Latest news with #2025LondonSpiritsCompetition
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
These Are The Best Bourbons Of 2025 (So Far)
Here are a few of the bourbons taking hope the top prizes this year at the world's biggest spirit competitions. Sophia Lindenberger Let's get one thing straight right off the bat—there are a ton of great bourbons out there right now. From everyday shelf staples to unicorn bottles that drive aficionados into a frenzy, 2025 has been yet another incredible year for bourbon lovers. It seems that everywhere you turn, America's homegrown spirit is making its presence felt in force. Drink menus feature bourbon cocktails, and back bars are brimming with bottles, while liquor store shelves are overflowing. However, with so many choices, finding a truly exceptional pour can feel overwhelming. Luckily, we've got a cheat sheet: the annual spirits competitions. Each year, thousands of bourbons are blind tasted by expert judges from around the globe. If a bottle rises to the top at one of these events, you know it's worth your time—and your glass. Here's a roundup of the bourbons that have wowed the most rigid panels in the business this year, so far. If this is just the first half of the year, I'm eager to see what the next six months have in store. Enjoy. Award: Spirit of the Year, Whiskey of the Year, and Best Spirit by Quality – 2025 London Spirits Competition (LSC) When a single bourbon cleans house across multiple categories like this, you pay attention. Weller Antique 107 isn't new to bourbon fans; it's a wheated powerhouse from the Buffalo Trace team that has earned a cult following due to its sweet flavors, which pair perfectly with its 107-proof bottling. Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 25th Anniversary Edition Bourbon Award: World's Best Bourbon – 2025 World Whiskies Awards (WWA) Old Fitz is no stranger to accolades, but this year's 25th Anniversary release took things to another level. A limited-release bottling that commemorates the year independent bourbon powerhouse Heaven Hill purchased the brand, it's a wheated bourbon that's elegant, complex, and rooted in tradition. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Traditional Barrel Series Wheated Bourbon Award: Double Gold – 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) As part of Heaven Hill's push to highlight its grain sourcing and transparency, this wheated bourbon made an impression in San Francisco. It's a thoughtful whiskey that still packs a punch despite its heavy wheat mash bill, and it helped Heaven Hill rack up a jaw-dropping ten Double Golds overall. It's also a finalist for the competition's coveted World's Best Whiskey Award. Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon Award: Straight Bourbon of the Year – 2025 Bartender Spirits Awards This one's another Heaven Hill brand and a personal favorite of mine. The twice-barreled expression is an exceptional Small Batch Bourbon that offers a toasted barrel finish, adding an extra layer of richness and spice that complements Elijah Craig's base profile beautifully. Green River Full Proof Bourbon Award: Small Batch Bourbon of the Year – 2025 Bartender Spirits Awards Relaunched in 2016, Green River Whiskey holds one of Kentucky's oldest distilling licenses and is on the rise. Its first expressions were released in 2022, and this full-proof bottling proves why it should be sought out. It's bold, it's well-balanced, and it's an absolute steal for the quality it delivers. You can expect to hear more about this distillery. 1792 Aged 12 Years Straight Bourbon Award: Double Gold – 2025 SFWSC Launched in 2002, the 1792 brand has steadily built a reputation for quality and craftsmanship, racking up awards along the way. This 12-year expression is a perfect example of what they do best: craft deep, mature bourbons loaded with flavor. It's Double Gold confirms that it's a game changer, and it would be a perfect addition to any collection. 15 STARS First West Extra Aged Straight Bourbon Award: Double Gold – 2025 SFWSC For the last few years, 15 STARS has been pulling in numerous accolades for their exceptional bourbons, and this bottle shows they aren't resting on their laurels. Made from a blend of bourbons aged 15, 9, and 7 years, it's a beauty that took home a Double Gold at the SFWSC and is in the running to take home the event's top prize. Augusta Distillery Buckner's 15-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon Award: Double Gold – 2025 SFWSC, Double Gold-New York International Spirits Competition Buckner's has been quietly building a reputation for its amazing, limited-release bourbons. This 15-year Single Barrel is bottled at cask strength and stood out to judges at multiple events this year due to its bold, rich, and deep flavors. 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirits Co. Bourbon Award: Double Gold – 2025 SFWSC Colorado bourbon is no joke, I should know, I lived there for two decades. Distilled high in the Rocky Mountains in the legendary ski town of Vail, 10th Mountain brings altitude and attitude to the table. This award for their mainline bourbon demonstrates that they are crafting some truly exceptional liquid that drinkers should seek out. Frank August Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Award: Gold Outstanding – 2025 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) Based in Kentucky, Frank August operates more like an independent curator than a traditional distillery. They source top-tier whiskey and finish it with meticulous attention to detail and elegance. Their Small Batch Bourbon reminds you why the category exists. Each bottle is brimming with flavors, earning an almost perfect score of 98 points at the IWSC. W.L. Weller 12 Year Bourbon Award: Gold Outstanding – 2025 IWSC One of the most sought-after wheated bourbons out there, the liquid inside spends twelve years aging to maturity before it is deemed worthy of release. A smooth sipper, it was one of five bourbons to earn Gold Outstanding at the IWSC this year and is a finalist for its Whiskey of the Year award. King's Family Tennessee Standard Bourbon Award: Gold Outstanding – 2025 IWSC Tennessee is often overlooked in the bourbon world, even though it's home to one of the world's largest whiskey brands, Jack Daniel's. But it would be a mistake to write off the Volunteer State; some great bourbons are made there. This bottle from relative newcomer King's Family is crafted with a 99% corn mash bill that has been aged for six years, resulting in an elegant liquid that makes a compelling case for Tennessee bourbon. Praedictum 15-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Award: Gold Outstanding – 2025 IWSC This rare bourbon was created by Bill Foley, the owner of the NHL Las Vegas Golden Knights, to celebrate their Stanley Cup victory. But don't think of it as a gimmick bottling, Foley is a legend in the wine industry and has been crafting superb bourbon under his Charles Goodnight Whiskey brand for almost a decade. Only 600 cases of this 112-proof barrel strength award winner were made. Hudson Bright Lights, Big Bourbon Award: Gold Outstanding – 2025 IWSC For over two decades, Hudson Whiskey has been crafting great bourbons in the most unlikely of places, New York. Bright Lights, Big Bourbon is distilled from New York corn and aged for a minimum of three years in new charred American oak barrels. The resultant liquid is full of grain-forward flavors with a sweet finish. A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Batch #4 Award: Best Bourbon & Best American Whiskey – 2025 International Whisky Competition (IWC) Virginia's oldest distillery hit a home run with this one. At over 97 points, it nearly took Whisky of the Year finishing second at one of the most prestigious events out there, the International Whisky Competition. Bottled at 139.7 proof, it is a cask-strength bomb that quickly sold out in an online lottery the distillery held in early 2025. If you can find a bottle, grab it; it's sure to become a collector's item. King's Family Distillery Wheated Bourbon Award: Double Gold (96 pts) – 2025 NYISC Another win for King's Family, showing they're not a one-hit wonder. This wheated expression is made from a mash bill of 51% corn, 45% wheat, and 4% malted barley, and was aged for at least four years before bottling. It's a soft, sweet bourbon that's readily available in the market. Jefferson's Bourbon Ocean Aged At Sea Voyage 31 Award: Double Gold (96 pts) – 2025 NYISC Jefferson's Bourbon founder, Trey Zoeller, has been called the mad scientist of bourbon due to his refusal to follow the rules. His most fantastic idea was to pack up his bourbon and send it across the planet, ageing inside custom containers on ships to create something unheard of before he did it. Well, it worked, and his Ocean's lineup has been turning heads since. Voyage 31 has yet to be released, but it's sure to deliver something special. Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Bourbon Award: Double Gold (96 pts) – 2025 NYISC As one of the leaders in the surging Texas bourbon market, Garrison Brothers is renowned for crafting exceptional releases that showcase the distinct character of the Lone Star State. It's Guadalupe Bourbon spent four years in American oak and then finished for two years in imported port casks. The final liquid is rich, round, and filled with fruit flavors. Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon Award: Best of Class Bourbon – 2025 ADI International Spirits Competition This highly regarded finished bourbon from Joseph Magnus is celebrated for its complex layering of flavors. That's due to its marriage of different bourbons aged in Armagnac, Sherry, and Cognac casks separately before being blended into a sumptuous bottling. Being named Best of Class Bourbon only validates that it is something special. Follow here for the most up to date information about the ever changing beer, wine and spirits industry. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes How To Read A Bourbon Label By Hudson Lindenberger Forbes Athletic Brewing's Non-Alcoholic Beer Boom: Big Growth Ahead By Hudson Lindenberger Forbes Matthew And Camila McConaughey's Pantalones Tequila Goes Global By Hudson Lindenberger
Associated Press
29-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
In a Country Known for Agave, Condesa a Gin Top Honors: Condesa Gin Named Mexico's Spirit of the Year 2025
In a country internationally revered for its tequila and mezcal, a gin has just taken top national honors: Condesa Gin NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / May 29, 2025 / In a country internationally revered for its tequila and mezcal, a gin has just taken top national honors. Condesa Gin Clásica has been named 'Spirit of the Year - Mexico' at the 2025 London Spirits Competition with 97 points, and also won a Gold Medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition-putting Mexico City firmly on the global gin Bottle on the car seat A Condesa Gin Clásica bottle sits on a vintage leather car seat, bathed in soft natural light blending effortless elegance with a sense of adventure. Condesa Gin Clásica has been named 'Spirit of the Year - Mexico' at the 2025 London Spirits Competition, surpassing a field of iconic agave distillates. The award, which comes with a Gold Medal and an impressive 97-point rating, signals a changing tide in Mexican spirits-and puts Mexico City on the map of global gin, a space long dominated by Europe. The win marks a historic moment for the capital's exploding mixology scene. Not only is Condesa Gin Clásica now the highest-rated spirit from Mexico at the competition, but both of the brand's flagship gins-Condesa Gin Clásica and Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom-also took home Gold Medals at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, cementing this mixologist favorite as one of the world's leading gins. Contact InformationMayra Berenyce Ascencio Sanchez Marketing Director +52 5561153619 SOURCE: MAYRA BERENYCE ASCENCIO SANCHEZ press release
