King of Kentucky 17 Year Old, Cask #42, 2025, 64.5%

A 17-year-old Kentucky bourbon, with a well-defined character in the supplied notes. The nose pairs brown sugar and molasses with seasoned oak, while the palate moves into cocoa, raisin and spiced stewed apple. That shift from rich sweetness to fruit and spice gives the description some welcome shape. The long, oak-driven finish sounds like a fitting close, without making this seem one-note.

Reviewed by silverwren

Nose

Deep brown sugar, Seasoned oak, Molasses, Chestnut, Aged leather, Cherry

Palate

Cocoa powder, Syrup-soaked raisin, Cinnamon syrup, Brown sugar, Cherry cola, Spiced stewed apple

Finish

Long, warming and oak-driven, Lingering dark fruit and spice