Kings County Peated Bourbon Whiskey
Kings County Peated Bourbon Whiskey is what happens when Scotch method meets bourbon law: a mashbill of 75% organic New York corn and 25% Scottish peated malt, double pot-distilled, and aged 14 to 24 months ("two summers") in five-gallon charred new oak barrels. Bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof) in a 750mL bottle, it is the distillery's first-of-its-kind peated bourbon — bonfire smoke over sweet corn. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Mashbill: 75% organic NY corn, 25% Scottish peated malt
- Distillation: Double pot distilled
- Aging: 14–24 months in five-gallon charred new oak barrels
- Style: Peated bourbon — "if scotch and bourbon had a baby"
- Origin: Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York, USA
Scotch Smoke, Bourbon Bones
Kings County — New York City's oldest operating whiskey distillery, founded 2010 in the 1899 Paymaster Building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard — built its name on a pre-Prohibition approach: small barrels, Scottish copper pot stills, New York grain, two-ingredient mashbills. The Peated Bourbon pushes that logic across the Atlantic: Scottish peated malt, exposed to peat smoke, goes into an American bourbon mashbill, and the new-make is double pot-distilled like a Scotch, then aged under bourbon's rules in new charred oak — five-gallon barrels that work fast, giving "two summers" of wood in 14 to 24 months. The distillery calls it the world's first peated bourbon. The fact sheet reports a San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double-Gold (2016) and Gold (2017), ADI Craft Spirit Awards silver medals (2016, 2017), and a 94-point rating in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2017. See the Kings County collection, the bourbon whiskey shelf, and more American whiskey at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
The distillery's fact sheet describes an aroma of bonfire and juicy corn, leading to buttered toast, raisins and caramel on the palate, with a slightly smoky finish carrying hints of biscuits and more sweet corn. A second circulation of the same notes adds s'mores and sea salt on the nose, chocolate-covered pretzels, leather and toasted caramel on the palate, and a lightly salty, thick finish. Smoke first, sweetness underneath — a bourbon that noses like an Islay campfire.
How to Enjoy
Neat, with time in the glass — the bonfire note opens into the caramel and corn with air. A few drops of water tame the smoke and sweeten the palate. It is also the rare bourbon built for a smoky old fashioned.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is peated bourbon? Bourbon made with peated malted barley in the mashbill — here, 25% Scottish peated malt alongside 75% New York corn. It keeps bourbon's legal identity (new charred oak, 51%+ corn) while adding the smoky character associated with Scotch.
How long is it aged? 14 to 24 months in five-gallon charred new oak barrels — small barrels age whiskey fast, so "two summers" delivers real oak character at a young age. It carries no age statement.
Is this the same as Kings County Straight Bourbon? No — different mashbill (75/25 corn/peated malt vs 80/20 corn/Golden Promise barley), different age (14–24 months vs 3–6 years), and peat throughout. Note: the listing's current description mistakenly shows the Straight Bourbon text; the copy here replaces it.
What proof is it? 90 proof / 45% ABV.
Bonfire smoke over sweet corn — order Kings County Peated Bourbon Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.