Kings County Distillery unveils new flagship whiskey
New York City’s 'oldest whiskey distillery' Kings County has released its flagship blended Bourbon made from house-distilled straight whiskeys.
The ‘bright, complex and approachable’ blend is said to be ‘a multi-occasion whiskey for neat sipping or mixing’. Kings County's Blended Bourbon is presented in a new blue label, differentiating this spirit from Kings County's established Bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys. "As we have done with moonshine and bottled-in-bond, making a blended Bourbon is a way of asking whiskey drinkers to reconsider an overlooked category of spirit," said co-founder and distiller Colin Spoelman. "Blended whiskey is most often associated with crowd-pleasing Scotch or Canadian whiskies. We used the all-but-forgotten category of blended Bourbon to create the American analog to these reliable and endlessly versatile spirits." The ‘open-ended’ definition of Bourbon production allows Kings County's blending team to use the full breadth of its mature inventory to craft the 'complex and purposeful' flavour profile within the lineup. The whiskey offers notes of honey, caramel, and rye pepper and is bottled at 43% ABV. Spoelman continued: “Composed entirely of in-house, pot-distilled straight Bourbon, straight corn whiskey, straight rye whiskey, and malt whiskey, our Blended Bourbon makes for a sippable, lower-proof Bourbon, suitable for nearly any application calling for an approachable American whiskey. “In the interest of providing the drinker with the highest level of transparency and elevating a category historically associated with intentionally vague labelling practices, we list the exact blend composition on every bottle." With the new entry-level aged whiskey will come a reduction in pricing on Kings County's unaged spirits. "While many distillers are raising prices, we are making our whiskeys more affordable and accessible," said Spoelman. "We want to be the distiller that meets the moment for our customers and fans." Kings County Blended Bourbon will be available throughout New York State from 14 September, priced at RRP US$54.99, with national rollout to follow. In June, Kings County Distillery hit back at the Irish Whiskey Association’s (IWA) claim that it was misleading consumers with its Irish Style American Whiskey.
