Awards & Competitions
Tracking the bottles, distilleries, and people earning recognition across the whiskey world—from international competitions to local showcases.
Independent reporting with added context, not copied press releases.
Latest Award Coverage
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Locke + Co.’s Big Blaze Bourbon Earns Double Gold at 2026 Denver International Spirits Competition
Locke + Co.’s Big Blaze Bourbon earned Double Gold at the 2026 Denver International Spirits Competition and Gold at the Ascot Awards. The limited-release bourbon supports Colorado firefighters and is finished with aspen wood from the East Troublesome Fire.
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Hooten Young’s Operation Gothic Serpent Rye Earns Double Gold at 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Hooten Young’s Operation Gothic Serpent Rye Whiskey has earned Double Gold at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The 7-year-old rye pays tribute to the 19 Americans lost during the Battle of Mogadishu and was unanimously awarded Gold by every judge.
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Kentucky Peerless 10-Year Bourbon Wins Double Platinum at 2026 ASCOT Awards
Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.’s Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve 10-Year Bourbon earned Double Platinum at the 2026 ASCOT Awards as the sold-out release continues building momentum nationwide.
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KO Distilling Wins 2026 First Landing Cup With Best in Show Rye Whiskey
KO Distilling earned Best in Show at the 2026 First Landing Cup, with its Bare Knuckle Cask Strength Rye Whiskey receiving the highest score of any spirit entered in the statewide competition.
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Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Named “Best of 2026” at Korea Wine & Spirits Awards
Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon earns “Best of 2026” at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards, highlighting the global rise of cask strength single barrel bourbon and the brand’s expanding international reach.
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Hinterhaus Distilling Wins Best American Single Cask Single Malt at 2026 World Whiskies Awards
Hinterhaus Distilling’s Singularity wins Best American Single Cask Single Malt at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards in Louisville, KY.