Kings County Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Review

Updated: Jan 28, 2021

The Brooklyn's based distiller's bottle-in-bond expression drops by for a long awaited reunion.

The Story

The last time I had a bourbon from Kings County Distillery was back in 2017. My girlfriend (now fiancé) brought a bottle of their Straight Bourbon Whiskey home with her after a weekend trip to New York City. At the time I had never heard of Kings County Distillery, but was excited to try a craft bourbon from Brooklyn, New York. That bottle left such an impression that I saved it and it's currently being used as a simple syrup container in my fridge.

You're probably wondering why I waited so long to find another bottle. There's two reasons for that. The first being Kings County Distillery bourbons aren't widely available in stores outside of New York and few major markets on the east coast of the U.S. The second reason is, Kings County's whiskeys weren't accessible online until fairly recently. Once I realized they were available online, I immediately ordered three 200ml bottles of their primary bourbon expressions. I choose the bottled-in-bond for this review because its was the first bottle I saw when I opened the package from UPS.

I choose the bottle-in-bond for this review because its was the first bottle I saw when I opened the package from UPS.

When I was finally able to sit down with my newly acquired bottle of Kings County Bottled-in-bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey, it was at the end of a very long day. The house was dark and no longer buzzing with the busyness of the day. It's always moments like this that remind me way it's important to keep good company around. By good company I obviously mean bourbon.

The first thing I noticed about this bottle-in-bond from Kings County is it's ornate ribbon label covering the stopper. It says "distilled in the fall of 2015" and "bottled in the spring of 2020". Love seeing an age statement on any bottle, let alone one that's elegantly incorporated into a bottle design like this.

Before I get to the tasting notes, I quickly want to acknowledge that Kings County does an amazing job with their bottle design. Even though the bottle I purchased was only a 200ml bottle, I was impressed by it's quality. The bottle's glass flask design, minimalist label, and aluminum twist stopper all feel premium. You can tell that Kings County really sweats the details.

That bottle of Kings County Straight Bourbon Whiskey was unlike any other bourbon I had experienced at the time. To this day, it's one of my most memorable bourbon experiences.

Tasting Notes

On the nose King's County Bottled-in-Bond is full of sweetness and warmth. There's strong notes of dark fruits, smoked wood, and a pleasant amount of heat. It's a fantastic first impression. The palate is comes across as sweet with a little spice that bounces around on your tongue. There's a distinctive sweet smoked hickory wood note that I've learned to associate with bourbons that are distilled from copper pot stills. Which to no surprise Kings County uses. If you're looking for a comparison, it's a similar wood note that can be found in bourbons from Balcones (Texas) and New Holland Spirits (Michigan), both of which use copper stills.

The good news is that Kings County's Bottled-in-Bond is a damn fine bourbon whiskey. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. The nose is border line intoxicating. The mouthfeel is excellent. Its tasting notes are robust. And the finish is warm with notes of rye, clove, and honey that linger after each sip. There really isn't a whole lot more you can ask for from any bourbon.

I will absolutely be stocking my bar with another bottle now that I know it's obtainable to share with friends and family. BRBNRY normally rates our bottle reviews on Kentucky Miles, but we're making an exception for Kings County who proudly distills their bourbon and others whiskeys in Brooklyn, New York. Gotta give respect, where respect is due.

Final Score: 245 out of 285 New York State Miles (Fantastic, high quality bourbon)