Review: King of Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon Batch #1

Upon its launch, King of Kentucky quickly attained unicorn status, with its annually releases single barrel bourbon spiraling ever higher in price as its age slowly ratcheted up. Now the brand is expanding, and not in the direction you would probably expect: the King of Kentucky Small Batch Collection will be a blend of bourbons, showcasing barrels aged 12 to 18 years old. Per the bottler, some barrels had exceptionally high evaporation, with just 16 percent of the liquid remaining. The derived mashbill (a blend of two) is 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley.

KoK Small Batch is being released in numbered batches. The first three hit in 2026, with more destined to come. We received batch #1 for review — a 105 proof expression. Batches #2 and #3 are bottled at 107.5 and 110 proof respectively. All are priced at $299 per bottle.

Let’s try the inaugural release.

King of Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon Batch #1 Review

Approachable but rather austere on the nose. There’s clearly some age here, and the woody, charry aromatic profile makes it easy to believe that some of this whiskey came from nearly empty barrels. Toasted oats and a mix of cinnamon, clove, and vanilla overtones give this a spicier nuance once it sees some time in glass, and I recommend letting your Glencairn sit for a good 10 minutes before tucking into it, as things really do coalesce nicely.

The palate runs to vanilla right away, then reaches for the cinnamon and some cardamom. There’s a not subtle anise quality present that recalls anisette cookies, complete with icing and sprinkles. Ultimately the whiskey settles into a groove that reveals butterscotch, chased with a smear of green herbs — rosemary and a curious parsley note — and a final push of gritty, tannic creosote. The finish is warming but not hot, with spice lingering over the sugar.

This is surely a solid whiskey, but it never really moves the goalposts — and it’s certainly a tough sell at $300 (and up) when put up against King of Kentucky’s dazzling single barrel releases. I don’t want to downplay this: I really enjoyed this whiskey, and I’m curious to try the other batches — and additional ones as they arrive — but thinking about them probably isn’t going to keep me up at night.

105 proof.

A- / $299 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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