KO Distilling 10-Year Hazmat

When they both retired early, the question became what next?

Neither Bill nor John was satisfied sitting idle, so in 2013 they set out to create craft spirits rooted in local ingredients, high-quality production methods, and a passion they could share with their community. By 2015, they had broken ground on what would become a state-of-the-art production facility and local attraction in Manassas, Virginia. Their first offerings included unaged craft whiskey and gin, followed in 2016 by their first aged spirit, Bare Knuckle American Wheat Whiskey.

Since then, KO’s Bare Knuckle line has become a great source of bottled whiskey, though still one that feels a bit more under the radar than it should. Around that same time, KO also began expanding distribution into Maryland, Washington DC, and Delaware through their partnership with Prestige-Ledroit Distributing Co., a relationship now entering its 10th year.

This release celebrates that partnership in the most fitting way possible: with a hazmat micro-batch bourbon that has been aging in Virginia for a decade.

In 2015, KO purchased new-make high rye bourbon from a well-respected distillery in Indiana, with a mashbill that checks in at 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. KO had that spirit filled into 80 Kelvin Cooperage barrels with a Char 3 toast, then aged it entirely at their distillery in Manassas.

By late 2025, only nine of those original barrels remained. Each barrel was very close to, or above, 140 proof.

As demand for hazmat whiskey continues to grow, this micro-batch scratches that itch while telling a much deeper story. It brings together Indiana distillate, Virginia maturation, a veteran-founded craft distillery, and a decade-long distribution partnership with PLDC.

This is big, bold, high-proof bourbon with a story that goes far beyond the proof point.

The nose opens rich and syrupy, with thick cherry, maple whipped cream, and singed citrus with nectary melon/tropical fruit. There’s a mix of cherry candy, apricot, and fruit rope sweetness layered over mature oak and almond croissant filling that gives it a darker, old-school bourbon edge. It grows a soft hickory smoke the longer it opens, balancing the sweeter maple cotton candy notes with a more seasoned, barrel-driven profile.

The palate is creamy and sticky, carrying those same cherry and maple notes into a richer mix of chocolate, oak, and baking spice. The fruit stays bright, almost like candy necklace meets luxardo syrup, but there’s enough sugary oak to keep it grounded. A gentle heat builds through the sip but still drinks lower than you’d imagine, bringing a little grip and spice without overwhelming the sweeter, more integrated mouthfeel.

The finish lingers with creamy oak, boozy cherries, hickory smoke, and a long tingle of spice. That maple sweetness hangs around, giving the whiskey a rich, clinging finish and plenty of familiar nods to that sweet-yet-mature GTS-like character.