Just last month I visited King's County Distillery in Brooklyn. Founded in 2010, it is the oldest distillery in New York City. Founders Colin Spoelman and David Haskell first established the distillery in East Williamsburg, but moved into the historic Paymaster building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2016. Kings County Distillery was named Distillery of the Year in 2016 by the American Distilling Institute. They were again named Distillery of the Year at the New Orleans Spirits Competition (during Tales of the Cocktail) in 2023.
I was lucky enough to taste with Distillery Manager Brandon Collins, and experienced and talented distiller. His resume is incredibly impressive. Brandon earned a Master’s Degree in Chemistry from The Ohio State University, and then worked as a Protein Crystallographer in the pharmaceutical industry for 13 years before changing lanes into distilling. He was a brewer at Black Hog Brewing, and then a distiller at Connecticut Distilling, Buffalo Trace, Long Island Spirits, Taconic Distillery, and now King's County (the last two years). I have drank a lot of Brandon's whiskeys over the years.
I have been a fan of King's County since they first debuted. Their Moonshine, made in New York City, was iconic, and they laid down much of the ground work for distilleries within the city limit, as well as being a trendsetter in the state, on the east coast, and indeed, nationwide. Amongst their offerings I loved the 7YO Bottled-in-Bond, their Blended Bourbon whiskey, and their Barrel Strength Empire Rye. All were excellent. I found I still liked their Moonshine very much and bought a bottle of that!
While I liked everything I tasted, there were two whiskies that stood out head-and-shoulders above the others. Interestingly, both were collaboration projects. The first was a collab Empire Rye between Black Button Distilling and King's County Distillery. Black Button is located in Rochester, NY.
This whiskey is a blend of two distiller’s interpretations of Empire Rye. Empire Rye is a category specific to New York that requires distillers in the state to use state-grown rye (at least 75%) aged for a minimum of two years with a barrel entry proof at no more than 115. Per the Empire Rye standards, both distillers use a minimum of 75% or more New York grown rye. King's County use 80% rye while Black Button Distilling uses 94% rye. The rest is all malted barley.
This whiskey was super smooth and super tasty. There were notes of dark caramel and brown sugar blended with notes of various Christmas spices, and a very light hint of pine or spruce. A perfect rye, with vanilla notes that stick on the end with a big dose of white pepper. All blend beautifully in this extremely sophisticated rye whiskey. One of the best special bottlings of rye I've tasted this year.
This blend includes 4 barrels of pot and column New York rye distillate and presents with a nose of honeycomb, salted caramel, lemon peel, and lavender, a rich palate of toffee, vine fruits, nectarine, dill seed, and a warming finish of barrel spice, dark chocolate, and a lingering sweetness.
The other whiskey I thought to be incredibly unique and incredibly special was an offering from their King's Code Whiskey collaboration with Irene Tan. According to Beverage Journal, "Connecticut’s Irene Tan, known for her consulting company, Whisky Mentors, as well as ownership of Canterbury Liquors, launched a new blend in collaboration with New York’s Kings County Distillery: Kings Code Whiskey ...Tan is a graduate of the Whiskey Marketing School, now a Level 4 Whiskey Sommelier, who also holds a WSET 2 Wine & Spirits Certification Passed with Distinction, a Diploma in Single Malt Whisky and a Diploma in the Art of Tasting Whisky from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy. She’s also a Certified Specialist of Spirits, a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist, an Executive Bourbon Steward and a Certified Whisky Ambassador, among highlights. In the summer of 2022, she completed a weeklong whisky course at Springbank Whisky School in Campbeltown, Scotland."
Tan is an eastcoast icon, and an incredibly talented individual. She is considered one of the best blenders on the east coast and perhaps nationally. She maybe perhaps best known for her whiskey blend Magnificent Beast, the releases of which are the stuff of legend. She is also the owner of Canterbury Liquors, in Canterbury, Connecticut. A whisky sommelier and private barrel aficionado, Tan, has traversed the globe, meticulously collecting fine whiskeys from privately owned small distilleries.
Kings Code has the DNA of an Irish pot still whiskey but with an American sensibility. This bottle on offer was the King's Code Barrel Proof Bourbon. This is a blend of 82% King's Code Bourbon and 18% Irish whiskey. The result is an exceptionally rich whiskey - layered and complex. Almost a dry bourbon. Rich, malty notes of cocoa and dark butterscotch lead the attack, but are paired with an oak-forward American edge. Lovely notes of pear, apple, honey, butter, and a hint of distant smoke. Truly a remarkable smooth whiskey for the discerning aficionado.
Two absolutely exquisite whiskies. A great sign of American whiskey showing sophistication, maturity, complexity, and balance.
