Louisville, Ky. Copper & Kings, Kentucky’s American Brandy distillery has recently released for the first time state-wide, something never-before-tasted from the brand: Bourbon. Debuting in October, Copper & Kings Bourbon is available at the Copper & Kings Distillery, as well as local retailers throughout the state of Kentucky. Copper & Kings Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a blend of 5-, 10- and 15 year bourbons. This is a […]
Louisville, Ky. Copper & Kings, Kentucky’s American Brandy distillery has recently released for the first time state-wide, something never-before-tasted from the brand: Bourbon. Debuting in October, Copper & Kings Bourbon is available at the Copper & Kings Distillery, as well as local retailers throughout the state of Kentucky.
Copper & Kings Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a blend of 5-, 10- and 15 year bourbons. This is a flavor forward remix of the Kentucky tradition and is finished in American Apple Brandy barrels for 12 months.
Per the brand, the resulting liquid is a unique opportunity to explore the way that classic bourbon notes mingle and develop with traditional brandy notes to create a wholly distinct taste experience. Closely monitored to the ideal flavor profile, the final blend, created by Head Distiller Brandon O’Daniel, is presented at 111 proof (55.5 ABV) and offered for a suggested retail price of $65.
“Our bourbon is another feather in the cap for Copper & Kings. We are born and raised in the bluegrass state and although we will always be a brandy distillery we are also extremely fascinated with what our barrels can do in regards to finishing spirits,” said O’Daniel. “Bourbon is the next logical step in exploring how the two distinctly American Spirits meld together. Our brandies are made with elements of the bourbon world and now we are excited to round out our portfolio with a delicious bourbon showcasing elements from our brandy world.”
The light amber bourbon leads with cracked pepper, cigar tobacco, fresh cut apple and dry soil on the nose, which leads to chocolate, cinnamon sticks, bubble gum, honeysuckle, orange zest and classic cherry and fig notes on the palate. The finish is long and dry with baked apples, earth, baking spices, apple butter and green tobacco.
Visitors to Copper & Kings Distillery, at 1121 E. Washington Street in Louisville’s historic Butchertown neighborhood, will now find bourbon available in the gift shop and as a tasting feature on all tours.
Copper & Kings is a definitive American brandy influenced by American whiskey and music that uses traditional copper pot-distillation to forge untraditional, non-derivative, craft-distilled, natural American brandies, absinthe, gin and liqueurs that are non-chill filtered with no added sugar, colors, artificial flavors, or synthetic chemicals. Copper & Kings American Brandies are distributed nationwide. The Copper & Kings Rooftop Bar & Restaurant opened in late 2021 and features locally sourced and thoughtfully prepared cuisine and craft cocktails. Copper & Kings has been honored among “The Best of the South” by Garden & Gun and voted as Best Local Distillery in the LEO Weekly Readers’ Choice awards five times. The state-of-the-art Copper & Kings Distillery is located at 1121 E. Washington St. in Butchertown, Louisville. For more information, visit www.copperandkings.com.
Copper & Kings is an American brandy distillery (with a cool rooftop bar), located in Louisville, Kentucky. They distill their brandy in pot stills and age it in used bourbon barrels and new charred oak barrels, creating a brandy for the bourbon d…
Copper & Kings is an American brandy distillery (with a cool rooftop bar), located in Louisville, Kentucky. They distill their brandy in pot stills and age it in used bourbon barrels and new charred oak barrels, creating a brandy for the bourbon drinker. So, it was only natural that they release a Kentucky bourbon finished in apple brandy barrels. Read our Copper & Kings Bourbon review to learn all about it!
The resulting liquid is a unique opportunity to explore the way that classic bourbon notes mingle and develop with traditional brandy notes to create a wholly distinct taste experience.
New offering will be available across Kentucky beginning in October
Copper & Kings, Kentucky’s American Brandy distillery and official member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (R) will offer for the first time state-wide, something never-before-tasted from the brand: Bourbon. Beginning in October, Copper & Kings Bourbon will be available at the Copper & Kings Distillery, as well as local retailers throughout the state of Kentucky.
New from the brand built on doing things differently, Copper & Kings Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a blend of 5-, 10- and 15 year bourbons. This is a flavor forward remix of the Kentucky tradition and is finished in American Apple Brandy barrels for 12 months. The resulting liquid is a unique opportunity to explore the way that classic bourbon notes mingle and develop with traditional brandy notes to create a wholly distinct taste experience. Closely monitored to the ideal flavor profile, the final blend, created by Head Distiller Brandon O’Daniel, is presented at 111 proof (55.5 ABV) and offered for a suggested retail price of $65.
“Our bourbon is another feather in the cap for Copper & Kings. We are born and raised in the bluegrass state and although we will always be a brandy distillery we are also extremely fascinated with what our barrels can do in regards to finishing spirits,” said O’Daniel. “Bourbon is the next logical step in exploring how the two distinctly American Spirits meld together. Our brandies are made with elements of the bourbon world and now we are excited to round out our portfolio with a delicious bourbon showcasing elements from our brandy world.” The light amber bourbon leads with cracked pepper, cigar tobacco, fresh cut apple and dry soil on the nose, which leads to chocolate, cinnamon sticks, bubble gum, honeysuckle, orange zest and classic cherry and fig notes on the palate. The finish is long and dry with baked apples, earth, baking spices, apple butter and green tobacco.
Copper & Kings to Celebrate with Bourbon Bash on October 19 Copper & Kings will celebrate the release with a party on Thursday, October 19, 2023. Guests are encouraged to wear their Copper & Kings best and dress in orange and black. The event will feature Bourbon and American Brandy tastings, live music, flash tattoos, caricature portraits, mini distillery tours, a gourmet s’mores station and more. A menu of snacks prepared by Chef Josh Lehman will be offered for purchase. The free event begins at 6:00 p.m., and all are welcome.
Visitors to Copper & Kings Distillery, at 1121 E. Washington Street in Louisville’s historic Butchertown neighborhood, will now find bourbon available in the gift shop and as a tasting feature on all tours.
Copper & Kings American Brandy Company is a unique distillery located in Louisville, Kentucky’s Butchertown neighborhood. In addition to American Brandy, they distill other spirits and also make a brandy barrel aged bourbon. The have a variety of visitor experiences as well as a rooftop bar. Check our full review to learn more!
Copper & Kings American Brandy Company Distillery 121 E Washington St Louisville, KY 40206 (502) 561-0267 copperandkings.com Tour – Review
Please enjoy our Copper & Kings Distillery Tour Review!
Louisville, Kentucky Is Home To Many Distilleries
Since the late 1700’s, Louisville, KY has been home to countless distilleries. Today, some 240 years later, not much has changed. Distilleries both large and small continue to dot the city’s landscape. Among these, Copper & Kings stands out from the crowd. There’s no whiskey made here. Grapes and apples replace corn and rye making Copper & Kings the only brandy distillery in Kentucky.
While the burgeoning distillery may have been the new kid on its Butchertown block when it opened in 2014, its founders, Joe and Leslie Heron were already seasoned beverage entrepreneurs. The couple had previously founded and sold off two other beverage companies, Nutrisoda and Crispin Cider.
Once again the Heron’s left their mark, as the present-day Copper & Kings forges ahead under the direction of Constellation Brands. While ownership has changed, production methods remain the same and the company continues to produce brandies focusing its efforts on innovation, experimentation, and collaboration.
Copper & Kings Distillery Is Located In The Butchertown Neighborhood
Copper & Kings planted its foothold in the Butchertown neighborhood of Louisville located approximately 1.5 miles east of downtown’s “Whiskey Row”. The old Louisville Seed and Grain Company building at 1121 E. Washington St. was renovated for the new business. The distillery is open daily for tours and retail sales, while its rooftop bar and restaurant is open select hours Thursday through Sunday.
Distillery Outside View & Rooftop Bar – Copper & Kings Distillery Tour Review
Two Tour Options (Experiences) Are Offered
The distillery currently offers two tour options. The Copper & Kings Experience is available daily on the hour from 10a-5p. This $25 tour is an educational tour and tasting of 4 of their spirits: brandy, gin, absinthe, and liqueurs. The Barrel-to Bottle Experience, the tour that we chose, is available Friday-Sunday at 9:30, 12:30, and 3:30. The $35 cost covers a more in depth educational and tasting experience. More science, more tasting, and the option of bottling your own spirit keeps this tour frequently full. Reservations can be made online at copperandkings.com.
Our Tour Begins
Upon our arrival at Copper & Kings, we made our way to the second floor of the distillery building. Here, we checked-in for the tour and met our guide Sarah. After a quick introduction to the group, Sarah led us back down stairs to the distillery floor where the tour began.
Copper & Kings Tour Check-In and Gift Shop
Sarah first began by quickly discussing why brandy was made historically. For centuries, farmers made brandy as way to preserve their remaining seasonal fruit harvest. Most interesting is that according to Copper & Kings website, the first recorded brandy distillation in America was in 1640 on Staten Island. This preceded the first recorded U.S. bourbon whiskey distillation by 180 years.
Next Sarah reviewed the 3 primary grape varietals used in their grape brandies. They are the French Colombard, the Muscat de Alexandrie, and the South African Chenin Blanc. She also pointed out that not all batches start from scratch as the distillery does source some of its wines for distillation.
The distillery’s two standard grape brandies are Copper & Kings American Craft Brandy and Copper & Kings Butchertown Brandy. While both are aged a little over 5 years, the main difference is barrel selection and proof. The American Craft uses 90% brandy barreled and aged in used Kentucky bourbon barrels and 10% brandy aged in new American Oak barrels, and is bottled at 90 proof. The Butchertown uses 75% and 25% respectively and is bottled at a 124 proof.
Having covered the ingredients, Sarah made quick mention of fermentation. Due to space constraints, fermenters are located both on the distillery floor as well as on the second floor. Once fermentation is complete, it’s distillation time.
Fermenters – Copper & Kings Distillery Tour Review
The Stills of Copper & Kings Distillery
Thus, the topic at hand turned to the stills of Copper & Kings Distillery, and specifically, their use of the alembic pot still. An alembic still consists of 3 basic parts. First, the pot still itself with its customary onion-shaped helmet on top, the swan neck, and the condenser. Cooper & Kings has not one, not two, but four alembic stills. All were hand-crafted just a stones throw from the distillery at Vendome Copper and Brass Works.
Distilleries frequently name their stills and Copper & Kings is no exception. Rose Marie is the largest and newest addition (2019) with a capacity of 2000 gallons. Isis falls next in line at half the capacity of Rose Marie, 1000 gallons. Third by size, Magdalena has a 750 gallon capacity. Finally, Sara, the smallest still and used primarily for experimental batches, comes in at only 50 gallons. In addition, any die-hard Bob Dylon fan should recognize the last 3 names from his Desire album. It turns out that music plays both an interesting and functional role at the distillery. The stills names are one of its interesting features.
The four Alembic Pot Stills of Copper & Kings Distillery
Copper & King’s Distillation Method
Once the stills were introduced, Sarah then dove a bit into the mechanics of Copper & Kings distillation methods. First, fermented wine is added to the still. Copper coils inside the pot allow steam to heat the liquid. According to Sarah, the process is done slow and steady in order to avoid scorching since the fermented wine has a very high sugar content. An agitator bar inside the pot also helps this process by acting like a large spoon constantly stirring the liquid.
Next, alcohol begins to rise off of the still in vapor form once the temperature reaches 173 degrees. The vapor then heads up through the onion-shaped helmet into the swan neck and over to the condenser where it is cooled and returned to liquid form. This distillation occurs without separating any heads, hearts, or tails. The distillate from this run is called low wine.
Rose Marie and Sara – The Largest and Smallest Stills at Copper & Kings Distillery
The crucial fine tuning occurs in the second distillation. Although the same process is repeated, the second time around, great care is taken to remove sulfites and other undesirable impurities. The slow and steady temperature along with lots of copper contact and optimal cuts for the heads and tails, lead to the perfect combination of flavors and aroma. When the second run has completed, the unaged brandy is ready for the barrel.
Brandy Is Aged In Barrels
Similarly to bourbon, Copper & Kings uses new charred American oak barrels to age their grape brandy. However, the majority of said brandy is aged in used Kentucky bourbon barrels. Unlike its grainy cousin, whose production is fraught with rules, American brandy’s only requirements are that it must be made from fermented fruit and aged in some type of barrel for 2 years.
Surprisingly, although Copper & Kings resides in the heart of the city, it does have on-site barrel storage for approximately 1200 barrels. Sarah led the way to the basement rickhouse, and as we got closer, we could hear the increasingly stronger vibrations of very loud music. As mentioned previously, music is definitely interwined in various aspects of the distillery. Its task here is a crucial one. Because the distillery’s on-site barrel storage lies in the basement, temperature fluctuations in the room are minimal. As a result, the brandy has a harder time moving in and out of the wood of its barrel.
Basement Barrel Warehouse at Copper & Kings Distillery
Copper & Kings Uses Sonic Aging
Copper & Kings helps to solve this problem through the use of sonic aging. The process works as follows. What our hearing perceived as just extremely loud music (Sarah did turn it down while we visited the area), in actuality, was the pulsing of bass notes meant to move the liquid inside the barrel. This pulsating motion increases the liquid’s interaction with the walls of the barrel, thus helping to pull out desirable congeners into the brandy. According to Copper & Kings website, the storage area contains 5 major sub-woofers. The music played is carefully chosen and organized into numerous rotating playlists.
More Than Just Brandy
Our visit to the basement wrapped up the distillery portion of the tour and it was time to head back upstairs for the tasting portion. While the distillery tour had focused mainly on Copper & Kings grape brandy making techniques, the company does distill other fruits, in particular apples for their apple brandy. They also make a wide variety of spirits including their own gin, absinthe, and Destillaré line of liqueurs. The distillery also touts their collaborative barrel swapping program with numerous American Craft Brewers, aging their brandy in barrels previously used to age beer. They also source various other used barrels such as tequilla, port, oloroso sherry and maple.
Barrels For Copper & Kings’ Collaborative Barrel Program
Time For The Tasting
With so much to choose from at Copper & Kings, it’s not surprising that our tasting included 9 different offerings. A quick rundown goes as follows: the flagship grape brandy at 90 proof and 124 proof, an apple brandy finished in a maple barrel, a 6 year high rye bourbon finished in a grape brandy barrel, a 6 year high rye bourbon finished in an apple brandy barrel, a grape brandy finished in a High West Rendezvous Rye barrel, a lemon gin, a Destillaré café liqueur, and finally, a 4 year old absinthe. As Sarah poured through the many tastes, she skillfully described in detail each sample. And, of course, once the tasting was complete, we were reminded that the bottles were available for purchase.
The Tasting – Copper & Kings Distillery Tour Review
Time To Bottle
Because we had chosen to take Copper and King’s Barrel-to-Bottle Experience we had the option to bottle our own. There were 6 barrel choices offered the day of our tour. We opted for the delicious 6 year high rye bourbon finished in an apple brandy barrel. The bourbon was from MGP and sold at cask strength. The cost of the bottle was not included in the tour price, however the $65 price tag seemed very reasonable, so of course we bought two!
Barrels for the Bottle Your Own Spirits
The bottling concluded our tour and so our time had come at Copper & Kings had come to an end. For a fruit distillery in a corn heavy town, Copper & Kings measures up very well. It’s even on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. And while the mashing of sweet smelling grains may lure the whiskey lover to the River City, Copper and Kings Distillery shows us there is much more. Come for the bourbon, but don’t miss the brandy.
Thank you so much to Sarah for our wonderful tasting and tour!
Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!
Located in Louisville’s hip happening Butchertown area, Copper & Kings Distillery has a new experience awaiting you. Founded in 2014, the distillery is a bit of outlier as it has made its bones up to this point in Bourbon Country producing brandy and gin. But now, they are finally embracing the “when in Rome” mentality […]
Located in Louisville’s hip happening Butchertown area, Copper & Kings Distillery has a new experience awaiting you.
Founded in 2014, the distillery is a bit of outlier as it has made its bones up to this point in Bourbon Country producing brandy and gin.
But now, they are finally embracing the “when in Rome” mentality as they are releasing their first ever Bourbon. Staying true to their roots, it will be age finished in brandy barrels, naturally. And staying true to their roots, they are doing it in a non-traditional fashion.
To accompany this exciting new chapter, C&K is launching a new tasting experience for distillery visitors, which will be the ONLY way to try their new bourbon.
Exclusive: “Barrel-to-Bottle” Experience
As the insanely famous or famously insane (depending on your perspective) Louisville born “Gonzo” creating journalist Hunter S. Thompson once said, “Buy the ticket, take the ride”. The only way to try this juice is to embark on the Distillery’s Barrel-to-Bottle Experience. What does this mean? What do you get?
Per the brand, partakers will see what it’s like to pick their own Copper & Kings single barrel, dive into the science and art of barrel aging and taste the diverse flavor profiles of unique barrels and finishes. Following the tasting, guests can fill their own selection straight from the barrel. Each bottle is hand-signed and dated by Head Distiller Brandon O’Daniel.
The Barrel-to-Bottle experience is a $35 tour, plus the $65 for the hand filled bottle selection.
About the Bourbon
The initial Copper & Kings bourbon features sourced bourbon, aged between five and six years and finished for 13 months in Copper & Kings American Brandy barrels. In total, this first release includes 14 single barrels, finished in either apple or grape brandy barrels. Per the brand, the resulting liquid is a unique opportunity to explore the way that bourbon’s characteristic notes of vanilla, spice and tannin mingle and develop with traditional brandy notes to create a wholly distinct taste experience. Guests of the Bottle-Your-Own-Bourbon experience will have the option to choose which single barrel finish they prefer – grape or apple.
Tasting Notes (Brand Provided)
APPLE BRANDY FINISH: Bourbon aged in apple barrels starts with green apples and summer orchard on the nose with slight notes of cinnamon and winter spice. On the palate, candied green apples and classic bourbon caramels with slight earthy tones give way to baking spice, toffee and baked apple. The finish is extremely smooth with an exceptionally clean finish that is oily and viscous.
GRAPE BRANDY FINISH: Bourbon aged in grape brandy barrels opens with dried red fruits, caramel on the nose, complemented by tobacco barn notes and slight dry earth tones. On the palate, classic bourbon notes are followed by sweet grapes and dried apricots. It lingers long on the palate getting more complex with hints of persimmon and grapefruit, giving way to overripe honeysuckle with cocoa, cherry bark and dark ripe fruit. The finish is very approachable – smooth and soft, oily and lingering with earth, mineral and over ripe fruits dominating.
The initial release of Copper & Kings Bourbon is available only through the “Bottle-Your-Own” experience at Copper & Kings Distillery, located in Butchertown, at 1121 E. Washington Street in Butchertown. It is presented at cask strength in a 750ml, hand-labeled bottle for $65.
Hello, Crusaders! We had ourselves one helluva time this past week on the Rogue Buss and at the Bourbon Classic in Louisville, KY. We had the opportunity to record a cast with some of our favorite people, and we’re happy to share it with you! In it, we talk about some of our experiences during…
We had ourselves one helluva time this past week on the Rogue Buss and at the Bourbon Classic in Louisville, KY. We had the opportunity to record a cast with some of our favorite people, and we’re happy to share it with you! In it, we talk about some of our experiences during the week as well as our thoughts on some timely bourbon issues. I’ll link below to everyone involved, and we highly recommend you check them out. Special thanks to Mike Woods of Sips, Smokes, and Suds for providing his recording services! And don’t worry, we’ll be coming out with some posts about our personal experiences and pictures from the week, in particular Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., Copper & Kings, Four Roses, and Castle & Key, soon!
If any of these are true, then check out 
