The spirits portfolio from Kentucky’s Copper & Kings has been a bit in every single place since they began distilling a decade in the past. Whereas principally specializing in brandy in quite a few types and finishes, they’ve additionally dabbled with gins, absinthe, and even triple sec. However regardless of distilling in downtown Louisville, the beating coronary heart of America’s bourbon increase, they by no means deigned to supply the identical brown water as their neighbors. Till not too long ago, that’s.
Copper & Kings Bourbon is a sourced mix of straight bourbon whiskeys aged 5, 10, and 15 years and completed within the distillery’s personal Apple Brandy barrels for a full 12 months. At the very least some interval of getting old, presumably the in-house ending time, has utilized C&Okay’s sonic getting old course of, an idea not not like Blackened that depends on subwoofers to pulsate the liquid towards the barrel wall, thereby rising floor contact.
This isn’t the primary time a bourbon has been completed in Copper & Kings brandy casks. Previous makes an attempt have been made in collaboration with Bardstown Bourbon Co. and FEW (amongst most likely others), however with marginal success. Bringing the method beneath Copper & King’s purview has apparently made a world of distinction. The aroma is wealthy and layered with heat notes of darkish caramel, buttery toffee, and gooey apple pie filling. Because it opens, issues loosen up a bit with brighter notes of sweet apple and butterscotch. On the palate, an preliminary rush of caramel apple offers option to warming darkish spices that simmer throughout the sip. It’s well-balanced with an virtually creamy texture. Notes of candied citrus, baking spice, and brown butter unfurl on the midpalate earlier than a beneficiant end of clove, apple turnover, and candied citrus arrives. The flavors right here aren’t something significantly new, even with the added orchard fruit dimension, however all the pieces comes along with spectacular steadiness and depth.
The distillery introduced their new bourbon in October of final 12 months, and it was largely overshadowed by a very busy launch season that noticed a bunch of shiny new whiskeys from larger manufacturers. That’s a disgrace as a result of this bourbon ranks up there with among the higher current releases, in my view. Right here’s hoping there’s extra bourbon to come back from this little brandy distillery.
111 proof.
A- / $65 / copperandkings.com
Copper & Kings Kentucky Straight Bourbon
$65
