Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
What felt like rivers of whiskey went gushing through the cobblestone streets, commingling with streams of maple syrup, scattered splotches of blood, and other illicit spirits as thick clouds of musket smoke wafted above. The shouts of raiding army infantry men and the tax-evading distillers they’d been ordered to bring to justice thundered through the air.
After the federal government passed an exorbitant tax on liquor distillers in 1862 to help pay for the Civil War, iterations of this chaotic scene would be repeated on the Brooklyn waterfront multiple times throughout the 1860’s. The series of raids, skirmishes, & outright battles would eventually come to be known as The Whiskey Wars of Brooklyn.
Some 150 years later, onto almost the exact site, and keenly aware of the history they were associating with, King’s County Distillery became the first post-prohibition distillery to open in New York. Launched in 2010, King’s County distillery sits in the historic Paymaster building in the Brooklyn Naval Yard near the East River’s Wallabout Bay.
And while it’s unlikely we’ll find the proprietors engaged in hand to hand combat with federal troops to avoid paying duties on their drams (which is honestly kind of an American tradition ) co-founders Colin Spoelman and David Haskell bring that same spirit of rebellion to their entirely-grown-and-produced-in-New York whiskey venture.
One of their latest releases, and the first new product they’ve launched since 2015(!), upholds that—thus far pretty successful—tradition of disruption & innovation. Labeled simply as King’s County Distillery Blended Bourbon, it’s a light bodied, 2 year aged blend of straight bourbon, straight corn whiskey, straight rye, & malt whiskey, all pot-distilled in house from New York grown grains.
Malty, sweet, and as approachable as a golden retriever puppy, the Blended Bourbon has already been added to the King’s County line-up of flagship whiskeys, next to their straight bourbon, peated bourbon, & moonshine, meaning we can likely expect to see the team tinker & evolve the line as their juice continues to age. Despite the limitations of immaturity on this particular release, if the early returns are any indication of where they’re headed, whiskey lovers have a lot to look forward to.
Tasting Notes: King’s County Distillery Blended Bourbon
Trending Stories
Vital Stats: 86 proof (43% ABV), Age: 2 years,
Appearance: dark straw to brilliant yellow
Nose: exuberant Sweet corn and vanilla leap out of the glass at you. Some malic undertones and subtle banana notes follow, undergirded with hints of ginger and clove. Time in the glass saw the release of some candied orange and lemon peel aromas.
Palate: This sits lightly on the palate despite a marked unctuous quality that is typical of corn whiskeys. A bit shallow, with the sweet corn and vanilla giving way to a little oak before it all falls away rather quickly giving over to a slightly vegetal and spicy rye finish.
Latest News