King of Kentucky 15 Year Bourbon (2019 Release)

Excellent. Just decadent. Does not beat you over the head with proof. Does not beat you over the head with crazy complexity. There are a lot of flavors, sure, but they are archetypal classic BOURBON flavors. Just amped to the max. I think this is like, the pinnacle of what a classic bourbon can expect to be. It's great, and at $299 MSRP I would buy it and enjoy it.

Barrel 20. Fantastic pour with loads of caramel, brown sugar, nuts, and spices. Nose: Caramel, White Chocolate, Brown Sugar, Marshmallows, Apricots, Pineapples Palate: Caramel, Blackberries, Pecan Pie, Luxardo Cherries, Dark Chocolate, Raspberries, Cinnamon, Peppermint Bark, Raisins, Licorice, Nutmeg, Cloves Finish: Brown Sugar, Pecans, Honey, Brown Sugar, Hazlenuts, Raisins, Tobacco, Leather, Toasted Oak

Sweet spicy nose full of carmel and baking spices this is a quintessential bourbon amped up to 11 

Strong at first, but very mellow with a few ice cubes (this is such a newbie note)

Molasses and maple all day. Big big big and Long long long finish. Balanced extremely over well and not overoaked.

There is a stretch of country road along side Glenns Creek in central KY that has three distilleries within about five miles. Near the midpoint of the stretch is a tavern/cafe named The Stave. Foods good but for purposes of this review. the bourbon list is incredible, maybe 200 selections. 1oz pours are mostly reasonable in price. King of KY was 22 for an oz. Jim Rutledge is know to have said that he enjoys a nominal pour and then just sniff it for the evening. This is right up his alley! The pour came in a 2oz shot glass and was a dark tobacco color. The legs were thick and beefy hanging on the glass. The aroma was incredible led by brown sugar and morphing to citrus one time, maple the next, then cinnamon. Always a little leather and oak in the background. Each whiff a tad different. I have never enjoyed sniffing a bourbon so much. The palate is heavy on the brown sugar in a creme brulee sort of way. It's chewy and the flavors linger. Incredibly complex, perfectly aged. For me, it's the perfect bourbon and lives up to the hype.

The nose immediately reminds me of bourbon from the '60s. Leathery and chewy. Old rubber gaskets. Which is good because I love the smell of old rubber gaskets. The initial taste brings tears to my eyes. Not because it's amazing but because of the heat. Not in a bad way. Just instant. It doesn't taste like old dusty-shelved whiskey, which is disappointing because I love old dusty-shelved whiskey. After the heat subsides I'm left with a long cinnamon-cherry finish. The second taste is is much less sharp. Burnt caramel intersects the place where chocolate meets leather. Not an everyday sipper but pretty damn delicious.