Latest news with #OldFitzgerald
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Whiskey Of The Week: Old Fitzgerald 7 Yr. Old Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon
Old Fitzgerald bourbon has earned the 'Old' in its name — it's been around since the late 1800s, even before the Bottled In Bond Act of 1897 created the category for which Old Fitz is known. Today, vintage bottles, distilled at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery between the 1930s and early '90s, sell for a small fortune on the secondary market. The modern history of Old Fitzgerald begins with its acquisition from Diageo (formerly known as United Distillers) by Heaven Hill in 1999 — the brand came with the Bernheim distillery that Heaven Hill also got in the deal. But the latest chapter really kicks off in 2018, when the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series was launched. Released twice annually (bottled-in-bond laws recognize two six-month distilling 'seasons' per year), a big part of the appeal is, to be honest, the gorgeous bottle in which it's housed, a throwback to the elaborate Old Fitz decanters of the 1950s. But the whiskey is worthy of the packaging. Aged between 8-19 years, depending on the bottling, and sporting a mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley, it's not the most unique bourbon — the mashbill is the same as that of Larceny, another Heaven Hill wheater. But it's beautifully executed without fail, featuring rich dark fruit notes, oak and spice. If there's been a less-than-excellent one in the bunch, I haven't tried it. The downside to the Decanter Series, for many bourbon buyers, is the price — bottles generally sell for at least a few hundred dollars apiece when they can be found, considerably more for the older bottlings. But the recent slowdown in whiskey sales almost across the board is ushering in what should be a golden age for the people who buy it and drink it, if not for the brands that produce and sell it. When distilleries are stuck with more product than they can unload, that whiskey gets to age in the barrel for longer, and when it's bottled, it's priced more affordably. Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond, in the rickhouse from whence it came. Photo courtesy Heaven Hill Is Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon a product of the slowdown or is its release merely a happy coincidence? Regardless, its appearance is welcome. This is a permanent addition to Heaven Hill's portfolio (though each batch will still be distilled in a single distilling season in accordance with B-in-B rules; the initial batch was distilled in Spring 2018). That eliminates the need to sprint to the liquor store and pay many multiples of its $60 suggested retail price, although a lot of retailers are pricing it as if it's going to disappear tomorrow. At 7 years old, it's a little younger than the youngest offering in the Decanter Series, but it's still three years older than the minimum required age for bonded whiskeys. And while the bottle isn't Decanter Series-level fancy, it's quite an attractive package that does bear a marked similarity to its limited-edition sibling. The 7 Year Old doesn't quite hit the highs that the best Old Fitzes in the Decanter Series achieve, but for a $60 bourbon it's excellent. It's buttery on the tongue, with big notes of caramel and baking spices up front evolving into dried fruit and nuts midpalate, with cinnamon spice and dry oak hitting the back of the tongue. At 100 proof, it's hefty but not overpowering — the hallmark of a quality bonded whiskey. It'll be interesting to see how, and how much, future batches differ from this initial release. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying this one plenty. As should you.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Marks A Brand Revival Decades In The Making
The 7-Year Bottle-in-Bond is the first year-round Old Fitzgerald release in decades. Chris Perugini Once upon a time, an unassuming whiskey brand was born. Over the next 155 years, it would experience many ups and downs as it traversed the whiskey consumer market. From the early days of upstart sourcing and contract distilling, to massive growth and innovation under the tutelage of the most famous name in bourbon, to becoming a nearly forgotten brand, Old Fitzgerald has seen it all. At first glance, Heaven Hill's recent launch of Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond may seem like the latest in a long string of never-ending new products. In reality, the return of a core range Old Fitz (as it's commonly nicknamed) bottled-in-bond product marks an improbable comeback story for a brand that was left for dead in the 1990s. I recently spoke with Heaven Hill Executive Chairman Max Shapira and Master Distiller Conor O'Driscoll about the launch of Old Fitz 7 Year. While Old Fitzgerald's revival is remarkable, to fully appreciate its significance, we must first understand its storied history. The earliest records of the Old Fitzgerald brand date back to the 1870s, when S.C. Herbst registered the Jno. E. Fitzgerald trademark. Herbst was a Milwaukee-based rectifier that sourced both bourbon and rye from Kentucky, with a preference for pot-still whiskey. By the time the Bottled-in-Bond Act passed in 1897, Herbst decided to get out of the sourcing business and purchased a distillery in Frankfort to make his own whiskey. Production at the distillery continued until prohibition, when Herbst sold the brand and its whiskey stocks to Julian P. Van Winkle (of Pappy Van Winkle fame). The Old Fitzgerald brand became part of the W. L. Weller and Sons and A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery portfolio and was sold for medicinal use throughout the 1920s. Eventually, Old Fitzgerald's inventory was depleted and more needed to be made. Van Winkle and Stitzel made the unusual choice to use wheat as the secondary grain instead of rye, resulting in a softer flavor profile that they agreed would drink better at a young age. After the repeal of prohibition, W. L. Weller and Sons and A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery officially merged to form the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, and the new company doubled down on Old Fitzgerald as its flagship product. The Old Fitzgerald lineup usually ranged from 4 to 12 years old, with their 8-, 10-, and 12-year-old products serving as premium expressions under the 'Very Old Fitzgerald' moniker. The brand also featured special edition decanters and a few one-off bottlings at 15 and 18 years old, but typically targeted the 20th-century whiskey drinker (who preferred younger whiskey that wasn't heavily influenced by oak). A magazine ad for Old Fitzgerald from the 1950s. Chris Perugini During Pappy's time at the helm, Old Fitzgerald was always bottled-in-bond, which meant it was bottled at exactly 100 proof. Before 1962, the maximum legal barrel entry proof was 110, but Stitzel-Weller went much further during production to extract and preserve as much flavor as possible. Written by Van Winkle himself in a series of columns that ran in newspapers and magazines, Stitzel-Weller's distillate came off the column still at a surprisingly low 85 proof, then moved to the doubler, where it came off at a final proof of 117. It was then reduced to 103 proof before entering the barrel. The final result was a full-bodied bourbon that retained many congeners from its low proof, both off the still and into the barrel. In other words, lots of flavor without any harshness or astringency from the oak. Julian Van Winkle Sr. died in 1965, and his son, Julian Van Winkle Jr., took over the business during a tumultuous time in the American whiskey world. As demand waned and the barrel inventory surged, Van Winkle Jr. shifted Stitzel-Weller's business model to include an aspect of collectability. The 1960s and 1970s saw many Old Fitz expressions bottled in ceramic decanters that were decorated to suit a variety of interests, from Irish heritage to local themes like 'South Carolina's Tricentennial' or 'Historic Vermont.' For many consumers during this era, the outside of the decanter was as important, if not more important, than what was inside it. Fall From Grace After the sale of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery to Norton Simon in 1972, the distillery was renamed the Old Fitzgerald Distillery, honoring the legacy of their stalwart brand. Heaven Hill Executive Chairman Max Shapira started working at Heaven Hill a few years earlier. As he recalls, Old Fitzgerald 'wasn't huge, but was well-positioned as a premium brand.' The sale of the Stitzel-Weller distillery was the start of a long odyssey, wrought with mergers, acquisitions, and divestments consistent with an industry that was now struggling to stay afloat after decades of unprecedented growth. When the dust settled, Stitzel-Weller was owned by United Distillers (known today as Diageo). By the 1990s, the American whiskey world was feeling the longterm effects of a 20-year market decline. Some distilleries, like Wild Turkey and Four Roses, shifted at least some of their focus to export markets like Japan. Non-distillers like KBD and Preservation followed suit, bottling well-aged surplus stocks for markets that wanted old American whiskey. Other distilleries, like Stitzel-Weller, were eventually deemed expendable. Under the direction of United Distillers, the final drops passed through Stitzel-Weller's stills in 1992. The business itself closed two years later. As Shapira recalls, 'Pappy was the only true dedicated steward of the [Old Fitzgerald] brand, and it never found consistent footing' after his passing. A variety of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond products from the 1960s to present day. Chris Perugini A New Owner, A New Beginning During its dormancy, the distillery and its brands remained in control of United Distillers until April of 1999, when the freshly-renamed Diageo engaged in a flurry of sale activity. One of these transactions included the sale of their Louisville-based Bernheim Distillery to Heaven Hill. At the time, Heaven Hill was still reeling from a devastating 1996 fire that destroyed their Bardstown distillery and warehouses, resulting in a loss of 7.7 million gallons of bourbon. The Old Fitzgerald brand was included in the distillery sale, referred to by Shapira as "lagniappe"—a Cajun word meaning "a little something extra" or "a bonus." Old Fitzgerald, the once proud brand with a century-long legacy, was tossed into the Bernheim sale like an extra trading card between kids to sweeten the deal, not to headline it. Shapira knew that Heaven Hill was the right distillery to bring the brand back to its former glory, and he wasn't the only one who thought so. 'I remember after we bought the brand, I got a nice note from Sally Van Winkle [Pappy's granddaughter], and she said something to the effect of 'Dear Max, glad to see this proud old brand has fallen into the hands of Heaven Hill, I hope you'll do a good job with it.'' The bourbon industry was still reeling from decades of poor sales and low consumer demand, so Heaven Hill didn't think the time was right for an Old Fitzgerald revival. 'We put it into the Heaven Hill library and checked it out every so it was tattered around the edges and we needed to liven it up,' says Shapira. Bringing Old Fitzgerald 7-Year To Life That opportunity eventually presented itself as the whiskey market boomed in the 21st century. By the 2010s, Heaven Hill knew that the time was right to bring Old Fitzgerald back in the spotlight, but restarting a historic brand—especially one with a wheated mash bill—takes careful planning and consideration. Long before the Old Fitzgerald decanter series began in spring 2018, the distillery was laying down large stocks of wheated bourbon in preparation for the brand's revival. In fact, the first batch of Heaven Hill 7-Year is from the same Spring 2018 distilling season when the first decanter was released. 'It goes back to the true dynamic of the bourbon industry. You need to have patience and perseverance to get anything done,' says Shapira. 'To have the quality of our wheat-based whiskey and the amount needed for a project like this took time.' Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond is available year-round nationwide. Heaven Hill Brands 'It's been in the mix for a while,' says Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O'Driscoll. 'I sat on the innovation panel with folks from across the it taste special enough? Is it different? Does it stand on its own? The answer to all those questions was 'yes' with two thumbs up.' Many bottled-in-bond products are aged for the legal minimum of 4 years before being released. Why did Old Fitzgerald age for 7 years instead? 'Somewhere between 6 and 8 years is really the sweet spot for straight whiskies for us,' says Shapira. 'The 7-year age statement aligns perfectly with our 7-year-old bottled-in-bond rye-based bourbon, the Heaven Hill 7-Year-Old,' added O'Driscoll. Heaven Hill knows a thing or two about bottled-in-bond bourbon. The distillery has been championing bottled-in-bond whiskey since opening in 1935 and makes more bottled-in-bond products than any other American whiskey distillery. Old Fitzgerald isn't the only wheated bourbon in Heaven Hill's portfolio, though. Heaven Hill's Larceny brand uses the same mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. The difference between the two products? Their target flavor profile. 'We make styles of whiskey,' says O'Driscoll, 'and one of the styles we make on the production schedule is OFD, which stands for 'Old Fitz Distillate.'' Even with the same mash bill, many aging factors have an impact on the way a barrel of bourbon 's flavor profile will develop. 'We have 2.1 million barrels aging,' O'Driscoll continues. 'Some warehouses are big, some are small, some are in the floor, high of that impacts how the whiskey is going to age.' O'Driscoll confirmed that Old Fitzgerald 7-Year isn't being aged in one particular location or on a specific set of floors in their warehouses. 'There isn't a honey hole, or we'd put all our barrels there. We have 2.1 million honey holes.' One of the most important aspects of this new product is that unlike their limited-edition decanter series, Old Fitzgerald 7-Year is a core range product that's here to stay. 'Heaven Hill is checking [the brand] out of our library and putting it on loan to everyone out there,' says Shapira. 'This isn't allocated. You don't have to stand in line to get it,' says O'Driscoll. 'We made plenty, so don't worry.' Heaven Hill 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond is available nationwide with a suggested retail price of $59.99. Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled-In-Bond Tasting Notes Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond uses Heaven Hill's wheated mash bill. Chris Perugini This whiskey appears amber in the glass. On the nose, I find notes of fresh-baked bread, cinnamon, powdered sugar, a bit of leather, caramel corn, vanilla, orange peel and a slight grassy note. With water, there is an unmistakable 'candy buttons' note, followed by ripe peach, overcooked pie crust, apricot and more baking spice. The palate starts with a gentle arrival of sweet corn, cherries in syrup and vanilla wafers, followed by assorted hard candy, barley sugars, clove and a touch of ginger. Water brings out notes of peanut butter cookies, vanilla ice cream and baked apple. On the finish, I find notes of waffle cone, cherry Mike and Ikes, cinnamon roll, dried berries, drying toasted oak and more vanilla. Water adds some sharper spice and honeyed sweetness, along with graham cracker, a deeper, richer oak and just a bit of cooling mint. Make no mistake. This isn't the Old Fitzgerald BiB of the 2000s and early 2010s. It's also not the same Old Fitz that you'll find in their decanter series. This is a unique product all its own, and I now understand why it's being placed in the spotlight of Heaven Hill's vast bottled-in-bond portfolio. It's the perfect sister release to Heaven Hill's rye-based, 7-year-old bottled-in-bond bourbon. This whiskey is an easy sipper that has enough depth to please casual drinkers and connoisseurs alike. Follow me on Instagram at @singlemaltsavvy and check out my website at More From Forbes Forbes A Japanese Whisky Check-In With The President Of The House Of Suntory By Chris Perugini Forbes Going Under The Hood Of The 2024 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection By Chris Perugini Forbes It's A Malty 'Take Two' For Parker's Heritage 18th Edition By Chris Perugini Forbes At Least One Bottle Of The $7,500 Weller Millennium Is Open. How Is It? By Chris Perugini
Man of Many
12-06-2025
- Business
- Man of Many
Old Fitzgerald Keeps It Classy With New ‘7-Year Bottled in Bond' Bourbon
By Jacob Osborn - News Published: 12 June 2025 |Last Updated: 11 June 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 3 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Old Fitzgerald bourbon is a history lesson unto itself, and one can sense as much just by scoping the timeless bottle design. The label stayed the course through Prohibition and eventually took their operation to the famous Stitzel-Weller Distillery, which shuttered in 1992. Production migrated over to Bernheim Distillery and then again to the current owner, Heaven Hill. Limited supply and skyrocketing price points have kept the majority of these expressions out of reach, but that all changes with a new signature statement. Introducing Old Fitzgerald's 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. Over the last decade, Heaven Hill have been keeping Old Fitz alive with a certain degree of temperance (pun intended). However, don't take that to mean the core distillate isn't readily accessible to whiskey lovers. In addition to the affordable Old Fitzgerald Prime, we have the Larceny bourbon range, which likewise uses the same core mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. At the higher end of the spectrum is the acclaimed Decanter Series, a limited edition release that tends to sell out quickly and fetch meteoric prices on the secondhand market. With 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond, an exciting new chapter unfolds in the long and storied history of Old Fitz. Offered at a suggested retail price of US$59.99 (though prices have already increased due to limited supply), the wheated bourbon walks the line between bottom-shelf Prime and the tippy-top-shelf Decanter Series. The liquid delivers a bright copper colour and a welcoming nose of graham cracker and honey. Tasting notes include fresh bread, brown sugar, cinnamon, apricot, and baking spice, which give way to oak at the finish. It's bottled at 100 proof and that's just enough to dial up the flavour without burning your throat on the way down. The use of wheat means one can expect a relatively smooth ride, in general. Old Fitzgerald's 7-Year-Old Bottled-In-Bond | Image: Supplied The launch of 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond doubles as a soft reboot for Old Fitz, complete with their first dedicated website. Between that and various social media campaigns, it's clear that Heaven Hill is committed to preserving the legacy of this historic label. Driving home the heritage vibe is an iconic bottle design that holds the past closely to its heart. 'Seven years proved to be a sweet spot for a Whiskey that already transcends expectations for a wheated Bourbon,' said Master Distiller Conor O'Driscoll of the latest release. While more readily available than the Decanter Series, the new expression appears to be selling out fast. If you can find a bottle for around US$80 or less, don't hesitate to pull the trigger.
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Old Fitzgerald Returns To Its Roots With New 7-Year-Old Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon
Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 7-Year There's a quiet kind of prestige in a bourbon that doesn't shout to be noticed. For generations, Old Fitzgerald has held that role in the whiskey world—a wheated bourbon with a reputation for refinement, favored by bartenders, collectors, and those who know the value of legacy in a glass. Now, Heaven Hill Distillery is giving the brand its most accessible spotlight in years with the launch of Old Fitzgerald 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey—a new signature expression that connects its storied past with an open invitation to the next wave of whiskey fans. And it comes with impeccable timing: 155 years after the Old Fitzgerald trademark first appeared in 1869. Built on the success of the high-end Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series introduced in 2018, this new 7-year-old release strikes a balance between heritage and approachability. Priced at approximately $59.99 for a 700ml bottle, it's positioned as a more attainable bottle for both longtime admirers and curious newcomers. The bourbon is aged for seven years in Level 3 charred new American oak barrels and bottled at 100 proof, meeting the stringent standards of the Bottled-in-Bond Act. It leans into the brand's signature wheated profile with a mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. From the moment the cork pops, the whiskey reveals its character: a bright copper hue in the glass and a nose that conjures graham crackers and honey. The palate brings warmth and structure—fresh bread, brown sugar, and baking spices—while the finish delivers a cozy taper of cinnamon sweetness fading into oak. 'Seven years proved to be a sweet spot for a whiskey that already transcends expectations for a wheated bourbon,' said Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O'Driscoll. 'This refined bourbon carries the same layered elegance its longer-aged sibling made famous, and the same commitment to excellence found in every bottle from Heaven Hill Distillery.' Alongside the liquid, the bottle itself offers a masterclass in nostalgic design—familiar yet refreshed. The diagonal red 'Old Fitzgerald' wordmark harkens back to the 1884 trademark. 'Your Key to Hospitality,' a phrase first found in the brand's vintage ads, now appears front and center on the label and is blown into the base of the bottle. Elegant fluting on the shoulder and a diamond-faceted closure pay homage to the 1950s diamond decanter bottles that helped cement Old Fitzgerald's premium identity. Transparency is also part of the packaging ethos: 'Bottled-in-Bond' is boldly noted on the label, and the distillation season and year are stamped on the neck wrap—clear nods to quality and authenticity. And authenticity is something Heaven Hill takes seriously. The distillery owns more Bottled-in-Bond brands than any other, carrying the torch for a category that demands high standards: a single distillation season, a single distiller, and aging in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years. To Heaven Hill Executive Chairman Max Shapira, Old Fitzgerald isn't just a brand—it's part of a personal and national history. 'This is a brand that's near and dear to my heart. I remember some of the early ads the brand is now harkening back to – and what makes me most proud is that throughout decades of changes, Old Fitzgerald has stood the test of time and maintained its unwavering commitment to quality,' Shapira said. 'It mirrors my family's story in many ways... Today, we're sharing Old Fitzgerald's story, legacy and quality with a new generation of whiskey lovers who will experience the key to hospitality.' That hospitality will take physical form in the months to come: the rollout of Old Fitzgerald 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond will be accompanied by a series of nationwide partnerships and immersive experiences designed to celebrate what it means to welcome someone in—glass in hand. With this release, Heaven Hill isn't just debuting a new bourbon—they're reasserting Old Fitzgerald's place in the pantheon of American whiskey. It's a bottle made for sipping neat by the fire or sharing across the table, equally at home in a collector's cabinet or behind the bar.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This Is the World's Best Bourbon, According to the World Whiskies Awards
As with many things in life, taste in whiskey is at least a little subjective. But pit the best drams head to head, and there will invariably be some standouts. In February 2025, the World Whiskies Awards announced one bourbon that stood above the rest. 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 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 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
