There are many whiskey competitions vying for our attention, but it’s always exciting when a brand or distillery that isn’t one of the usual suspects wins a top prize. Such was the case last week at the 2026 World Whiskeys Awards America, when independent Kentucky distillery New Riff, which we’ve covered here several times before, took home the award for World’s Best Bourbon, keeping the competition in check.
The World Whiskey Awards ceremony, which began in 2007, was held last Thursday at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, hosted by Honorary President Peggy Noe Stevens and judges Maggie Kimberle. Besides New Riff, a few other names of note took home the gold. Best Non-Kentucky Bourbon went to non-distiller producer 15 Stars for its Artisan Collection. In the finished bourbon category, Makers Mark 46 (Kentucky) and Redemption Cognac Cask Finish (non-Kentucky) won. Of course, Buffalo Trace also made some showings: Elmer T. Lee was awarded Best Kentucky Single Barrel Bourbon, and EH Taylor Small Batch received a nod for Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon (a legally undefined category, it should be noted).
Some other winners of note included Wyoming Whiskey’s Buffalo Bill Cody Bourbon for Best Non-Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon; Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 1 for the best Tennessee whiskey; Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye Kentucky Blended Straight Whiskey for Best American Blended Limited Release (no age statement); And, in another Buffalo Trace placement, Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old For Best American Rye Whiskey (13 to 20 years).
In the Icons of Whiskey section, Kentucky’s Haven Hill Distillery was named Distiller of the Year for the third year in a row, and won Sustainable Distillery of the Year among a few other categories, while Tennessee distillery Chattanooga Whiskey was named Craft Producer of the Year. Jack Daniel’s Chris Fletcher was named Master Distiller/Master Blender of the Year, which may come as no surprise given what the distillery has been churning out in recent years. And Angel’s Envy’s Owen Martin was named Craft Distiller or Blender of the Year, a seemingly odd honor given that Angel’s Envy is owned by Bacardi and hardly thought of as a craft distillery (Angel’s Envy also won Production Team of the Year).
According to the World Whiskey Awards, all winning whiskeys were determined by blind tasting, although brands must pay a fee to enter their bottles. This is just one of many whiskey competitions that will be held throughout the year, so we’ll keep you updated with any news over the coming months about notable winners.
The authors
Jonah Flickr
