Kings County Distillery Rye Whiskey Empire Barrel Strength Winter 2025 – Selected by Seelbach’s

Age: 7-years

Proof: 136 proof

Mash bill: 80/20 New York-grown Danko rye/English malted barley

Tasting Notes: 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.

About: After evaluating our inventory of Empire Rye in preparation for this year’s annual blend, the blending team determined that the bulk of our Rye inventory had matured — and concentrated — in ways that resembled many of our best cask-strength bourbon offerings.

The rich and layered palate features further familiar dark-fruit notes of fig and date cake, while an array of baking spices — black pepper, most notably – elegantly balance the sweetness through the finish. With a small addition of water, notes of clove, allspice, and pomegranate become prominent.

Seelbach’s Story: 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.