Kings County Peated Bourbon is one of those bottles that makes you stop and think about what bourbon can actually be. Based out of Brooklyn, Kings County Distillery has built a reputation for doing things a little differently, and this expression is a perfect example — a bourbon that borrows a page from Scotch whisky's playbook by using peated malt in the mashbill. At 45% ABV, it's bottled at a strength that gives you enough punch to appreciate the smoke without overwhelming the underlying bourbon character.
Let me be clear about what we're dealing with here: this is an American bourbon whiskey that uses peated barley alongside the traditional corn base. Under US bourbon law, the mashbill still needs to be at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels, and entered the barrel at no more than 125 proof. What Kings County has done is swap out some of the standard malted barley for peated malt — the same stuff you'd find in an Islay single malt. That's a bold move, and it creates something genuinely unusual. You're getting the sweet corn backbone and new oak vanilla that bourbon drinkers expect, but with a layer of smoky complexity that sits underneath like a second conversation happening at the same table.
This is a NAS release, so we don't know exactly how long it's spent in barrel. Kings County works with smaller casks, which means the spirit picks up oak influence faster than your typical Kentucky operation running 53-gallon barrels. That's worth keeping in mind — smaller barrels mean more surface contact, more extraction, and a different maturation profile. The barrel entry proof matters here too. The lower you enter the barrel, the more the spirit retains its original grain character rather than being dominated by wood sugars. At 45% ABV on release, you're getting something that feels considered rather than arbitrary.
Tasting Notes
I won't fabricate specific notes I haven't confirmed, but here's what you should expect from a peated bourbon of this style: the interplay between sweet American corn, charred new oak, and that distinctive peat smoke. It's a combination that shouldn't work on paper but absolutely does in the glass. The peat doesn't bulldoze the bourbon — it weaves through it, adding a savoury, earthy dimension that you simply don't get from standard bourbon production.
The Verdict
At £80.95, Kings County Peated Bourbon sits in interesting territory. You're paying a premium over your everyday bourbons, but you're also getting something that genuinely doesn't have many direct competitors. This isn't a gimmick — it's a well-thought-out whiskey that challenges what American whiskey can taste like while still respecting the legal and flavour framework of bourbon. I'm giving it a 7.8 out of 10. It loses a fraction for the lack of age transparency and the price point, which puts it up against some serious competition from both sides of the Atlantic. But for originality, drinkability, and sheer conversation-starting potential, it earns its place on the shelf. If you're a bourbon drinker who's been eyeing Islay malts, or a Scotch drinker curious about American whiskey, this is your bridge bottle.
Best Served
Pour this one neat or with just a few drops of water to open up the smoke. If you're feeling adventurous, it makes an absolutely brilliant Old Fashioned — use a teaspoon of demerara syrup and two dashes of Angostura, and the peat smoke plays off the bitters in a way that's genuinely special. Skip the citrus garnish and go with an expressed orange peel instead. The oils complement the smoke rather than competing with it.
