Bourbon Reviews, Distillery News and Information
King of Kentucky Is Back For 2025
Discover the return of a true American whiskey icon. The 2025 release of King of Kentucky is here—aged 17 years and bottled at barrel proof. With only 5,000 bottles produced, this limited-edition single barrel bourbon is a bourbon lover’s dream. Read on to learn what makes this year’s release a masterpiece worth the hunt.
Press Release
Aged to Perfection: The 2025 King of Kentucky Release Is a 17-Year-Old Masterpiece
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Iconic Bourbon Returns for Eighth Annual Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — King of Kentucky, one of the most sought-after bottles in American whiskey, returns in 2025 for its eighth year with a high-proof single barrel expression aged for 17 years.
Barrels Hand-Selected by Chris Morris
“This is the ultimate expression of American whiskey—a bold, robust bourbon that has been aged to perfection,” said Brown-Forman Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris. “These 63 barrels, personally selected and tasted from the highest-quality warehouses, are a true masterpiece.”
Limited Production and Barrel Origins
Only 5,000 bottles were produced from the 63 single barrels, with proofs ranging from 124.4 to 135. Morris personally selected these barrels from the 4th floor of Warehouse J and the first floor of Warehouse G at the Brown-Forman Distillery. The liquid is from two production dates in 2007.
Legacy and Brand History
King of Kentucky was established in 1881 as a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Brown-Forman acquired the brand in 1936 from Selected Kentucky Distillers and discontinued it in 1968. In 2018, Brown-Forman revived the label, paying homage to the brand’s past. Due to the rarity of these barrels, there is no defined annual volume.
Packaging and Pricing
All 2025 King of Kentucky bottles, with suggested retail price of $399, are filled, bottled, wax-dipped, and numbered by hand inside a custom canister. Each bottle provides details including the proof, age, warehouse location, lot number, serial number, and barrel number.
Will you be hunting for the 2025 King of Kentucky? Next, read about some other bourbons from Brown-Forman: Old Forester 1910 Extra Extra Old Bourbon Review and Old Forester 2025 Birthday Bourbon Review.
Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!
About the author: Ed Escott is truly "Bourbon Obsessed". He is the founder of Bourbon Obsessed, LLC, and an Executive Bourbon Steward of the Stave and Thief Society. In addition, he has authored and edited over 600 bourbon and other whiskey reviews, over 50 in-depth distillery write-ups, and many other related articles. He is on the board of the Kentucky Bourbon Influencers and a member of the Lexington Bourbon Society and the Bourbon Capital Guild. Last, but not least, Ed has attended many bourbon-related educational sessions, visited countless distilleries, and is on a never-ending quest to try every bourbon.
Prior to focusing solely on Bourbon Obsessed, Ed practiced in academic medicine for three decades. He most recently was a Professor at the University of Kentucky and served as Chief of the Division of Neuroradiology and Vice Chair For Faculty Mentoring, Development & Wellness of the Department of Radiology. He has extensive editorial experience in academic medical publication, and brings that same academic mindset to Bourbon Obsessed, which is a unique approach for a spirit-focused media company.
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