King of Kentucky 17 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey 2025
Barrel strength (proof varies by barrel) | 750mL | 17 years old | Single barrel Kentucky straight bourbon | 79% corn / 11% rye / 10% malted barley | Brown-Forman, Louisville KY — King of Kentucky 17 Year Old 2025 is the eighth annual release of Brown-Forman's most prestigious bourbon: a brand established in 1881 and revived in 2018. The 2025 release draws from just 63 single barrels filled in 2007, hand-selected by Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris from the fourth floor of Warehouse J and the first floor of Warehouse G — yielding approximately 5,000 hand-filled, wax-dipped, individually numbered bottles worldwide. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
Seventeen years in heat-cycled Kentucky rickhouses is vanishingly rare in American whiskey — the 17-year designation is the oldest and rarest age statement in the series. Each barrel is bottled at its natural cask strength (the 2025 barrels range roughly 124–135 proof), so no two barrels taste alike. The house notes promise dark brown sugar, seasoned oak, molasses, chestnut, aged leather, and syrup-soaked raisin on the nose; cocoa, cherry cola, cinnamon syrup, and spiced stewed apple on the palate; and a long, warming finish of dry leather, oak tannins, and rye spice. Among ultra-aged single-barrel bourbons, King of Kentucky sits a tier above even Old Forester Birthday Bourbon in rarity.
Tasting notes
Nose: dark brown sugar, seasoned oak, molasses, chestnut, aged leather, raisin. Palate: cocoa powder, cherry cola, cinnamon syrup, brown sugar, spiced stewed apple. Finish: dry leather, aged oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, rye spice. (Official/Brown-Forman notes; proof varies by barrel.)
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 17 years old — filled 2007, the rarest age statement in the series
- Single barrel, bottled at natural cask strength (approx. 124–135 proof across the release)
- Only 63 barrels, ~5,000 bottles worldwide — hand-filled, wax-dipped, individually numbered
- Selected by Chris Morris from Warehouses J and G, Louisville, KY
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a Glencairn with rest — at cask strength, a little water is not a crime; it's a tool.
Frequently asked questions
What proof is this bottle?
This barrel was bottled at 130.4 proof (2025 release range: roughly 124–135 proof).
Why is King of Kentucky so rare?
Brown-Forman releases only a handful of qualifying barrels each year; the 2025 release is just 63 barrels, ~5,000 bottles total.
Who makes King of Kentucky?
Brown-Forman, distilled and aged in Louisville, Kentucky.
Is this a good investment?
It's one of the most collectible annual American whiskey releases — buy it because you love the whiskey; rarity is the bonus.