A sold-out bourbon release from Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. has now added one of American whiskey’s more respected competition honors to an already rapidly growing reputation.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 27, 2026) — Kentucky Peerless has announced that Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve 10-Year Bourbon earned Double Platinum at the 2026 ASCOT Awards, continuing a streak of national recognition for both the distillery and one of its most anticipated modern releases.
Originally released on April 22, 2026, the bourbon sold out quickly at the distillery and immediately became one of the more discussed limited bourbon launches of the year. Since then, the release has appeared on multiple enthusiast “best of 2026” lists while drawing increasing attention across the broader whiskey community.
Now, ASCOT’s judging panel has added formal industry recognition to the conversation.
According to the competition’s tasting notes, the bourbon presented “toasty oak aromas” layered alongside blackberry and cherry notes before transitioning into flavors of sweet oak and vanilla custard with a “long, lingering finish” and “nice creamy viscous mouthfeel.”
The panel concluded simply:
“This is what whiskey should be.”
Why This Matters
The bourbon awards landscape has become increasingly crowded over the last decade.
New competitions launch constantly. Medal counts continue expanding. Gold medals that once felt meaningful are now often handed out by the hundreds.
Double Platinum remains comparatively rare.
At the ASCOT Awards, the designation is reserved for entries receiving top marks across the judging panel, making it one of the competition’s highest distinctions.
That context matters because Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve wasn’t positioned primarily as a competition whiskey.
The release carried emotional and historical significance for Peerless itself.
Named after Henry Kraver — a key figure in the company’s original pre-Prohibition history — the bourbon represented both a milestone age statement and a symbolic continuation of the Taylor family’s long-term restoration of the Peerless brand.
That restoration effort has accelerated significantly in recent years.
Founded in 1889 and revived in 2013 by fourth-generation owner R.M. Corky Taylor alongside his son Carson Taylor, Kentucky Peerless has steadily evolved from respected craft distillery into one of the more recognizable premium bourbon producers in the modern whiskey space.
Importantly, the company has done so while maintaining a fully in-house production model under its historic DSP-KY-50 designation.
Unlike many modern sourced or partially outsourced whiskey brands, Peerless continues emphasizing sweet mash production, lower barrel entry proof, and full operational control across distillation, barreling, and maturation.
That production identity has increasingly become part of the brand’s broader positioning:
premium whiskey built through process consistency rather than scale.
More Than One Winning Bottle
The 2026 ASCOT Awards also reinforced that Peerless’ success currently extends beyond bourbon alone.
Alongside the Double Platinum awarded to Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve 10-Year Bourbon, the distillery also earned Double Platinum medals for both its Double Oak Rye and Single Barrel Rye releases.
That broader sweep matters because rye whiskey has quietly become one of Peerless’ strongest categories among enthusiasts, particularly for drinkers seeking heavier spice structure and more oak-forward profiles than many contemporary Kentucky ryes deliver.
The ASCOT Awards themselves have grown into one of the whiskey industry’s more visible modern competitions, led by whiskey writer and spirits judge Fred Minnick alongside a rotating panel of category specialists.
Top-scoring entries advance into a championship round where finalists are discussed and evaluated collaboratively before final distinctions are awarded.
The Bourbon
- Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Age: 10 Years
- Release Name: Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve
- Award: Double Platinum — 2026 ASCOT Awards
- Availability: Distillery release (sold out)
According to ASCOT tasting notes, the bourbon carries aromas of toasted oak, blackberry, and cherry alongside flavors of sweet oak and vanilla custard with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and lingering finish.
While Peerless did not disclose mashbill details or full production specifications within the release announcement, the whiskey’s profile appears consistent with the distillery’s broader house style:
dense texture, concentrated oak influence, layered sweetness, and elevated viscosity without excessive tannic bitterness.h experimental and limited rather than a permanent portfolio addition.
— ASCOT Awards 2026 Judging Panel“This is what whiskey should be.”
Looking Ahead
Kentucky Peerless confirmed that Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve 10-Year Bourbon will return on April 22, 2027.
The distillery also announced plans to release a companion Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve 10-Year Rye Whiskey next year, signaling that the Kraver line may evolve into a broader long-term premium series rather than a one-time commemorative bottling.
That possibility feels notable.
American whiskey consumers have increasingly gravitated toward heritage-driven limited releases that combine historical storytelling with mature age statements and modern production credibility.
Peerless now appears positioned to compete directly within that category.
The Bottom Line
Kentucky Peerless didn’t necessarily need another awards win to validate its reputation among enthusiasts.
But the Double Platinum recognition for Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve 10-Year Bourbon reinforces something increasingly difficult to ignore:
Peerless has successfully transitioned from promising craft revival into one of the more consistently respected premium whiskey producers in Kentucky.
And importantly, it has done so without abandoning the production philosophy that made enthusiasts pay attention in the first place.
For a distillery built around the idea of restoring historical standards rather than chasing volume, that may ultimately matter more than any individual medal.
Related Articles
Bardstown Bourbon Company and Mars Whisky have released a first-of-its-kind co-aged bourbon and Japanese whisky blend, combining Kentucky bourbon and Japanese single malt in the same barrel for 12 months.
Green River Distilling Co. has announced Honey Finished Bourbon, a 92-proof Kentucky straight bourbon finished in-barrel with 100% real honey and no artificial sweeteners or additives.
Shortbarrel’s Sapsquatch Bourbon returns for 2026 as a 110-proof maple-finished release blending Kentucky and Indiana bourbons with a unique two-stage finishing process focused on oak, spice, and texture over sweetness.
Virginia distillers release a limited-edition 250th anniversary trio pack featuring rum, whiskey, and gin. Details on the collaboration, distilleries involved, and why it matters.