Warm maple syrup | Dark burnt caramel | Butterscotch | Amaretto | Coffee bean | Barrel char | Potent but nowhere near as you’d expect

Fig | Cherry rhubarb | Vanilla extract | Baking spice | Dark brown sugar | Touch of mint | Hot

Quick drop in heat | Heavy oak | Leather | Lingering molasses

Finding a 140 proof bourbon is always a treat (in a sort of masochist kind of way). When Kings County released a 300 bottle allotment of their 6 year old bourbon, I jumped at the chance to try it without even taking notice of its proof. Having reviewed their 3+ year old Barrel Strength Bourbon and also their 4 year old Bottled in Bond Bourbon, Kings County is on their way to becoming a standout distillery putting out an equally standout product. Like many distilleries, I had been waiting for them to release an older whiskey, not because their younger products are flawed, but because greatness seemed to await them.  

Kings County Barrel Strength 6 Year Blender’s Reserve is proof of that. Incredibly rich - which is sort of a given based on its proof - it further brings with it a deepening of all of the brand’s typical flavor notes, while adding complexity. Strangely, at 140 proof it isn’t a barn burner. While hot, it’s oddly tame given past experiences with ultra high proof bourbons. This was also a release that benefited greatly from having been open for a week which allowed the whiskey to open up and blossom (tasted on multiple occasions during this time). The whiskey started incredibly tight, where its proof got in the way of its flavors. Over a short amount of time a reversal occurred and a balancing took place.  

Having just tasted multiple barrels of Kings County slightly younger than this release, confirms that the distillery has a lot of great whiskey forthcoming. Kings County Barrel Strength 6 Year Blender’s Reserve is a great example of this and a standout product on its own.