This Is the World's Best Bourbon, According to the World Whiskies Awards
Old Fitzgerald 2024 VVS was named the World's Best Bourbon at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards. This 13-year bottled-in-bond bourbon also earned the title of Best Kentucky Bourbon. Old Elk's 9-Year-Old Straight Bourbon took home the award for Best Non-Kentucky Bourbon.
It's a big win for Kentucky's Heaven Hill Distillery, one of the nation's oldest and largest bourbon producers, which makes Old Fitzgerald. Heaven Hill acquired the historic brand in 1999 and today releases the prized decanter bottlings twice per year. Contemporary Old Fitzgerald releases generally carry age statements between eight and 19 years. It's wheated bourbon, distilled from a mash of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley.
However, the 13-year-old 2024 VVS release has an even more impressive pedigree. To mark special occasions, Heaven Hill releases 'Very Very Special' (aka VVS) Old Fitzgerald editions with a distinct red label. The 2024 VVS was only the third such release, with previous versions hitting (limited) shelves in 2018 and 2020.
This award-winning bourbon, while bottled in 2024, was actually distilled in 1999—when Heaven Hill purchased the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. (Heaven Hill's distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky was destroyed by fire in 1996.) According to Heaven Hill, master distiller Parker Beam and his team determined in March 2013 that the whiskey had reached its peak maturation and 'should be reserved for a momentous occasion.' Beam instructed his team to empty the barrels and store the bourbon in steel tanks.
Related: Rye Whiskey vs. Bourbon: What's the Difference?
Beam passed away in 2017. In 2024, Heaven Hill chose to release the whiskey after more than a decade in storage. The Very Very Special release celebrated both the 25th anniversary of the Bernheim acquisition and Beam's enduring legacy with the company.
A quarter century after it was distilled, that bourbon hit shelves in highly limited supply at Heaven Hill's visitors center and select retailers in Kentucky only. Like all modern Old Fitzgerald releases, it's 100-proof and carries a bottled-in-bond designation.ABV: 50% ABV
Maturation: 13 years in new American oak
History: Old Fitzgerald 2024 VVS was distilled in 1999 and aged until March 2013. Heaven Hill determined the stock of barrels had reached the ideal maturation point and decided to 'tank' the whiskey for use as a special release down the road. The whiskey was bottled and released to the public in the first half of 2024.
Availability: While all Old Fitzgerald decanter bottlings are limited, the Very Very Special series is even more scarce. The 2024 version was sold only in Kentucky, at Heaven Hill's Bardstown Visitors Center, and at select retailers in the Bluegrass State. Stocks sold out within days of the initial release.
MSRP: $299.99And after numerous rounds of judging from dozens of experienced palates, the World Whiskies Awards determined it was the year's best. The placements for the World Whiskies Awards were determined last fall through two rounds of judging held in Bardstown, Kentucky and Washington, D.C. A diverse panel of judges was selected from across the whiskey industry, including distillers, blenders, journalists, and distributors. As is customary for the competition, the evaluations were conducted entirely blind, with samples poured in standardized glasses behind closed doors and brought out on numbered trays.
Even when assessed blindly, it's not entirely surprising that this particular Old Fitzgerald stood out from the crowd. Among reviewers and enthusiasts, it was one of last year's most talked-about and well-received new bourbons. It's a bourbon the public had to wait decades to taste — and for Heaven Hill, an award winner 25 years in the making.Best Finished Bourbon: Wenzel Whiskey Straight Bourbon Finished In Sherry Casks
Best Small Batch Bourbon: Boulder Spirits 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon
Best Single Barrel Bourbon: Blanton's Straight From The Barrel
Best Tennessee Whiskey: Jack Daniel's Tennessee 12 Years Old Batch #2
World's Best American Style Whiskey: Jack Daniel's Triple MashThe complete list of winners in American whiskey categories showcases a variety of brands, ranging from established giants to craft operations and non-distilling producers. All U.S. winners were announced at a February ceremony held at The Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Since bourbon and Tennessee whiskey can only be produced in the United States, the determinations for these 'World's Best' awards were made after two rounds of domestic judging. Many top-rated whiskies from the American competition, including rye, malt, and wheat whiskies, advanced to compete against international spirits for other World's Best titles, which were evaluated in the UK in early February. The 'World's Best' titles will be announced later this March.
Read the original article on Food & Wine
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Forbes
Icons Of Whiskey: Elijah Craig — The Father Of Bourbon
The current Elijah Craig whiskey range from Heaven Hill Distillery Photo, courtesy Heaven Hill In our ongoing series, Icons of Whiskey, we celebrate the pioneers, visionaries, and unsung heroes whose passion and innovation have shaped the modern, global whiskey industry. Few figures embody the spirit of American whiskey more completely than Elijah Craig — a Baptist preacher, frontier entrepreneur, and the man long credited as the 'father of bourbon whiskey.' Few names evoke as much reverence in American whiskey lore as Elijah Craig — a man whose life masterfully blends fact and legend, making both equally vital to the mystique of bourbon whiskey. Although modern historians still debate the exact details of his role, Craig's life story captures the entrepreneurial spirit, religious fervor, and frontier innovation that shaped early America and led to the creation of one of the world's finest spirits. Elijah Craig Photo, J Micallef All Rights Reserved Elijah Craig was probably born in 1743, in Orange County, Virginia, during a time when the American colonies were still part of British America and the frontier stretched endlessly westward. His exact date of birth is uncertain, ranging from as early as 1738 to as late as 1745. His parents were Tolever and Mary Hawkins Craig. He came of age during the First Great Awakening—a sweeping wave of Protestant revivalism that shaped his deep Baptist faith. Craig was ordained as a Baptist preacher, a calling that would prove pivotal not only in his spiritual community but also in Kentucky's civic and economic development, then a rugged territory of the United States. As a minister, Craig was fiery and independent-minded. He often clashed with the religious community and, on at least two occasions, was imprisoned for preaching without a license. This was a common plight for dissenting Baptists in colonial Virginia. The state government, closely aligned with Virginia's de facto official Anglican church, persecuted Baptists during the 18th century. In 1875, Craig participated in the Great Migration across the Appalachian Mountains to the Trans-Appalachian West. He became part of a Baptist community known as the 'Travelling Church,' led by his brothers, Lewis and Joseph Craig, who had settled in Central Kentucky. Craig eventually acquired 1,000 acres of land near Elkhorn Creek and founded the settlement of Lebanon. That community grew into the city of Georgetown, Kentucky. His contributions to the young Kentucky community were extensive and transformative. He established one of the first classical schools west of the Alleghenies, Rittenhouse Academy, laying the foundation for future education in the region. The academy would later become Kentucky's Georgetown University. He built sawmills, fulling mills, rope factories, and paper mills, boosting the local economy and encouraging the growth of the settlement. He was also one of Kentucky's largest land speculators. His entrepreneurial and civic efforts earned him the title 'Father of Georgetown.' The Birth of Bourbon Whiskey Amid his civic activities, Craig started distilling whiskey. Nearly every settler on the frontier was a distiller. Kentucky's fertile soil yielded abundant corn crops. Since it was difficult to transport excess corn over the mountains or down the Mississippi River, turning surplus corn into whiskey was an economically sensible choice. It preserved corn's caloric and economic value, providing a sturdy trade item for a frontier with limited cash. Craig quickly became a prominent distiller. In 1798, he paid $140 in federal excise taxes on his whiskey. The excise tax rate that year was seven cents per gallon, suggesting he produced roughly 2,000 gallons. Elijah Craig is often recognized for a unique breakthrough that defines bourbon today: aging whiskey in charred oak barrels. Although whiskey was distilled in America long before Craig's era, most of it was consumed straight from the still, unaged and rough on the palate. It took six months to ship whiskey from Kentucky to New Orleans, during which the constant movement in the charred barrel transformed the spirit. By the late 1700s, Craig's decision to store his corn whiskey in new, charred barrels created a spirit with a distinctive amber hue, smooth sweetness, and complex flavor. This aging process transformed a rough frontier liquor into what we now recognize as bourbon whiskey. Craig never claimed to have invented bourbon or developed its mash bill. With the abundance of corn in late 18th-century Kentucky, however, most whiskey would have been over 50% corn, which would classify it as bourbon by today's standards. Historians still debate whether Craig was truly the first to char barrels. Some suggest that burning casks to remove impurities was a common practice among coopers. This simple yet significant step fundamentally set bourbon apart from other whiskeys, shaping the modern bourbon industry. Elijah Craig Toasted Rye Whiskey Photo, courtesy Heaven Hill A Life of Many Roles Craig neither patented his methods nor limited himself to distilling alone. He remained a dedicated preacher, community builder, and innovator until he died in 1808. To his contemporaries, he was as much a civic leader and educator as he was a distiller. His distillery, believed by some to be located near Royal Spring in what is now a suburb of Georgetown, became one of the early renowned whiskey producers in Kentucky, helping to establish the area's reputation for high-quality bourbon. Over time, Kentucky's climate and Craig's influence helped make the Bluegrass State the core of American bourbon. Since his passing, Elijah Craig's legacy has expanded far beyond the small scope of his original operation. He has become an almost legendary figure — the 'Father of Bourbon,' immortalized in whiskey folklore alongside pioneers like Jacob Beam, E.H. Taylor, and Dr. James Crow. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery, one of America's most respected family-owned whiskey producers, commemorates Craig's memory through its flagship Elijah Craig Bourbon brand. First launched in the 1980s, Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon played a crucial role in leading the revival of premium bourbon. Craig embodies the symbolic convergence of faith, frontier resilience, and entrepreneurship that defined early Kentucky settlers. Whether he truly invented barrel charring or simply perfected it is less important than the fact that his story captures bourbon's unique American identity: a spirit born of ingenuity, shaped by the rugged landscape, and refined into something richer and finer over time. Craig's other contributions—championing education, building infrastructure, and fostering community—are just as vital to his legacy. In a region still marked by strong local pride, the town of Georgetown remembers him not only as a whiskey maker but also as a founding father and a leader in the broadest sense of civic engagement. The Heaven Hill Distillery Photo, courtesy Heaven Hill Legacy Elijah Craig stands today as both a man and a myth: a Baptist preacher turned distiller whose legendary barrel charring gave bourbon its distinctive flavor and color, and whose life's work helped grow a frontier town into a thriving settlement. Whether we raise a glass of Elijah Craig Small Batch or visit Georgetown, we toast to the same enduring values: boldness, craftsmanship, and a distinctly American spirit. In this way, Elijah Craig's story continues to flow—like the amber whiskey that bears his name—through the barrels, glasses, and memories of bourbon lovers around the world. As we continue our Icons of Whiskey series, Elijah Craig reminds us that every great whiskey has not only a recipe but also a story and a life — and in his case, it's the story of a preacher who tamed the frontier and, in the process, helped shape the soul of American whiskey. So, pour a dram of Elijah Craig Small Batch, lift your glass, and toast the man whose name lives wherever bourbon flows. Stay tuned for the next installment of Icons of Whiskey, where we honor the pioneers who turned bourbon dreams into America's liquid gold. More from Forbes Forbes Icons Of Whiskey: Jacob Beam's Bourbon Dynasty By Joseph V Micallef Forbes America's Top Bourbon, According To The International Wine & Spirit Competition By Joseph V Micallef Forbes The Top Bourbons From The 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition By Joseph V Micallef
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hinds County to host meetings on bridging digital divide
HINDS COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – Hinds County residents are encouraged to attend community meetings about a 'growing communications emergency' that's affecting rural parts of the county. According to Hinds County leaders, the combination of accelerating copper wire theft, the phase-out of traditional landline services, and inadequate broadband infrastructure has left many residents without any reliable means of communication. Mississippi College, Christ Covenant partnership offers college-level math course 'These are not future concerns—we are already seeing people cut off from the outside world,' said Felicia Tripp, Hinds County Broadband Coordinator. 'We must act now to ensure no one in Hinds County is left behind.' (All meetings begin at 6:00 p.m.) Raymond – Monday, May 19, at Bellmont Missionary Baptist Church Utica – Tuesday, May 20, at the Utica Community Center Terry – Thursday, May 22, at the Town of Terry Community Center Edwards – Thursday, May 29, at Ratliff Missionary Baptist Church Officials said the meetings will serve as both public forums and action-planning sessions to address the digital divide and determine how programs like BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) and BEAM (Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi) can be leveraged more effectively to serve Hinds County communities. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Market mural celebrates town's railway heritage
A mural which celebrates a town's railway heritage has been unveiled at a market. Artist Harriet Colours said she had been inspired to create the mural by stories from people living and working in Normanton, near Wakefield. The artwork, featuring steam trains and railway platforms, has gone on display at the newly refurbished Normanton Market. Ms Colours said it was a pleasure to bring voices to life on the wall, "turning a shared space into a meaningful celebration of the town's important rail history". Ms Colours said: "It has been an honour to get to know so many people within the community of Normanton, to create this mural, and learn from their stories and values." Hannah Appleyard, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, said it was "fantastic" that residents, businesses and community groups had helped to create this "amazing new public art". "It brightens up the entire building into a colourful work of art. I hope that every time they walk past, it makes them feel proud of the place they live," she added. A council spokesperson said the mural had been painted using lime-based paints which absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) through a natural carbonation process. This process helped to improve air quality and reduce a building's carbon footprint, they added. The artwork is part of the Crossings and Gateways mural programme produced by the council in partnership with Wakefield-based creative organisation, Beam. It is the second mural to be installed so far as part of the project. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Residents asked to help to plant new woodland Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
