08-05-2025
The Top Small Batch Bourbon, According To The San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The Small Batch Bourbon Finalists in the 5 Years and Younger Category from the 2025 SFWSC
Five Bourbons are finalists in the Small Batch Bourbon-Up To 5 Years category at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The SFWSC is the world's largest and most prestigious judging of American whiskey. Below are brief backgrounds and tasting notes on the finalists. The Top Shelf 2025 Awards Gala, a highly anticipated whiskey industry event, will announce the winner on November 9 at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco.
The bourbon, crafted in Vail, Colorado, is named in honor of the U.S. Army's famed 10th Mountain Division. The distillery sources local grains whenever possible, producing a mash bill of 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley. The whiskey is bottled at 128.8 proof.
The nose offers aromas of toasted grain, caramel apple, vanilla, and hints of cinnamon. The palate is aromatic and smooth, with sweet corn, butterscotch, light oak, and a hint of white pepper. The finish is medium in length, with lingering caramel and baking spices.
This easy-drinking bourbon reflects its mountain roots — approachable yet spirited. The SFWSC Judging Panel described the whiskey as expressing:
'Aromas of candied orange peels, brown sugar peaches, and baked pie crust. Chocolate-covered orange peels, white pepper, and vanilla are featured on the palate, with a big, bold finish.'
This bourbon is a small-batch, experimental expression from a Pennsylvania craft distillery. After initial aging in new American oak, this bourbon is finished in ex-Madeira wine barrels, adding unique layers of flavor. Bottled at 100 proof, it offers boldness alongside complexity.
The nose features dried fruits, cherry preserves, honeycomb, leather, and a whiff of almond. The Madeira influence is unmistakable on the palate, featuring raisin bread, candied orange zest, toasted oak flavors, and a hint of clove, balanced by a robust bourbon backbone of caramel and vanilla. The finish is long and slightly tannic, offering echoes of spiced wine and fig jam.
It's a bold, distinctive bourbon ideal for those seeking something outside the classic profile. The SFWSC Judging Panel described the whiskey as expressing:
'The aromas of cooked fruit, especially fig and raisin, have a noticeable Madeira-like aroma in the background. The palate features prominent raisin notes along with candied orange peel, caramel, and vanilla with a long, drying finish.'
Toasting with glasses of bourbon
This bourbon is a celebrated, high-proof offering from Brooklyn, New York's oldest and one of the most innovative post-Prohibition distilleries. It is made from a mash bill of 80% New York corn and 20% malted barley and skips the traditional rye component entirely. Aged between 4 and 6 years, it's bottled at barrel strength, often landing between 120–130 proof.
The nose showcases pronounced dark chocolate, peanut brittle, toasted marshmallow, and ripe plum notes. The palate is rich, oily, and intensely flavorful, featuring bittersweet cocoa, burnt sugar, black cherry, roasted nuts, and layers of charred oak. The finish is long, drying, and smoky, with lingering notes of espresso and spicy dark fruit.
Kings County's barrel-strength bourbon is intense, complex, and meditative, perfect for serious bourbon aficionados. The SFWSC Judging Panel described the whiskey as expressing:
'Aromas of burnt caramel, cocoa, and ripe plums. It's deeply flavored on the palate, featuring fig, oak, and winter/mulled spices. The finish is long, dry, and hot with lingering fruit and spice notes.'
Jim Rutledge, legendary Master Distiller at Four Roses, revived the Cream of Kentucky brand with a commitment to producing exceptional, sourced whiskey. Each release varies slightly in proof and barrel selection but is typically bottled at a cask strength of around 113–118 proof.
This bourbon reveals a luxurious nose of dark caramel, toffee, old leather, cigar box, and roasted pecans. It is velvety and full-bodied on the palate, exhibiting rich flavors of brown butter, crème brûlée, dark cherry, baking spice, and a hint of aged oak. The finish is exceptionally long and spicy, with lingering oak tannins and subtle notes of dark chocolate.
Cream of Kentucky Cask Strength is a masterclass in complexity and richness, a bourbon lover's dream pour. The SFWSC Judging Panel described the whiskey as expressing:
'Spirity aromas with seasoned/charred oak, orange zest, and allspice. The palate features orange peel, seasoned oak, black pepper, and basil. The finish is long and slightly herbaceous, with lingering orange zest and wood spice notes.'
The bourbon is produced by Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. It's a perennial medal winner in international spirit competitions, and at a $ 32 price point, it's one of the great bourbon values available today. Named for the year Kentucky achieved statehood, this bourbon uses a high-rye mash bill that brings boldness and spice to the flavor profile and is bottled at 93.7 proof.
The nose offers aromas of sweet vanilla, baked apples, fresh rye bread, and light oak char. The bourbon is smooth and flavorful on the palate, featuring flavors of caramel, baking spice, roasted nuts, and a zesty rye bite balanced by sweet corn richness. The finish is medium-long, crisp, and slightly peppery, fading into toasted oak and caramelized sugar.
This well-structured, versatile bourbon is ideal for both sipping and mixing. The SFWSC Judging Panel described the whiskey as exhibiting:
'Aromas of blueberries, vanilla, and a slight wet-stone minerality. It's fruity on the palate, featuring dark fruits and a delicious blueberry-forward flavor. The finish is long, though slightly astringent, with lingering fruity, black pepper, and chocolate notes.'
The Small Batch Bourbons- Up To 5 Years finalists, from the 2025 SFWSC, are dominated by craft producers. The finalists present a broad array of styles and proofs and are reasonably priced, especially the cask strength, high proof expressions. They showcase the enormous aroma and flavorful profiles found in contemporary bourbons. These five expressions are among the world's best small batch bourbons. All are worth trying.
