King of Kentucky Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon 2020 Release

14 years. 130.6 proof cask strength. Brown-Forman's most age-forward and powerful annual release — the King of Kentucky Single Barrel.

King of Kentucky is Brown-Forman's flagship limited annual release — a single barrel, cask-strength bourbon from the Brown-Forman Distillery in Shively, Kentucky, selected by the production team from barrels they have determined have peaked at 14 years. It is a premium expression well above the Old Forester lineup, designed to showcase what Brown-Forman's distilling program can achieve at extended age and full barrel strength.

The 2020 was bottled at 130.6 proof — at the high end of the brand's typical 125–135 proof range — from a mahogany-colored bourbon with a mashbill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. The nose offers aged oak, cigar box, leather, honey, and dark cherries; the palate delivers big aged oak, rye spice, tobacco, chocolate, caramel, and vanilla; the finish is long and drying with aged oak, a distinctive Dr. Pepper sweet note, light cinnamon, and a lingering dry aftertaste. It is a powerful, complex bourbon that rewards the patient drinker.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Mahogany — deep and dark from 14 years in the barrel.
• Nose: Aged oak, cigar box, leather, honey, and dark cherries.
• Palate: Big aged oak, rye spice, tobacco, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and a musty, robust warmth from the cask strength.
• Finish: Long and drying — aged oak, a Dr. Pepper sweet note, light cinnamon, and a lingering dry aftertaste.

Specs

• Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery, Shively, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Single Barrel
• Mashbill: 79% corn, 11% rye, 10% malted barley
• Age: 14 years
• Proof: 130.6 (65.3% ABV) — proofs range 125–135 across individual barrels
• Size: 750ml
• Release: September 2020 annual release

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the King of Kentucky's relationship to Old Forester? Both are produced at Brown-Forman's distillery in Shively, Kentucky, and share the same facility and distilling team. Old Forester is the flagship ongoing lineup. King of Kentucky is the annual limited release at the top of Brown-Forman's bourbon hierarchy — significantly older (14 years vs Old Forester's standard 4–7), cask strength, and single barrel.
• Why does King of Kentucky vary in proof between bottles? Single barrel bourbons are bottled from individual casks without blending or proofing — each barrel arrives at its own natural proof depending on its specific aging conditions, warehouse position, and evaporation rate. The 2020 was bottled at 130.6 proof; individual barrels from the same release may differ slightly.
• What does the "Dr. Pepper sweet note" in the finish mean? It is a specific flavor descriptor used for aged American bourbons — a complex, dark fruit and caramel sweetness with a slightly medicinal quality that some drinkers associate with the soft drink. It is a characteristic of well-aged, high-rye bourbons and is considered a positive indicator of extended maturation quality.
• Is King of Kentucky a limited release? Yes — it is a single barrel annual release. Each year's bottling reflects a specific cohort of selected barrels. Once sold out, individual annual releases are not restocked.