Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon Review

Old Forester King Ranch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
105 Proof
MSRP: $69.99
Texas Only
Review

Please enjoy our Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon Review!

Buy King Ranch Bourbon at Frootbat!

According to the press release, Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon is “A proprietary batch using heavily charred barrels filtered through King Ranch Mesquite Charcoal.” King Ranch Bourbon was first released in Texas in November 2022 and “celebrates the rich history of the Brown family of Brown-Forman and descendants of King Ranch founder Richard King”. The press release goes on to say that this is the first iteration, so presumably there will be other versions sometime in the future.

This bottle has been waiting for me at my Mother-In-Law’s house in Dallas since November, so I was very happy to finally be able to pick it up!

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛌 Rested for 15 minutes in an Aged & Ore Neat Glass

👉Nose: Cherry candy & black cherry soda; caramel & vanilla; subtle smoke from mesquite embers; even more subtle banana; relatively mild alcohol for the proof
👉Taste: Caramel & cherry candy; banana later on; honey and brown sugar sweetness with a bit of mesquite smoke
👉Finish: The cherry turns tart; the banana remains; then there’s rapidly growing white pepper spice which lasts, but fades, and is joined by lingering char and dryness; long finish; moderate burn

There’s a smokiness to this bourbon that is present throughout, but is quite subtle, until the finish. However, Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon is not smoky like a peated scotch; it’s not that kind of smoke at all. Rather, it brings to mind some Texas barbecue, which according to my wife is only brisket, but I know they do cook some other meats down there. Later on, the smoke and char become more pronounced in the finish, but again not like peat; it’s a bit more like the taste you have later on in the evening after smoking a cigar.

King Ranch Bourbon Sounds Similar to Old Forester 1910. Is it?

From the description, I thought that this might taste like Old Forester 1910, which also uses heavily charred barrels. However, Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon is nothing like the 1910. In fact, other than sweetness, banana and some caramel, it is like no other Old Forester bourbon that I have had. Instead of the rich, soothing barrel flavors of the 1910, King Ranch has quite a bit more of a bite to it. It’s good, but you have to prepare yourself for a different experience than you are probably expecting.

Conclusion

Overall, the Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon provides a pleasant, but different, experience than I would generally expect from an Old Forester bourbon. If you are in the mood for some of the Old Fo’ flavors mixed with a bit of cherry, some smoke and Texas barbecue, with more spice than usual, then you’ll want to give King Ranch Bourbon a try. That is, if you live in Texas. Otherwise, you’ll have a bit more trouble finding a bottle. In fact, since it was originally released back in November, it’s probably going to be easier just to wait for the next release or to find it in a bar. It could be worth it.

Have you tried Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

Buy King Ranch Bourbon at Frootbat!

We hope you have enjoyed our Old Forester King Ranch Bourbon Review! Would you like to learn about some more Old Forester Bourbons? Then you’ll want to read our Old Forester 1910 Bourbon Review and our Old Forester 1870 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!