Distillery profile

Kings County Distillery

Explore the distillery's history, craft, production, and the distinctive character of its whiskies.

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Kings County Distillery

Short overview of the distillery

Kings County Distillery is a craft distillery in Brooklyn, founded in 2010 and today housed in the historic Paymaster Building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The distillery is known for pot-still production of bourbon, rye and more experimental whiskeys, including powerful barrel-strength releases and a peated bourbon that combines Scottish and American traditions with locally sourced ingredients.

History

The story starts in a very small operation in East Williamsburg in 2010, where Colin Spoelman and David Haskell used five 24-liter stainless steel stills to make moonshine and early whiskey for friends and the local community. In 2012, the company moved to the Paymaster Building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which provided space for full-scale mash, fermentation, pot distillation, and maturation. Over the years, Kings County has established itself as a leading player in the American craft scene and has earned several awards, including Distillery of the Year from the American Distilling Institute in 2016 and further recognition in 2023 from the New Orleans Spirits Competition. From a modest start, the distillery has built a full-stack grain-to-glass setup in the city and developed signature lines such as their Straight Whiskeys, Empire Rye, and barrel-strength releases.

Raw materials and production

Kings County produces everything on site: mash, fermentation, distillation, and aging take place in Brooklyn. Distillation is performed on copper pot stills from Forsyths (Scotland) and Vendome (Kentucky), with a focus on narrow cuts and pot distillation to prioritize flavor over volume. Fermentation is open, and the distillery works with a range of mash bills that combine locally grown New York corn (Lakeview Organic), Danko rye from the Hudson Valley, and English malt (Golden Promise from Thomas Fawcett). Peated releases use lightly peated malt from the Aberdeen area (~15 ppm). Several products are double pot-distilled, and the distillery’s approach blends techniques from both Scottish and American traditions to create rich, viscous whiskeys that shine at both low and high proofs.

Maturation and cask types

Aging takes place primarily in new charred American oak casks. Straight Empire Rye is aged at least three years, Straight Bourbon in varying ages from about four to seven years, while barrel-strength releases typically consist of batch blends aged five to ten years. The distillery also experiments on a small scale, e.g., single-barrel and barrel-strength releases, as well as a home-aging kit with a 2.5-gallon American oak barrel that demonstrates faster flavor development in small casks.

Whiskies

The lineup ranges from core products like Straight Bourbon, Peated Bourbon, and Straight Empire Rye to more experimental and limited barrel-strength releases. In addition, Kings County offers cocktail-friendly blends such as Coffee Whiskey, various moonshines, and distillery-exclusive releases such as single-barrel releases. Several bottles are available in both 750 ml and 200 ml formats, and the barrel-strength series is released only in a few batches each year, making them sought after by collectors.

Whisky Type / Series Alcohol Age Cask and style Flavor profile Status
Barrel Strength Bourbon Bourbon; Barrel Strength Whiskeys 5–10 years Newly charred American oak barrels One of the distillery's most sought-after, barrel-strength releases, typically issued in limited batches and aged 5–10 years. Shows pot-still character at higher proofs.; Nose: blackberry compote, cooked date and mahogany.; Palate: dark fruit, sandalwood and leather.; Finish: robust finish with deep char that balances the sweetness. Limited; Limited / collector’s release
Barrel Strength Peated Bourbon Peated Bourbon; Barrel Strength Whiskeys Blended barrels 5–8 years Newly charred American oak barrels; smoky/dried; 15 PPM The distillery's first silver-label barrel-strength release of their peated bourbon; an older, limited batch that highlights the interaction of smoke and oak.; Nose: dark caramel, malted milk ball, grilled pineapple, sweet smoke.; Palate: candied sweetness, flaky pie crust, roasted walnuts, molasses, oiled leather.; Finish: semi-sweet chocolate, black tea leaf, tannins and cedar ember smoke. Limited; Limited, max 2 bottles per person (as described in the release)
Straight Empire Rye Rye; Straight Whiskeys / Empire Rye Minimum 3 years Newly charred American oak barrels A New York-based straight rye (80% Danko rye) double pot-distilled and aged a minimum of 3 years; part of the Empire Rye project to revive and define a New York rye category.; Nose: honey blend, orange zest and cinnamon.; Palate: toffee brittle, dried apricot and oak spice.; Finish: long finish with maple, anisette and marzipan. Current; Core range; Core product / Signature release
Coffee Whiskey Flavoured / Coffee Whiskey; Cocktail Whiskeys A collaboration with Parlor Coffee: a blend of the distillery's whiskeys with clear, cold-brew coffee to craft a more elegant, spirit-forward coffee whiskey suitable for cocktails and neat.; Nose: topnotes of tropical fruit and creamy chocolate from Parlor Cold Brew.; Palate: blend of Kings County's bourbon and Parlor Cold Brew creates complexity and balance. Current; Core range; Core product in the cocktail category
Peated Bourbon Peated Bourbon; Straight Whiskeys 4 years Newly charred American oak barrels; smoky/dried; 15 PPM A hybrid between Scottish malt tradition and American bourbon-mashbill: bourbon character with a clearly defined but balanced peat note.; Nose: tart aromas of dark fruit and glowing wood.; Palate: smoky, BBQ-like notes, smoked brisket, spices.; Finish: long finish with ash-toned, cinnamon coffee cake and dark fruit. Current; Core range; Core product
Straight Bourbon Bourbon; Straight Whiskeys 4–7 years Varying newly charred American oak barrels A high-malt bourbon (80% corn / 20% Golden Promise malt) distilled in pot stills and aged 4–7 years; often highlighted in lists of noted craft bourbons.; Nose: maraschino cherry, vanilla pods, freshly brewed coffee and toffee.; Palate: raisins, maple syrup, spices such as cinnamon and brown sugar.; Finish: warming finish with cinnamon sugar and caramel. Current; Core range; Core product
Distiller's Proof Moonshine Corn whiskey (Moonshine); Distillery Exclusives / Moonshine 70 % 140 proof (70% ABV) distillery-proof spirit; serves as both a potable spirit and a raw material for home-aging or infusions. Also used for the Whiskey Aging Kit.; Nose: Buttered sweet corn, corn kernels and fer mentation grains.; Palate: Robust, grassy, with notes of corn husk and a sharp, viscous finish.; Finish: Potent and sharp, designed for infusion or further aging. Current; Distillery and online releases
9-Year Barrel Strength Single Barrel Bourbon #4588 Bourbon; Distillery Exclusives 9 years Announced as a distillery-exclusive single-barrel barrel-strength release, listed as 'Coming Soon' in the distillery's portfolio. Upcoming; Upcoming / Distillery exclusive

The whiskies' style and flavor profile

Across the portfolio, there is a through-line of malt sweetness, rich fruit, and oak-driven structure. Barrel-strength releases often showcase dark fruits and deep charring, Empire Rye brings citrus and spice such as orange zest and cinnamon, and the peated products introduce a noticeable but often moderate smoke character (grill/BBQ, cedar, ash). Additionally, there are cocktail-oriented blends where coffee and chocolate notes come to the fore.

Visit the distillery

Visitors can book guided tours in the Paymaster Building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, with a tour of the distillation floor, insights into barrel-aging and tastings. The Gatehouses tasting room in the historic entrance functions as a bar and venue with flights, pours, cocktails and retail bottle sales, and is open seven days a week. Special experiences and tours are arranged through the distillery's booking system, and tasting options include both flights and cocktails in their bar.

The stated opening hours for Gatehouses (tasting room/bar) are open seven days a week; guided tours of the Paymaster Building are offered (booking via the distillery's booking site).

Philosophy and craft

Kings County consistently works with the grain-to-glass principle: sourcing local grains, using English malts when it benefits flavor, pot distillation and open fermentation. The distillery's stated values prioritize craftsmanship, tradition and quality over volume and rapid production methods, reflected in both core releases and their more experimental barrel-strength releases.

Awards and recognition

  • Distillery of the Year (2016)

  • Distillery of the Year (2023)

  • Double Gold (Barrel Strength Peated Bourbon) (2026)

  • Double Gold (Barrel Strength Empire Rye) (2026)