AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Whiskey Festival announces the winners of the annual competition of the best Texas Whiskeys. Each year the Texas Whiskey Festival hosts a competition to determine who has the best Texas Bourbon, Rye, and Malt Whiskey. With a panel of judges, we conduct the competition with a method known as blind judging. The brands and specific whiskeys they are tasting are unknown to the judges. “Our panel of judges smell and taste their way through each whiskey, rating the aroma, taste complexity, and finish,” says Co-Founder Jake Clements.
Bourbon: Grain to Glass
Gold – Garrison Brothers Balmorhea Texas Straight Bourbon
Silver – Silver Star Spirits 1849 Straight Bourbon
Bronze – Balcones Distilling Texas Pot Still Bourbon
Bourbon: Aged and Bottled in Texas
Gold – Rebecca Creek 10 year Straight Bourbon
Silver – Milam and Greene Triple Cask Straight Bourbon
Bronze – Iron Wolf Ranch and Distillery Select Bourbon
Rye Whiskey: Grain to Glass
Gold – Balcones Distilling Texas Rye 100
Silver – Gulf Coast Distilling Giant Rye 100
Bronze – Ranger Creek Distilling .44 Texas Rye
Rye Whiskey: Aged and Bottled in Texas
Gold – Treaty Oak Distilling Schenley Reserve Rye
Silver – Yellow Rose Distilling Rye
Bronze – Oak & Eden Rye & Spire
Malt Whiskey: Grain to Glass
Gold – Ranger Creek Distilling Rimfire Mesquite Smoked Single Malt
Silver – Andalusia Whiskey Co. Stryker Smoked Single Malt
Bronze – Balcones Distilling Lineage Single Malt
Other Whiskeys: includes whiskeys aged in used barrels, blended whiskey, and light whiskey.
Gold – Austin 101 Light Whiskey (made grain to glass in Texas)
Silver – Remington Family Distillers Remington Revival
Bronze – Rebecca Creek Small Batch
“These are their winners, but remember the best whiskey is the one you like,” says Co-Founder Jake Clements. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite distillery to decide on the people’s choice.
Thank you to the Crowded Barrel Whiskey Co for hosting us. A big thank you to our talented judges.
Marianne Eaves, KY’s First Female Master Distiller, Founder of Eaves, LLC Whisk(e)y and Spirits Consulting and Curator of Eaves Blind.
Gabrielle Pharms, Veteran journalist with bylines in/on Bourbon Plus, Whisky Advocate, Imbibe Magazine, UPROXX, and more.
Tom Koerner the former Spirit Guide and General Manager of Seven Grand Whiskey Bar and Las Perlas Mezcaleria, Current Brand Ambassador for Mezcal Unión.
About the Texas Whiskey Festival
The festival’s mission is simple: To help promote and enhance the brands of the many great distilleries throughout Texas. We want to promote and educate whiskey lovers about the whiskeys produced in our great state. We’re doing it all while having fun, drinking great whiskey, and building memorable experiences. As an organization, we know that Texas has some of the best distilleries and whiskeys globally. The Texas Whiskey Festival is an opportunity to showcase that. For more information, please visit https://txwhiskeyfest.com.
For fun facts about Whiskey, Click Here
LAWRENCEBURG, Indiana — MGP has launched the New Year with the release of their 2021 George Remus Bourbon Single Barrel Program. George Remus Single Barrel selections will be offered at cask strength in two mash bills that reflect MGP’s signature high-rye bourbon character. Participating accounts in the Single Barrel program are invited to connect virtually with the distillery team in Lawrenceburg to taste, select and order their preferred mash bills. Participating retailers can also opt to customize the label on their 2021 Single Barrel Selection to enhance the collectible aspect of this special offering. George Remus Bourbon Single Barrels are available for pre-sell until March 15.
“The Remus Family of Bourbon Whiskies exemplifies MGP’s expertise in distilling, aging and blending. Our Single Barrel program offers an exciting complement to our Bourbon portfolio and allows us to showcase our historic high-rye mash bills,” says Andrew Mansinne, Vice President of Brands, MGP. “We’re thrilled to expand this year’s program with a renewed commitment to support our partners with marketing support tailored to reach the most discriminating Bourbon consumers.”
Vancouver, BC – Artisan Distillers Canada (ADC) proudly announces the results of the annual Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition (CASC). CASC is Canada’s only national spirit competition reserved exclusively for artisan distilleries.
Oxford, Ohio – The registration for the 2021 U.S. Open Whiskey & Spirits Championship is now open. Distillers can register Whiskeys and Spirits thru June 1st. Whiskeys/Spirits will need to arrive in Oxford, Ohio between June 6th-11th. The medal winners and Grand National Champion will be announced on July 5th. The U.S. Open is open to only licensed distilleries.
SEBASTOPOL, California — The team at Northern California’s acclaimed Spirit Works Distillery is starting the year on a high note with the promotion of Krystal Goulart to the helm of its diverse distilling program and the announcement of their third national Good Food Award, this one for their latest bourbon release, a Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Even in the midst of universal challenges and pivots, 2020 was also an outstanding year for the grain-to-glass craft spirits pioneer, the pinnacle being honored as the “2020 Distillery of the Year” by the American Distilling Institute (ADI).
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Brough Brothers Distillery, the first and only Black-owned distillery in the state of Kentucky, opened its doors for business earlier this month in Louisville.
PROSPECT, Kentucky – In a blind tasting, renowned whiskey critic Fred Minnick named Pappy Van Winkle 15-year-old his best American Whiskey of 2020.
ASTORIA, Oregon — Since they were established, Buoy Beer and
BUSHMILLS, Northern Ireland – Bushmills® Irish Whiskey, from the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, proudly introduces Bushmills 28 Year Old Single Malt Cognac Cask Whiskey, a rare innovation for connoisseurs across the United States. The limited-time offering and debut release in Bushmills’ new annual series, “The Rare Casks,” Bushmills 28 Year Old Single Malt Cognac Cask is meticulously blended to achieve one of the most exquisite Irish single malts of all time.
As long-standing leaders in Irish whiskey, with the most awarded Irish single malt portfolio, Bushmills’ reputation for both its quality and aged stock is unparalleled. A product of over 400 years of proud whiskey-making expertise and commitment to tradition, Bushmills 28 Year Old Single Malt Cognac Cask is expertly crafted by Helen Mulholland, one of the most qualified and experienced Master Blenders in history. She has kept a watchful eye over this exceptional single malt since its distillation in 1992.