages the ultra-premium bourbon in a hand-numbered bottle and seals it with wax. Each bottle will include the alcohol's proof (ranging from 124.4 to 135), specific warehouse location, age, and the barrel number. Bottles will be available at select retail locations in Kentucky, Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, the New York City metro area, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas.

The eighth edition of King of Kentucky has a mash bill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley, the same Brown-Forman has used in previous editions of the spirit. The influence of the charred new oak barrels is apparent throughout the sample, as aging liquor in oak imparts various characteristics into the spirit, including smoke, spice, fruit, and confectionary notes, which are intensified by varying degrees of barrel toasting and charring. The charring is essential to bourbon production, as it brings the oak's characteristics out as the liquor ages. King of Kentucky is non-chill filtered, ensuring the bourbon has a robust flavor, with a mouth-coating texture, complexity, and bold, authentic character.

Aromas of butterscotch, caramel corn, smoky oak, and toffee meld with chocolate-covered dark cherries in the 2025 expression. Though the bourbon is 127 proof, the alcohol burn was not apparent in the aroma, as I was able to take in the well-rounded scents easily, without sensing the ethanol in my nose. The initial high-alcohol burn was on the palate. However, a single ice cube softened the sting, slightly diluting the alcohol without removing it completely. The bourbon's mouthfeel showed rich viscosity and a mouth-coating texture. The palate's flavors are appealing and complex, engaging you with sweet and savory characteristics, including freshly flamed creme brûlée, caramelized toffee, roasted chestnuts, dried fruits, white pepper, and earthy, toasted oak.

There are many mistakes you can make when drinking bourbon, particularly if you are not accustomed to drinking high-end, high-proof liquors. Products like King of Kentucky are best enjoyed on their own, sipped neat or with a single ice cube, rather than poured into cocktails that will hide their rich, robust flavors behind juices, sodas, or other mixers. This is top-shelf bourbon.

Whiskey aficionados may suggest sipping the spirit from a tulip-shaped Glencairn glass, as the round bowl that narrows at the top will help concentrate the aromas. While I appreciate the vessel, especially for evaluating spirits, I prefer to drink from a low-ball, rocks-style tumbler with a weighted bottom. It feels good in your hand and is easy to drink from. While some enjoy sipping premium whiskeys like this on their own without a complementary pairing, the bourbon also works with foods, especially those with rich, fatty flavors, including sweet and savory options. Consider trying it with a well-marbled, char-grilled ribeye steak or pork belly burnt ends to bring out the smoky notes in the bourbon, or with pecan pie to accentuate the roasted, nutty notes.

If you are a fan of high-proof whiskey, you will likely enjoy the 2025 expression from King of Kentucky. The bourbon is rich, well-rounded, and authentic, showing a robust palate that combines earthy, savory characteristics with sweet flavors and subtle confectionery notes. While the price may be a king's ransom, Brown-Forman delivers on the quality, producing a product worthy of your bar cart. 

The producer successfully washed away any concerns I had that the 17-year-old bourbon was aged too long after the first sip, as the bourbon gracefully coated my palate. Though the oak was apparent, it did not overwhelm or diminish the other aromas and flavors in the product. Perhaps it was because of the time of year of this King of Kentucky release, but sipping the high-proof whiskey transported me to a fall harvest fair where aromas and flavors of caramel corn, caramel apples, roasted chestnuts, maple, toffee, and smoky bonfires fill the air. These flavors lingered on the palate long after I finished the glass.