Bourbon

Bourbon Review: King Of Kentucky Bourbon 2023 Edition

We review King Of Kentucky Bourbon Sixth Edition, a yearly, premium Brown-Forman bourbon release that this time around is 16 years old and 125.8 proof.

OVERALL RATING

9
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King Of Kentucky Bourbon Sixth Edition review

Tasting Notes

About:

16 year old Kentucky straight bourbon; 125.8 proof; mashbill 79% corn, 11% rye, 10% malted barley; 3,800 bottles released; $299.99 MSRP.
Appearance:
You see the age reflected in the glass almost immediately. A somewhat darker brownish-orange, showcasing what 16 years in barrel does. Not much in legs with this one.
Nose:
Those warm, spicy vanilla notes one expects from an older bourbon are there even before I zone into to sniff near the glass. There’s some oak there, but it is pretty muted for a venerable American whiskey like this. Interchanging with these are hints of orange marmalade and, dare I say, some candy corn.
Palate:
This zings onto the palate right away, the initial heat of this older, cask strength bourbon immediately noticeable. Cinnamon reaches across the tongue in short order, joined by graham crackers, chocolate, madeira and, in a very minor fashion, oak and vanilla. The finish is long and hardy, reminding you even old timers have some punch left in them.
Finish:
Comments:
Brown-Forman nails it with its King Of Kentucky Bourbon 2023 Edition. The challenges of bottling older bourbons while avoiding over oaking prove in this case to be no challenge at all, resulting in an American whiskey which showcases the ability of a strong distillery team to master older barrels.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award-winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y globally. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert, and judge, he has written extensively about the subject, been interviewed in various media outlets, and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions.

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