In the quiet morning light of Frankfort, Kentucky, where mist clings to the stone walls like a half-forgotten hymn, Castle & Key Distillery is offering up a new chapter in its resurrection saga: the Castle & Key 6-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon. Bottled at a robust 50.5% ABV and priced at $39.99 (750ml), the bourbon embodies the patient alchemy that defines Kentucky whiskey at its most soulful.
This new release, available now at the distillery, Castle & Key’s Louisville retail store, and online at castleandkey.com, signals a maturation both literal and metaphorical. In 2022, Castle & Key introduced its first bourbon in nearly half a century—a 4-year-old spirit that rekindled the fires in the historic Old Taylor Distillery. The 6-year-old release now steps forward, aged and layered like a Southern summer afternoon, dense with promise and memory.
Lead Blender Brett Connors calls it more than just an age statement. “It represents Castle & Key’s philosophy of building quality from the ground up,” he says. “Every drop has been born within these castle walls. While the whiskey has been resting, our team hasn’t paused for a second.” The result is a bourbon that feels as alive as the limestone-fed springs running under the bluegrass.
The 6-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon has already amassed accolades, including gold medals from the 2025 ASCOT Awards, New York International Spirits Competition, and the International Wine & Spirits Competition. It’s a signal that this isn’t merely a nostalgic exercise—it’s a contender on the modern stage.
On the nose, expect a homespun warmth: graham cracker, butterscotch, red apple, honeysuckle, and clove. The palate unfolds with molasses, golden raisin, orange zest, and praline, drifting finally into a finish of shortbread, candied orange peel, cacao nib, and white pepper. According to ASCOT’s tasting panel, it’s a “chewy mouthfeel” that suggests cranberries and pomegranate hidden beneath layers of brown sugar and graham cracker.
Castle & Key’s latest bourbon reads like an old family story told at twilight, revealing something new with each sip. It’s Kentucky heritage reborn in a glass—rough-edged, honeyed, and above all, deeply human.
Priced at $39.99, Castle & Key 6-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon is available now at castleandkey.com.
