Distillery: Undisclosed – Distilled in Indiana
Proof: 107.0 (53.5% ABV)
Age: At least Six Years
Mashbill: 99% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
MSRP: $42
Precision and Control in a 99% Corn Bourbon
This six-year-old bourbon from King’s Family Distillery begins with a choice most bourbon producers don’t make–a mash bill of 99% corn and just 1% malted barley. At this level, corn is no longer just a dominant grain. It becomes the entire structure of the whiskey, leaving nowhere to hide behind rye spice, wheat softness, or barrel aging.
That kind of mash bill can be often dismissed as gimmicky, and for good reason. Extreme corn compositions can tend to exaggerate sweetness, flatten out complexity, or rely on heavy oak in order to manufacture interest. Here, that doesn’t happen. Its proof sharpens flavor definitions rather than simply amplifying heat, while the aging rounds out the corn instead of overwhelming it.
What emerges here is not novelty. The profile leans chocolate-forward rather than fruity, dense without becoming heavy, and composed from Nose to Finish.
King’s Family Distillery Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes
Nose – 4.6/5
Cocoa powder. Brown sugar. Sweet corn. Soft vanilla.
Strengths: Clear chocolate-like profile. Clean sweetness. No raw grain or sharp oak.
Why It’s Not Higher: Range is narrow. Favors definition over breadth.
Rating Justification: For a 99% corn mashbill, the Nose shows uncommon control. Sweet without becoming heavy. Polished.
Palate – 4.5/5
Rich and decadent. Buttered cornbread. Caramelized sugar. Cocoa nibs.
Strengths: Excellent balance between corn sweetness, oak, and proof. Clarity mid-Palate. Mouthfeel is medium-plus. The 107 proof asserts itself early.
Why It’s Not Higher: Minimal spice lift. Flavor arc stays focused rather than expanding.
Rating Justification: Keeps sweetness measured and structured which is an area where high-corn bourbons often lose their way.
Finish – 4.4/5
Clean and controlled. Chocolate fades into toasted corn. Vanilla. Light dry oak.
Strengths: Clean exit. No bitterness, no ethanol spike. Tapers neatly.
Why It’s Not Higher: Complexity dissolves rather than evolves.
Rating Justification: Confirms the whiskey’s composure. Exits without heat, an important marker of control in corn-dominant whiskey.
Value – 4.4/5
A six-year, 107-proof bourbon built on a 99% corn mash bill carries with it an inherent risk. Many whiskeys in that category lean too hard into sweetness or rely on aggressive oak to compensate. King’s Family Distillery Bourbon avoids both by delivering clarity and refinement. For enthusiasts who value good execution over novelty, this is a strong performer.
King’s Family Distillery Bourbon Review: The Verdict
A 99% corn mash bill invites sweetness to build quickly and linger too long. Here it expresses itself through chocolate depth and a grain richness that doesn’t become heavy or tiring to drink. Oak supports and its proof highlights rather than distracts from the flavors.
It may not chase breadth or evolve dramatically, but it delivers on precision and clarity. Here is proof that an abnormal mashbill doesn’t have to feel gimmicky.
Verdict – 4.5/5
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 4.5 – 5
- Gold – 4 – 4.5
- Silver – 3 – 4
- Bronze – <3
Mike Long is a staff writer at Bourbon Inspector and has an Executive Bourbon Steward designation from the Stave and Thief Society. He’s a former “wine guy” who discovered his love for bourbon years back at a spur-of-the-moment bourbon tasting he attended. He also loves traveling throughout America with his wife of over 37 years, Debby.
