King of Kentucky Returns With More Barrels and a Younger Bourbon
Artfully Bourbon / October 1, 2026Brown-Forman selected 99 barrels for this year’s release, up from 63 in 2025, and dropped the age statement from 17 to 14 years.
King of Kentucky's annual single-barrel release is getting younger and drawing from more barrels, while keeping its suggested price around $400.
Brown-Forman announced the 2026 release on October 1: a 14-year bourbon drawn from 99 barrels, with proofs ranging from 125 to 135 and a suggested retail price of $400. Distribution is limited to select markets nationwide.
What to know
- Age: 14 years
- Proof: 125–135, depending on the barrel
- Suggested retail price: $400
- Release: Annual fall release, limited quantities
- Availability: Select U.S. markets
- Barrels: 99 total, including 51 from Warehouse I's third floor and 48 from Warehouse L's first floor
Each bottle carries its own proof, age, warehouse location, lot, serial and barrel numbers. Bottles are hand-numbered and presented in a canister.
Why it matters
Last year's release was 17 years old and came from 63 barrels, yielding 5,000 bottles. This year's selection adds 36 barrels and drops the age statement by three years. That does not establish a corresponding increase in bottle count; the 2026 announcement does not specify total yield.
The single-barrel release also follows February's introduction of King of Kentucky Small Batch, a three-batch collection blending bourbon aged 12–18 years, suggested at $299. Brown-Forman said then that the annual fall single-barrel expression would continue. This release follows through on that commitment.
The AB take
At $400, we’d want a chance to taste this release before committing to a bottle. For returning buyers, the younger age statement makes that especially useful: experience with last year’s release can inform expectations, but this year’s whiskey deserves its own assessment.
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