Nathan & Ryan - master blenders for Kings County Distillery - are true artists when it comes to the delicate work of aging in small barrels. The venture from DC to Brooklyn will always be worth it, even if it’s only to visit Kings County and hear the guys wax poetic about the 1 & 2% adjustments they make throughout their process of pursuing the perfect blend.
I had the pleasure of starting this year off with a visit to their blending office to taste through north of 10 samples across the whiskey categories. While I wasn’t short of satisfying options to walk away with, there was something undeniably special about the levels of depth, character and complexity in this particular blend. There was no way we couldn’t snag it for our Seelbach’s audience.
This exclusive expression of Kings County’s Empire Rye is not only their oldest rye release by a significant margin at 7 years old, but also a beautiful example of a blend of all small-format barrels - coming in at 68% ABV at that.
This sweet and inviting beast is all sorts of fragrant maple, sticky date syrup, concord grape juice, and brandied cherries with a bit of bacon jam, raw cacao, and liquid smoke to boot. It continues with those dense, dark raisin and plum notes Kings County is known for, with fragrant honeycomb and toasted barrel char.
The palate is robust and intense - while it carries cherry barbecue, grape juice concentrate, and plum notes like the nose it comes off more bright and sweet with dense apple notes as well.
The finish is long - dry yet gripping, with plenty of oak tannins and wood spice as well as overcooked caramel and dark chocolate with fried biscuits and thick apple butter.
