Sterling Success for Kingsbarns Distillery

Double Silver for Single Malt ‘Dream to Dram’ at Global Awards

Kingsbarns Distillery in the East Neuk of Fife is celebrating a first taste of medal success, with news today (5^thJune) that it’s recently launched ‘Dream to Dram’ single malt has been recognised at two of world’s most respected spirits competitions.

After just a few months on the market, the dram has scooped two silver medals: one at the 2019 International Spirits Challenge (ISC), and a second silver awarded at the Spirits Business Whisky Masters Awards in the Premium Lowland category.

Both competitions are amongst the most prestigious in the global drinks industry, awarding medals only after a tough blind tasting process of thousands of entrants by world-renowned industry experts.

Distillery manager Peter Holroyd said that he and the Kingsbarns team were thrilled to see their flagship expression decorated so soon after launching. He commented: ‘We’ve had such a positive response since we launched Dream to Dram back in January, and these medals are another indication that we have created a single malt of real substance and quality. The calibre of entrants is so high at both competitions, so we are extremely proud to have put Kingsbarns on the map in our first year – as well as championing the Lowland region and style of malt whisky on the world stage. This is a wonderful recognition for the hard work and dedication of our whole distillery team.

Named to mark the Wemyss Family’s vision to bring malt whisky distilling to their Fife home, Dream to Dram is a truly local whisky, having been slowly crafted with barley harvested exclusively from East Fife.  Combined with superior wood choice and long, slow fermentation, the resulting whisky has a remarkably complex and distinctive character: light, intensely fruity, floral and balanced, with colour and richness coming from the wood. It’s a dram that perfectly captures the essence of this quiet corner of Scotland.

The ISC is regarded as the most respected competitions in the drinks industry, due to the stringent nature of the judging process. Now in its 24th year, it is the premier event in promoting outstanding quality spirits from across the globe. 

www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

Twitter @KingsbarnsDist

Instagram @kingsbarnsdist 

Kingsbarns Distillery 

Kingsbarns Distillery began life as a semi-derelict farm steading – built around 1800 by Thomas Erskine, the ninth Earl of Kellie, as part of East Newhall Farm to service the adjoining Cambo Estate. Its centrepiece is a doocot, made with over 600 neatly formed terracotta nesting boxes which, at the time, would have housed pigeons to supply the laird’s kitchen with meat and eggs.

A three year restoration project involving specialist architects, engineers, designers and whisky specialists restored this historic building into the beautiful distillery and visitor centre that is now in place today – including the immaculately restored doocot in pride of place.

The distillery has 4 washbacks and 2 stills (wash still 7.5k litres, spirit still 4.5k litres) which have been designed to fit snugly into the low distillery space, using long lyne arms for maximum copper contact. The distillery has a capacity of 34 barrels per week and can produce 200k litres of alcohol per year.

The Kingsbarns team is aiming to make the distillery as green as possible and sustainability is at the heart of production. Waste water goes through reed beds and is returned clean into the local burn; local farmers use waste as fertilizer, and spent grain is used as cattle feed on neighbouring farms. Nothing is wasted and everything goes back into the local environment to the benefit of local businesses.

Distiller Peter Holroyd has been at the helm of distillation since the very beginning, sharing his passion for whisky and turning the Kingsbarns dream into a reality with the Wemyss family. A native of Glasgow, Peter graduated from the Heriot Watt Brewing and Distilling Course in Edinburgh, working in a number of small breweries before joining the Kingsbarns Team in his first whisky role.

The Kingsbarns Distillery Founders’ Club was launched on the first anniversary of the Distillery on 30^th November 2015 and is still open for membership.  Members enjoy a welcome pack with a small bottle of Kingsbarns New Make Spirit, a glass and membership badge, plus five exclusive bottles of the distillery’s inaugural Founders’ Reserve expression.

FINLAGGAN EILEAN MOR and SMOKESTACK
SILVER WINNERS AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS CHALLENGE 2019

The Vintage Malt Whisky are delighted to announce that Finlaggan Eilean Mor Islay Single Malt Whisky and SmokeStack Blended Malt Scotch Whisky have both been awarded a SILVER MEDAL at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2019. Both Finlaggan Eilean Mor and SmokeStack passed scrupulous blind tasting by a world renowned expert panel of specialist judges. They beat strong competition to win the prestigious accolade of SILVER. The quality of our brands’ craftsmanship and liquid is reflected in this great result.

Finlaggan Eilean Mor with a sweet peat smoke nose, full bodied spicy palate and a smoky, long drying finish is a worthy Silver winner and a superb member of our Finlaggan range of Islay malts.

SmokeStack is a peaty blend from quality Islay and Highland casks. A peat lover’s dream with vanilla and ginger on the nose, lemon and honey palate and long smoky finish. SmokeStack has now won several awards which is testament to the quality and consistency of the liquid and the skill of our Blender.

VMW Chairman Brian Crook said “I am immensely proud that our latest release, Smokestack, has been recognised two years in a row for its great balance and smoky taste with a silver medal. Well done to the Vintage Malt Whisky team”.

Awards Organiser Justin Smith said: “The ISC grows every year, with producers entering a diverse mix of spirits from across the globe, looking to benchmark their spirit at the very highest level”.

“Winning awards is a great feeling, but winning in the prestigious ISC always has a special feel. Here at VMW we strive to create high quality drams at accessible prices and our brands continue to grow in popularity with whisky lovers around the world. We are absolutely thrilled to have won Silver for both Finlaggan Eilean Mor and SmokeStack” said MD Andrew Crook.

For the Tasting Awards, a highly controlled operation is held over fifteen days of intense blind tastings by panels of more than 50 respected and experienced industry professionals. Samples are delivered to the judging area in flights of numbered tasting glasses to ensure the accuracy of the blind tasting. Each judge assesses products according to their age, region and variety which is then determined by the entrant and verified by the chairman. Such a precise judging process has provided the basis of the strong reputation the ISC has established for rewarding quality and celebrating excellence.

Full results have been released and published on the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) website, www.internationalspiritschallenge.com with the full list of medal winners to be published in the ISC annual results magazine in August.
For further information on any of our brands or images please contact kim@vintagemaltwhisky.com or visit our website www.vintagemaltwhisky.com

NOTES 

For a full list of categories and sub categories, visit here

About the Awards Winning an ISC award is indeed an impressive achievement for any spirit that passes the scrupulous blind assessment from our expert panel of specialist judges. The International Spirits Challenge is the most authoritative, respected and influential spirits competition in the world. The ISC recognises key areas of the industry: Tasting and Design & Packaging. For further information about the awards, please contact the International Spirits Challenge team at isc@drinksint.com

BARTON 1792 DISTILLERY WHISKIES RECEIVE TOP HONORS AT 2019 ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE 

BARDSTOWN, kENTUCKY (JUNE 18, 2019) The 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge awarded honors to six whiskies from the Barton 1792 Distillery. Two of the Distillery’s whiskies were named as finalists for the Chairman’s Trophy, the highest honor awarded. Additionally, five spirits were named as a “Great Value” and one received the “Tried & True” award. 

Awarded the high honor of “Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation” was:

• 1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
  • Named a “Great Value”
  • “Tried & True” Award 

“Excellent, Highly Recommended” honors went to:

• 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
  • Named a “Great Value”
  • “Tried & True” Award 

Awarded “Very Good, Strong Recommendation” were:

• Zachariah Harris Kentucky Straight Bourbon
  • Named a “Great Value”
• Kentucky Tavern Kentucky Straight Bourbon
  • Named a “Great Value”
• Very Old Barton 90 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
  • Named a “Great Value”
• Very Old Barton 80 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

“Receiving recognition for so many of our bourbons from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge is a great honor for our team,” said Master Distiller Danny Kahn. “We strive to create the best quality bourbons we can, so it’s especially meaningful to be recognized as finalists for the Chairman’s Trophy and to receive numerous “Great Value” awards.”

The ninth annual competition is decided by a judging panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned experts including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners, who rate each spirit on a 100-point scale.

Complete results for the 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge can be found at https://www.ultimate-beverage.com/ultimate-spirits-challenge-USC/2019-spirits-results/.

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 28 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery. This whiskey is named for the year Kentucky became a state and is the recent gold medal winner at the 2017 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. To learn more visit www.1792bourbon.com.

BIMBER DISTILLERY DEBUTS ITS FOUNDERS’ CLUB AND EXCLUSIVE SMALL CASK RELEASE TO CELEBRATE REACHING WHISKY MILESTONE

London’s award-winning Bimber Distillery has opened entries to its Founders’ Club, and will release a limited number of private casks for members to purchase (just in time for Father’s Day), to celebrate its first casks reaching three years of maturity.

A significant milestone for Bimber ahead of it’s official whisky release in September 2019. The Founders’ Club, which publicly launches today, aims to build a community of people who according to Sales Director Farid Shawish; “share our passion and want to be part of a distillery whose mission is to produce a true handcrafted whisky, made with care and traditional methods. Our members will always be welcome for a chat, and their input will play an important part in shaping the future of Bimber Distillery.”  

Members will receive their first, exclusive cask strength bottle of London Single Malt Whisky in December this year. This is different from most other distilleries where members often must wait many years before receiving a mature bottle of whisky. Members will also enjoy a further three special and rare releases; a unique members tour of the distillery for up to four people (including tasting Bimber’s Master Distillers private casks), a sample box with 6 x 50ml bottles of cask drawn samples, a welcome pack, 10% discount on online whisky purchases, and notice of all future releases, before they launch.

According to Farid “prospective members have the advantage of being able to try our whisky at one of our tours, or by purchasing samples from our website, before deciding to join the club. We want to be fair and accessible, and have priced our Founders’ Club at £395, which is substantially cheaper than other comparable offerings.” 

Members will also be able to purchase their very own 30 Litre cask, hand filled by them with either Peated or Non-peated New Make Spirit. These casks will mature at the distillery for three years, at which point they will be bottled onsite with personalised labels.  Casks are expected to yield approximately 49 bottles of London Single Malt. The offer is strictly limited to 50 casks and is priced at £895.      

NOTES:

Website www.bimber.co.uk

Online Store         https://www.bimberdistillery.co.uk/shop-1

Twitter                    https://twitter.com/bimberlondon

Facebook              https://www.facebook.com/bimberdistillery/

Instagram              https://www.instagram.com/bimberdistillery/ 

BIMBER DISTILLERY – HANDCRAFTED ENGLISH WHISKY 

SINGLE FARM LOCALLY GROWN ENGLISH BARLEY:

We travelled to many British farms to find the highest quality barley possible, before choosing a farm in nearby beautiful Hampshire. The county’s maritime climate is perfect for producing barley and Fordham & Allen, our farmer, sows and harvests the barley at the optimum times of the year. We carefully select two-row barley varieties, Concerto and Laureate, to produce our premium single malt whisky. These barley varieties deliver a high-level of extract and fermentability, which together provides the optimum level of predicted spirit yield and complex aromas. 

TRADITIONAL FLOOR MALTING:

It is our belief that traditional floor malted barley is an essential process in producing premium, handcrafted whisky. We have therefore chosen to partner with Warminster Maltings, Britain oldest maltster, who dedicate an entire malting floor to Bimber. The resulting malted barley is a unique product of outstanding quality. Malt has been made forever, by hand, on floors, a perfectly natural, albeit labour intensive method. The whole process is conducted within the ambient temperatures of the malt floors, regulated by the opening and closing of the non-glazed windows. It is a very natural process which allows the individual batches of barley to express themselves to the optimum. This emphasises the special character of the malt and creates maximum extracts. 

FERMENTATION:

At Bimber, we take pride in our long fermentation process. We ferment slowly, for seven whole days to create a light and fruity whisky. This limits the amount of whisky we can produce, but helps us produce a premium, handcrafted whisky, just as the best distilleries did in times gone past. The first stage in the process is where hot water is added to the grist in a mash tun to convert the starch in the grist to sugar. The resulting sweet liquid is called ‘wort’s’.We prefer to use clear wort’s as it produces a new make spirit with a less intense, cereal character. The wort’s are then cooled and pumped into charred wooden tanks called washback’s. These are made at Bimber’s own cooperage with American oak. The lengthy contact with the oak,  produces a lighter, more complex, fruity flavour.We then add our yeast, which is a strain carefully created for Bimber. This ferments the sugar, converting it into alcohol. The resulting wash is like a strong beer with an abv of 8-10%.

SMALL DIRECT FIRE COPPER POT STILLS:

At Bimber, we believe that the spirit needs a lot of contact with copper during distillation, to retain the heavier elements of the distillate and produce a lighter whisky. Our two small copper pot stills, Doris and Astraeus were designed to our specific instructions to maximise copper contact. We choose to heat with direct fire, rather than steam, in the traditional way. This enables a slow but powerful cook for a more full-bodied spirit with a depth of flavour. The first distillation takes place in Doris, our 1000-litre wash still, which produces a low-strength, 33% abv spirit called ‘low wines’. These are then redistilled a second time in Astraeus, our small, 600-litre spirit still. The distillate is collected in three stages or ‘cuts’ called foreshots, heart and feints. Only the heart, which has an alcoholic strength of 72% abv is retained for maturation and the foreshots and feints are recycled within the next batch of low wines. This new make spirit is then reduced to 63.5% before being filled into casks.

ON SITE COOPERAGE

At Bimber we have carefully sourced the finest American Oak and Sherry casks from the USA and Europe. We use a range of cask types as this allows flexibility to create a unique flavour to be produced. At times smaller casks are used as the whisky has more contact with the wood and creates a different flavour profile. We are proud to say that we have our own onsite cooperage who check all casks and repair and re-char the casks when required. This long-established yet rare skill is something we believe is key to the personalised whisky process here at the heart of Bimber. 

ART OF BLENDING:

The art of blending is one of our Master Distiller’s greatest passions. We believe that blending is an underappreciated stage in the whisky making process. Our team personally monitor the progress of each cask, nosing and tasting regularly to find the optimum moment to bottle our precious whisky. We record the taste profile of every sample so we can ensure our London Single Malt Whisky retains its signature light, fruity style.At the same time, we are keen to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible within the art of whisky making. We are constantly creating new and exciting finishes for possible future special editions and one-off releases. Only the very best of these innovations will go on sale to our discerning customers.

On 4th July 2019, neighbourhood bar The Gallery will be celebrating US Independence Day with a big whisky-fuelled party taking over the West Hampstead bar from 6pm.

American expats, missing out the annual celebrations at home, and Londoners looking to soak up some Americana will revel in lively 4th July festivities – without having to travel across the pond!

A local favourite in leafy West Hampstead, The Gallery has become renowned for its collection of over 101 whiskies from distilleries across the globe, including an extensive bourbon selection. During the 4th July party, guests will be able to enjoy a guided tasting of some of these American whiskies and the bar will be showcasing two brewery collaborations – one American and one English. The menu for the night will also include a selection of special boilermakers as well as refreshing Mint Juleps (£8.50).

Party-goers will also be able enjoy a mouth-watering menu of American goodness, such as BBQ ribs, fried chicken and other tasty American treats including vegetarian and vegan-friendly options.

From 8pm, the basement bar will come alive with all-American music from The Thumping Tommys who will bring folk energy and foot-stomping bluegrass to  The Gallery to keep revellers dancing late into the night.
Entry to the venue will be free but a £10 ticket will entitle ticket-holders to 1 Mint Julep, 1/3 pint of a special collaboration brew and a free American whiskey tasting session. Tickets can be purchased at the bar at any time, limited to availability.

Whisky category set to grow to £2.44 billion by 2022, inaugural
Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Whisky Yearbook forecasts

The whisky category will return to growth over the coming year and, by 2022, will be worth £2.44 billion (up from £2.31 billion in 2018) according to research in the inaugural Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Whisky Yearbook.

The report, designed to be a guide to the trends in the UK whisky market, has been launched by Edrington-Beam Suntory UK to create a comprehensive guide to the key shifts in the category, as well as forecast the underlying trends and their impact.

The research shows that whisky as a whole will grow by £138 million in value in the coming three years – 6% growth over the period – and by over 200,000 cases.

Source: CGA & Nielsen sales data for 2018 and IWSR growth forecasts for 2019 and 2022. Volume of 8.4 litre cases and total whisky value

Mark Riley, Managing Director of Edrington-Beam Suntory UK said: “Whisky is one of the most diverse and dynamic of the spirits categories. Our forecast is that it is also one that will see growth over the next three years. Bartenders and retailers tell us that whisky is a key focus for them, with plans to invest in broadening their knowledge and range, ensuring they can accommodate the increasing appetite for the spirit from consumers in both on and off-trade. 

“We would like the Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Whisky Yearbook to become a vital resource to track the changes as they happen and to look at the underlying trends in the category – both as a way to understand the market today and to forecast what is to come – as well as to offer insight into how we navigate the challenges and opportunities presented to us.”

Growth in Scotch single malt and US whisky

The principle drivers of this growth are set to be the Scotch single malt category which Edrington-Beam Suntory UK expects to see grow in value from £394 million in 2018 to £439 million in 2022.

The growth will come as a result of new “accessibly priced” single malts in the market and a closing of the price gap between single malts and blends – encouraging more blends drinkers to “trade up”.

At the same time, existing single malt drinkers are showing strong signs of trading up within the category as they explore limited bottlings and premium releases from the biggest names such as The Macallan and Bowmore amongst others.

Meantime, The Whisky Yearbook research also forecasts that American whiskies will see growth to 2022 – up from £688 million in 2018 to £742 million in 2022.

While there is uncertainty over the current tariffs imposed on US whiskies, the report is optimistic that growth will come from the growing “American premium” brands such as Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Bulleit and Woodford Reserve, which are helping to add value to the category.

Mark Riley said: “Our forecast is that Scotch single malt and American whiskies will drive future growth, continuing to attract new consumers to the whisky category and successfully appealing to existing customers with new expressions. Both are seeing customers trade-up as they explore the categories, which is supporting the increase in the value and volume of sales.”

Scotch and US Whiskies Volume Growth to 2022

Source: CGA & Nielsen sales data for 2018 and IWSR growth forecasts for 2019 and 2022. Volume of 8.4 litre cases and total whisky value

Scotch and US Whiskies Value Growth to 2022

Source: CGA & Nielsen sales data for 2018 and IWSR growth forecasts for 2019 and 2022. Volume of 8.4 litre cases and total whisky value 

Emergent categories in whisky

Further supporting the overall growth of whisky in the coming years will be the smaller sub-categories where growth will be substantial to 2022, according to Edrington-Beam Suntory UK forecasts.

Irish whiskey will grow by £28.5 million from its sales in 2018 to 2022 and is forecast to be worth £163.9 million. This has been largely driven by the category-leading brand, Jamesons, but the wider easing of supply of Irish whiskey into the UK market will support this growth yet further.

The growth of single grain whisky, meanwhile, has been one of the success stories of the last five years and growth will continue as the value of sales will almost double to £42.1 million in 2022 (from £21.5 million in 2018). As with Irish whiskey, a clear market leader – Haig Club – has led the increase, but there are now further brands joining the category which will increase the pace of growth.

Growth in sales of Japanese whisky will accelerate over the coming three years as there is greater volume available for export, as supply has been the only major barrier to its growth hitherto. The total value of sales will rise to £11.7 million by 2022 marking 44.4% growth. Canadian whisky also will grow to become a £9.0 million category over the next three years.

Mark Riley said: “Irish and single grain whiskies have been real success stories over the past twelve months – sharing rapid growth on an already strong base of both volume and value in the market. We expect both to play a greater role in shaping the wider market in the coming years. 

“The supply challenges that have arguably held back growth in Japanese and Canadian whiskies have eased. While there remains a challenge securing enough liquid from leading brands from both nations to satisfy UK demand, there is far greater supply forecast and we predict we will see growth as a result.”

Irish, single grain, Japanese and Canadian Whiskies Volume Growth to 2022 

Source: CGA & Nielsen sales data for 2018 and IWSR growth forecasts for 2019 and 2022. Volume of 8.4 litre cases and total whisky value

Irish, Single Grain, Japanese and Canadian Whiskies Value Growth to 2022

Source: CGA & Nielsen sales data for 2018 and IWSR growth forecasts for 2019 and 2022. Volume of 8.4 litre cases and total whisky value 

The Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Whisky Yearbook will be published annually and can be accessed digitally at: www.thewhiskyyearbook.co.uk

Notes 

About Edrington-Beam Suntory Distribution UK

Edrington-Beam Suntory Distribution UK is one of the UK’s biggest sprits sales, marketing and distribution companies. It is a joint-venture company jointly owned by Edrington and Beam Suntory.

Edrington-Beam Suntory UK represents leading spirit brands in categories including:

• Blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse, Naked Grouse and Teacher’s)
• Malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan, Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Ardmore)
• Japanese whiskies (Yamazaki, Hibiki, Hakushu, Toki and Chita)
• Bourbon (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek)
• Imported whiskies (Canadian Club and Kilbeggan Irish whiskey)
• Gin (Roku and Larios)

It also handles UK sales and distribution for Courvoisier cognac, Snow Leopard vodka, Brugal 1888 rum and a portfolio of liqueurs and specialities (including Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano and After Shock).

GEORGE T. STAGG NAMED BEST BOURBON WHISKEY IN THE WORLD

20 Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits recognized at Ultimate Spirits Challenge 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (JUNE 11, 2019) The 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge honored 20 spirits from Buffalo Trace Distillery with awards, including a Chairman’s Trophy. George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon received this prestigious award and the acclaim of best bourbon whiskey in the world. Additionally, seven of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s whiskies were named finalists for the Chairman’s Trophy, nine spirits were named a “Great Value” and six received the “Tried and True” award.

“It is a tremendous honor and a testament to the passion of our hard-working team to receive the Chairman’s Trophy for George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon,” said Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “The Ultimate Spirits Challenge is a universally recognized indicator of exceptional quality and craftsmanship, and we are thrilled that so many of our spirits were recognized this year.”

Those awarded the distinction of “Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation” were:

• George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
• Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
• Blanton’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
  • Named a “Great Value”
  • “Tried & True” Award

“Excellent, Highly Recommended” honors went to:

• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Named a “Great Value”
  • “Tried & True” Award
• Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
  • Named a “Great Value”
  • “Tried & True” Award
• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
  • “Tried & True” Award
• Colonel E.H. Taylor Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
  • “Tried & True” Award
• Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Elmer T. Lee Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• W. L. Weller 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
  • Named a “Great Value”
• W. L. Weller Antique 107 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Finalist for Chairman’s Trophy
  • Named a “Great Value”
• W.L. Weller CYPB Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Awarded “Very Good, Strong Recommendation” were:

• Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
  • Named a “Great Value”
• W.L. Weller Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Named a “Great Value”
• Benchmark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Named a “Great Value”

“Good, Recommended” distinction was given to:

• Buffalo Trace Distillery Bourbon Cream

The ninth annual competition is decided by a judging panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned experts including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners, who rate each spirit on a 100-point scale.

Complete results for the 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge can be found at https://www.ultimate-beverage.com/ultimate-spirits-challenge-USC/2019-spirits-results/.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 21 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018.”  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 500 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.