In our fifth year, the ASCOT Awards delivered another great competition. Our esteemed judges blind tasted all samples to determine the very best
The medalist rounds showed incredible promise from independent companies flexing their quality, with the likes of Barrel King (11 Double Platinums) and Dark Arts (8 Double Platinums) dominating their initial flights. In the Playoff Rounds (scroll the tabs at top to view each round), the Indies / craft continued to rock, with the Barrel King, Dark Arts, Pursuit, Kentucky Peerless and many others, winning big, while larger companies, such as Pernod Ricard, Heaven Hill and Sazerac, picked up a lot of major victories.
For Best in Category, we saw massive upsets with a Ponfeigh Rye defeating Jack Daniel’s in the Single Barrel Rye. And Pursuit upending Thomas Handy for Best in Show rye. But when it came down to it, an annual juggernaut won Best Bourbon.
On the world stage, WhistlePig crushed all Canadian competition and an Indian whiskey, Indri Dru Cask Strength Single Malt Indian Whisky, absolutely knocked my socks off. Indri Dru actually had a vote for Best in Show Whiskey. Alas, it just wasn’t strong enough to take out a perennial contender and the winner of my Top 100 last year.
Best in Categories (Best Small Batch, Blend of Straights, etc.)
….. with Judges’ Tasting Notes
Best Small Batch Bourbon
Barrel King Barrel King THE G SPOT #118 – WHAREHOUSE G BARRELS – SINGLE RICKHOUSE BLEND – by JARROD RECORD
Complex with raisin and current that moves into a spiced luxardo and a port wine finish
Medium amber on the color. Nose of flat coke and plum / raisins. Funky flavors on the taste. Spice cake, coke and old book notes. Well balanced with the finish lingering a good 30 seconds. Proof at 118 is right on. Well done.
Absoluetly lovely… creamy sweet nose with a balanced profile that moves easily from start to an evolving finish. This is well-mannered. Anyone would enjoy this pour.has everything i look for in bourbon
Dark, rich, fruity, oaky, hints of herbaceousness; drinks like its age, in a great way.
Wheated Bourbon
Southern Distilling Company Southern Star Cask Strength Paragon Wheated Bourbon
Slightly muted nose enters with a blast of red apple, a little strawberry and bright fresh grated nutmeg on the finish. Slightly astringent finish.
Subtle nose, giving way to a lovely palate of rich caramel viscosity and balanced warm baking spice. This is a true crowd-pleaser for new whicskey fans and seasoned palates alike.subtle nose, sweet easy, with blooming spice, crowd pleaser
Nose is almost a reference copy of “what wheated bourbon smells like.” Dry bread, sawn oak, peanut hulls. Nice and friendly at the proof, follows through on the nose. Finish warms up a bit, but the oak cradles it in structure. Nice whiskey; not a parade, not a fireworks show, but a real nice whiskey.
Delicious expression of a wheated bourbon
Straight Bourbon
Latitude Beverage Company Wheel Horse Barrel Master Bourbon
Sneaks up behind ya. Sweetness on the lips and front of the pallette goes down very easy, but right after it goes down finish comes up to hang for a bit!
Butterscotch candy
Deep, rich flavor profile, browned butter and homemade caramel punctuated with big warm spicethe word “zippy” comes to mind… nice, fast, not big deep notes
Chocolate, tobacco, tea leaves, leather; yum
Blend of Straight Bourbon
Dark Arts Whiskey House LLC Dark Arts Barely Legal Bourbon – Small Batch, Cask Strength
Clouds of freshly grated cinnamon nose. Cinnamon apple pastry on the palate.
Tasty. Nutty. Well balanced.
Lovely notes of honeycomb and tea leaves. Slightly bitter but ultimately creamy finish
Warm, kind of ‘generic bourbon’ nose. Much more interesting on the palate: warm corn and oak, but also some berries, a bit of anise, some hard toffee. Finish takes all that and twists it tight and almost hot, with a bit of tingle on the sides.
Bright, fruity, touch of spice at finish
Candied ginger, big, blooming profile of sweet vanilla and spice, slightest hint of mint very interesting – deep spice, syrupy sweetness
Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon
Barrell Craft Spirits Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend
Very cream palate, velvetty texture, a little rancio on this with a big finish, sweet,
Quite a lot going on here but it’s well structured and has a rich, balanced finish that doesn’t stray too far from the bourbon palate.
Very complex pour! Raspberry and plum open on the front palate as the spice hits the mid palate. Pie crust, brown sugar and faint sassafras move in to play on the back palate. White pepper is sneaky across the palate and is consistent sip to sip. The texture and oily mouth feel really keep the flavors locked in while dark berries stay attached to the back of the palate. HOME RUN!
So complex… layers of flavor and spice come together perfectly – soft sweet nose, BIG FLAVORS of wood and spice. A memorable pour. big flavor and spice … deep notes – this is a funky, memorable pour that is unique and would have me talking about it to my friends
The complete package — solid base, clever finishing
Single Barrel Bourbon
Starlight Distillery Starlight Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey 106_25
Very Good. Vanilla, burnt sugar and big long finish
Nice nose of hot sweet berries, some mint, and light oak. Bright on the palate, bringing all of that plus good mouthfeel. Finish is hot but light, clean, oaky but not sharp or bitter.
Butterscotchy aroma opening to lovely oak and spice
Blend of Straight Whiskeys
Tennesee Whiskey Trail The Tennessee Collective
Nicely composed with oak, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a creamy texture.
This has what I look for in an American whiskey … big flavors of spice and sweetness and oak.
Single Barrel Rye
Ponfeigh Distillery LLC Ponfeigh Westsylvania Rye
Pecan, spicy and maple syrup doused waffles.
Nice color. I enjoy the cola and root beer, and spices on the nose. On the palate we have Oak spice, rye spice, with some dark chocolate notes. The finish here is the winner. I wish it was just a touch more viscous but a solid rye whiskey.
This is a dill and rye bread bomb. Cinnamon, ginger, clove and a hint of molasses. A rye lovers rye.
Great mouth feel, rye is very balanced
Viscous, lovely rye spice, opening to a garden of blooming floral notes that linger to a drizzled wild honey
Darker rye that has brown butter, dark blackberry and orange that hit the front and mid palate. Spice builds to a birds eye pepper that creates a wonderful fruity spice. Slight cherry, all spice and ginger flow in to a mix of black and white pepper through the finish
Gorgeous, deep red appearance, orange, caramelized sugar on nose, cocoa nib on palate, a bit green on finish
Lovely! spicy from the rye but also slightly sweet. beautiful long finish. dried cherry and chocolate.
Special Barrel-Finished Rye
DRUMKEY SPIRITS DRUMKEY SPIRITS Rye’d Cymbal – by Jason Callori of The Mash and Drum
App Amber Aroma musty sherry note, peach ring candy Taste super tannic, mouth pulling first sip followed by red berries and cedar notes Finish bright luden cherry, wood balances out nicely in long finish
You can really feel the alcohol once it dissipates you get a nice cocoa and apple
A lovely rye pour… appropriate sweetness and balanced spice – rounded out
Blend of Straight Rye
Pursuit Spirits Pursuit United Barrel Proof Rye
Well-rounded caramel and toffee. Cayenne and paprika mixture. caramelized wood sugar is present.
Nose: vanilla, spice palate: black pepper spice finish: med-long
Spiced purple grape, subtle clove and sweet oak hit right away as the rye builds on the mid palate. White pepper sharpness and lemon stick to the side of the palate. Nice mouth feel that has lingering flavors of ginger, white pepper and birds eye pepper but more on the fruit side. Nice Rye!!
Nose of sweet apple, stone fruit, and cinnamon, although a high abv, it’s nicely in balance and warm, berry and apricot fruit notes
Best Craft Bourbon
Kentucky Peerless Henry Kraver Old Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon
Penny On the nose upfront maple, oaky, leathery, deep dark fruit, cinnamon and cracked black pepper, a hint of pastry On the palate: Forward charred oak making it a bit “grippy”, fig jam, hint of vanilla and lingering cracked black pepper. The finish is medium to long and the oak sits and tapers into a slight bitterness.
Nice color. Toasty oak dominates the nose with some blackberry and cherry. Nice sweetness on the palate with sweet oak and vanilla custard that transitions to a long lingering finish. Nice creamy viscous mouthfeel. there is a little ethanol on the nose but the flavors are rich.
Great whiskey. Caramel bomb. Great viscosity. Cinnamon red hot on the finish to balance out the brown sugar sweetness.
Love the deep Amber Color. Nose is Deep and Dark fruits. This is complex Feels a bit older 8 to 10 . This is what whiskey should be!
Creme brulee nose, big spice, shorter finish, quality pour
Best Single Barrel Pick
Bourbon Club of Arkansas – Elliott Brothers Reserve
Whoa, a lot going on in the nose on this one. Deep oak, caramel, hazelnuts and very subtle butterscotch. The 130 proof comes through some, but not a problem. Whew. Lots of flavor. Rich, sweet caramel, very slight corn note and oak. The finish is medium-to-long with lots of barrel and spice, the high proof comes through some, but not a deal breaker.
Lavender and dried orange rinds in the nose. the proof is balanced with orange, vanilla, and rye. incredible middle that elongates to the finish making it a bit chewy and dry.
Nose: A curious airiness to what is obviously high proof Palate/Finish: juicy on the entry, then builds to a spicy punch General: quite a ride, but very fast
Best American Whiskey
Traveller Full Proof
Quite sweet in a good way, with a bright almost tart citrus backbone. I think a touch more richness would take this to the next level
Outstanding middle and nose! This proof and color say a lot about the distillate and the water used on the grain. Clean and fruit forward with the right amount of heat.
Complex, instense cacao, coffee, spice & smoke
Best Special Barrel Finished American Whiskey
291 XIV Colorado Whiskey
N: medicinal, myer lemon, grapefruit peel, inorganic earth, stones, gravel, sawn wood, musk, cologne P: clove rocky minerality, kiln clay, yellow apple, long finish. Hard to get my head around, but enjoyable
Grape, cane sugar, tobacco, steeped tea
Grippy oh so grippy
Best Craft American Whiskey
Talnua Distillery American White Oak Whiskey Bottled in Bond
The nose is BRIGHT with wild ripe strawberries and cream – it literrally reminds me of the scratch and sniff strawberry shortcake scented character playsets from the 1980’s (and in the best possible way… not a bad way at all!) Palate is just FUN… easy, sweet, sparkly… this is not a chalenging pour; it’s pure delight from start to finish.
It’s funny, for an oak-finished whiskey, I get so many other characteristics and not much oak. VERY well done. appearance: honey colored; like under “whiskey appearance” in the dictionary; merry band of short exclamation point legs evenly spaced nose: almost no aroma but what’s there is softly sweet like a flower blossom and/or pancake syrup flavor: so sweet and luscious in texture that I was surprised; exhale is all powdered sugar/candy cigarette smoke; leathery like an old, valuable and appreciated hardbound book with aging pages – this is a whiskey to drink in a beloved old professor’s private study finish — all sweet; lingers like one’s favorite flavor of a menthol cough drop
Rich appearance, seems like a darker toast, slow to start, but flavor hits strong–toasted malt, thyme, rosemary, mace. Pleasant, balanced heat, finish is a bit muddled.
Best Craft Rye
Black Band Cask Strength Rye
This is really good. There is a milk chocolate, berry note that is fantastic! Love the depth and oak on the end.
Best American Rye 11+ Years
Circle City 12 year Straight Rye Whiskey Batch 2
Lush and well-balanced, try as I might, I cannot feel the high ABV till long after the first sip. Bold traces of spice and rye abound, and the oak leaves have a light influence and contain this wild child. Water brings out burnt caramel and balloons the round mouthfeel.
Amber in color. Subtle spices and sweetness on the nose. Cloves and smoke. This wraps you up like a bear trap and does not let go. A mean drink that does not want to shake hands but will instead slap you in the face. Crazy finish that has a good linger. This is a big shoulder Rye with great balance.
Color: light golden brown Nose: candied watermelon Taste: rich oak, cajun salt Finish: tannins, salty
N: clay earth, rocks, honey, cinnamon-graham cracker, red rose, popcorn, peanut P: Wow! Killer. Smooth and spicy simultaneously. Long Finish with everything in balance. great example of a spirit that has a lot going on (high complexity) but doesn’t have to beat you over the head (medium intensity)
Nutty on the nose. Reminiscent of a Nutty Buddy on the palate. Probably makes a pretty outstanding cocktail.
Best Rice Whiskey
J.T. Meleck High Proof Small Batch American Rice Whiskey
Nose: Char, vanilla Palate/Finish: Big vanilla bomb, luscious, slightly fruity General: I liked this much more than I thought I would
Hints of strawberry on the nose opens up to a HUGE beautiful palate of dark chocolate and ripe red berries hot finish, but worth it “A stunning sipping whiskey with a big, beautiful palate. It would be a sin to make a cocktail with this, but I’d drink it if you did.”
There’s a deft balance here between grain – spice – fruit – earth with flavors of rum raisin ice cream, cherries, and a hint of florality that stays in check.
Wow, would love to taste a more aged offering
This is an absolute banger of a whiskey
Best Wheat Whiskey
Bernheim Barrel Proof B925
Honey wheat bread, toast, slight citrus peel, honey nut notes on the very end of the nose. It’s a pretty subdued nose, gentle and refined. The palate is dried oak slightly tannic and drying with a peppery heat from the proof. WHile it doesn’t drink it’s proof, it’s got a lot of spiky texture and agressiveness for a wheat whiskey. THe palate calms down into toasted honey whole wheat bread, cinnamon, baking spice and a touch of licorice. THe finish is long, dry and savory – unexpected from this wheat whiskey with the flavor.
Deep honey-gold with warm amber reflections Assertive and surprisingly bold for a wheat whisky Powerful at 59.2% ABV, though the alcohol feels more forward than expected, pushing the profile into a hotter, more muscular direction
The flavor profile of toasted grain flavors mixed with citrusy notes and measured oak spice has a pleasant salted caramel kick that comes through in the finish. Very well balanced with a sippable, medium weight.
Great mouthfeel on this wheat whiskey that offers flavors of honey coated almonds, caramel chews and nutmeg. The mid palate brings forward more spice as white pepper lingers on the back of the palate for a while. Great texture and complexity on this as subtle red apple, pear and more almond come forward! Well done
Best Light Whiskey
Old Hickory Hermitage Reserve 15-Year-Old Barrel Proof
Nose: Vanilla, banana Palate/Finish: more vanilla, light char General: Nice body, good flavors
Heavy corn on the nose, oily, straw, alcohol, white garden flower, palate is cinnamon candy, peppermint, thyme, glazed almonds, well-integrated alcohol
Best Flavored Whiskey
Five Springs Blood Orange Infused Bourbon
Syrupy blood orange would make a great old fashioned
It’s pleasantly tart and aromatic, like a good Old Fashioned with a blood orange variation. Has a pleasant bite to it without chemical aftertaste.
Best American Single Malt
Stranahan’s Mountain Angel 12 year
This is nice whiskey. The plum and golden raisin gel very well with the malt and oak balance. Even layer of spices, fruits, and oak sugars. Very good.
Nice great fruity nose that leads into the palate and then emerges into a stronger single malt character. This is a really well made, very elegant example of what an American Single Malt can be.
Best Blended Scotch
Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky
App light copper Aroma peach rings, sherry Taste unsweetened black tea, peach, pleasant mouthfeel Finish tannic, fruit , pleasant manure flavor
Peat, forest notes on nose, mace spice, great, balanced palate, but too light, short and green finish
Best Irish Whiskey
Red Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Fruit and cooked cereal. Much more of that on the palate, a LOT more, and some restraining oak, a real mouthful. Finish sings and cooks, with the alcohol heat finally appearing after being quite restrained till now. Burly but graceful.
This pleasantly malty, spicy, with grainy richness. A hint of smoke adds additional character, though it runs ever-so-slightly hot.
Peaty, tobacco, earthy
App Rich Amber Aroma herbal ginger tea, burnt orange Taste rye spice, caraway, BIG mouthfeel balanced oak Finish mead, flavors spiking up in long finish
Best Canadian Whiskey
WhistlePig Estate Oak Rye Aged 15 Years
Spicy pepper and lemon open up to fennel seed and subtle blueberry. Spice really grabs the palate that stays on the mid palate after its gone.
Best Tequila
Heaven Hill Brands Tequila Ocho Reposado
Cinnamon and oak on nose, agave presence strong, full palate;
Nose: sweet agave palate: baked agave, bright citrus finish: med
Nutmeg and baking spice. toasted nuts, expressive and esther-y on palate. alcohol burn on palate, finishes dry.
An absolutely intoxicating nose (pun not exactly intended, but you know what I mean) of unripe coffee berries (?), caramel/butterscotch a stunning palate of baking spices, ripe apples, and figs a bit of a bitter aftertaste on the back of the tongue
Best Gin
Black Band Distillery Black Band Gin
Lovely character on the nose with a light warm spice cardamom/clove dust, rich juicy mouthfeel, cardamom, anise warm spice body would be lovely in a negroni
So much orange, yellow pear, juniper on finish
Best Vodka
Woody Creek Distillers Woody Creek 100% Potato Vodka
Crisp and ever-so-lightly fruity.
Candied nose, juicy, bright, attractive and very drinkable. Bravo.
Best Brandy
The Distillarium The Distillarium Sky Captain Brandy 8 Years
Very nice but easy to mix up with an American whiskey. lots of barrel, but in a positive way. Maybe leaning a little too much toward a different spirit.
Florality from muscat or other aromatic varietal on nose, nice element of rancio with some golden raisin flavors and gentle oak influence. Nice drying finish with lingering spice cake.
Lively and fruit-forward with spring freshness, including some floral notes. The palate is silky and lean. Much more fruit on the palate with really soft spice notes, complex and understated. The finish is pleasantly well-balanced, and the alcohol is very well integrated, and the fruit persists throughout.
Best Liqueur
Rivulet Artisan Pecan Liqueur
Flavor was spot on would love some smokiness
Super fun. smells like butter popcorn. orange on the palate with the pecan. really lovely
Rich and warming toasted pecan flavors. Nice long finish,expressive nose. I’d love to make a cocktail with this.
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