BourbonBlog.com is just returning from the  9th Annual Craft Distilling Conference in Louisville, Kentucky where American Distilling Institute 6th Annual Judging of Artisan American Spirits took place. Hundreds of craft distillers from across the country came to learn, share, network and taste each other’s spirits with a focus on whiskey and rum.

The photo of the table you’re looking at above represents a number of the craft distillers who attended and we’ll be publishing more from the conference here soon.

Here are the winners of the 6th Annual Judging of Artisan American Spirits. BourbonBlog.com recommends you check these out and also support craft distillers based near you!

Bubble Cup Award — Distillery of the Year

Peach Street Distillers, Palisade, Colorado

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best of Class

Artisan Distilled Whiskey

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon

Brandy

Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery – Jepson Old Stock Brandy

Rum

Turkey Shore Distilleries – Old Ipswich Tavern Style Rum

Artisan Merchant Bottled

Smooth Ambler Spirits Co – Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 Excellence in Packaging

Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Brandy

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WHISKEY

 

Clear Whiskey:

Silver Medal

Copper Fox Distillery – Wasmund’s Rye Spirit

Deerhammer Distilling Company – Whitewater Whiskey

Tennessee Distilling Company – Collier and McKeel Charcoal Mellowed White Dog

Dark Horse Distillery – Long Shot White Whiskey

Bronze Medal

High West Distillery – High West Silver Whiskey – OMG Pure Rye

Finger Lakes Distillery – White Pike Whiskey

Corn Whiskey

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Limestone Branch Distillery – T.J. Pottinger Moon*Shine

Silver Medal

Asheville Distilling Company – Troy & Sons Moonshine

Colorado Gold Distillery – Colorado’s Own Corn Whiskey

Dark Corner Distillery – Moonshine Corn Whiskey

Bronze Medal

Balcones Distillery – Balcones True Blue

Kings County Distillery – Kings County Moonshine

Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery – Corn Whiskey

Pinchgut Hollow Distillery – Corn Shine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOURBON

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon

Silver Medal

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Nashville Bourbon

Tuthilltown Spirits – Hudson Whiskey Four Grain Bourbon

Bronze Medal

Kings County Distillery – Kings County Bourbon

Tuthilltown Spirits – Hudson Baby Bourbon

 

STRAIGHT BOURBON

Silver Medal, Best of Category

Colorado Gold Distillery – Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Silver Medal

Ballast Point Spirits – Devil’s Share Whiskey

Bronze Medal

Peach Street Distillers – Colorado Straight Bourbon

 

 

 

MALT WHISKY

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Golden Distillery – Samish Bay Single Malt Whiskey

Silver Medal

Golden Distillery – Samish Bay Whiskey Reserve

Rogue Ales & Spirits – Oregon Single Malt Whiskey

Bronze Medal

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Pils American Malt Whiskey

New Holland Artisan Spirits – Double Down Barley

Rogue Ales & Spirits – Dead Guy Whiskey

 

 

 

 

 

STRAIGHT MALT WHISKEY

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Ballast Point Spirits – Devil’s Share Whiskey

Silver Medal

Edgefield D

istillery – Hogshead Whiskey

New Holland Artisan Spirits -  Zeppelin Bend

RYE WHISKEY

Silver Medal, Best of Category

Breuckelen Distilling – 77 Whiskey

Silver Medal

1512 Spirits – Aged Rye Whiskey

Corsair Artisan

Distillery – 100% Rye

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Ryemageddon

 

NON-TYPICAL WHISKEY

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Balcones Distillery – ’1′ Texas Single Malt

Gold Medal

1512 Spirits – Signature Poitin

Silver Medal

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Oatmeal Stout Whiskey

Corsair Artisan Distillery – PreProhibition American Malt Whiskey

Florida Farm Distillers – Palm Ridge Reserve

Koval Distillery – Lion’s Pride, 47th Ward Whiskey

Old Sugar Distillery – Queen Jennie Sorghum Whiskey

Glacier Distilling Company – Wheatfish Whiskey

Bronze Medal

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Quinoa & Barley Whiskey

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Triticale & Barley Whiskey

Koval Distillery – Lion’s Pride Millet Whiskey

Middle West Spirits – OYO Whiskey

SMOKED WHISKEY

Silver Medal, Best of Category

Balcones Distillery – Brimstone

Silver Medal

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Oak Smoked Wheat Whiskey

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Cherrywood Smoke

Bronze Medal

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Triple Smoke

Square One Brewery & Distillery – JJ Neukomm Malt whiskey

 

 

HOPPED WHISKEY

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Citra Whiskey

Silver Medal

Spirits of St. Louis – Hopskey

Bronze Medal

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Elderflower Bohemian Whiskey

FLAVORED WHISKEY

Bronze Medal

Corsair Artisan Distillery – Old Punk

Artisan Merchant Bottled Whiskey

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Smooth Ambler Spirits Co – Old Scout Bourbon Whiskey

Gold Medal

Bull Run Distillery – Temperance Trader Bourbon

Bronze Medal

Great Lakes Distillery, LLC – Kinnickinnic Whiskey

 

 

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BRANDY

Eaux de Vie:

Silver Medal, Best of Category

Clear Creek Distillery – Eau de Vie of Blue Plum (Slivovitz)

Bronze Medal

Westford Hill Distillers, LLC – Kirsch Eau de Vie

Peach Street Distillers – Jack and Jenny Peach Eau de Vie

Aged Fruit Brandies:

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Peach Street Distillers – Peach Brandy

Silver Medal

Peach Street Distillers – Pear Brandy

Bronze Medal

Harvest Spirits LLC – Rare Pear Brandy

Apple Brandy:

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Westford Hill Distillers, LLC – New World Aged Apple Brandy

Silver Medal

Clear Creek Distillery – 8 year. Eau de Vie de Pomme (apple)

Colorado Gold Distillery – Colorado Gold Brandy

Bronze Medal

Carolina Distillery LLC – Carriage House Apple Brandy

Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Apple Brandy

Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Apple Jack

Grappa:

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Clear Creek Distillery – Grappa Muscat

Gold Medal

Clear Creek Distillery – Grappa Nebbiolo

Bronze Medal

Flag Hill Distillery – Graham’s Grappa

Brandy from Grapes:

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery – Jepson Old Stock Brandy

Silver Medal

Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery – Jepson Signature Reserve Brandy

Dakota Spirits Distillery – Bickering Brothers Neutral Brandy

Fruit Infusion:

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Sidetrack Distillery – Raspberry Liqueur

Gold Medal

Clear Creek Distillery – Liqueur of Oregon Cranberries

Silver Medal

Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Black Raspberry Infusion

Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Raspberry Infusion

Clear Creek Distillery – Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir

Bloomery Plantation Distillery – Cello Cremma Lemma

Bronze Medal

Clear Creek Distillery -  Liqueur of Oregon Cassis (Creme de Cassis)

Harvest Spirits LLC – Core Black Raspberry

Apollo Fine Spirits – Queen Esther Sweet Fire Liqueur

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RUM

Clear Rum:

Silver Medal, Best of Category

Ballast Point Spirits – Three Sheets White Rum

Silver Medal

New Deal Distillery – Distiller’s Workshop Rum

Bronze Medal

Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. – Dancing Pines Rum

Bull Run Distillery – Pacific Rum

Turkey Shore Distilleries – Old Ipswich White Cap Rum

Amber Rum:

Gold Medal, Best of Category

Turkey Shore Distilleries – Old Ipswich Tavern Style Rum

Silver Medal

Desert Diamond Distillery – Gold Miner Spirits Barrel Reserve Rum

Ryan and Wood Distillery – Folly Cove Rum

Bronze Medal

Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. — Cask Barrel Aged Rum

Rogue Ales & Spirits – Dark Rum

New Deal Distillery – Distiller’s Workshop Rum, Amber

Old Sugar Distillery – Cane and Abe Freshwater Rum

Overproof Rum:

Silver Medal, Best of Category

Barrel House Distilling Co. – Oak Rum

Silver Medal

Privateer Rum – Privateer True American Rum

Flavored Rum:

Silver Medal, Best of Category

Dogfish Head – Brown Honey Rum

Silver Medal

Duncan’s Idea Mill, LLC – Dunc’s Mill – Elderflower

Spiced Rum:

Silver Medal, Best of Category

Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. – Spice Flavored Rum

Artisan Merchant Bottled Rum

Silver Medal

New Holland Artisan Spirits – Huron Rum

Bronze Medal

Firefly Distillery – Sea Island, Java

Firefly Distillery – Sea Island, Spice

Spirit of Texas – Pecan Street Rum

 

 

 

 

 

Special thanks to American Distilling Institute (ADI), ADI President Bill Owens, Andrew Faulkner Judging Director and Staff Photographer at ADI, Leah Hutchinson ADI Conference and Advertising Director, Amber Hasselbring, Assistant to the President at ADI, Huber’s Starlight Distillery at Huber’s Orchard, Winery & Vineyards in Borden, IN for hosting us, and all the distillers and friends we met along the way!

Popularity: 9% [?]

Old Forester Bourbon tells BourbonBlog.com that such a historically significant bourbon demands a package that tells its story at one glance to a new generation.

The bottle’s bold new retro design with packaging and label reflect the times in which the Old Forester bourbon legend was created. And it forges an important connection with young-adult bourbon consumers who long for a time when life was a little simpler, a little less complicated, with more time to savor life’s real pleasures.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Four Roses Distillery tells BourbonBlog.com issue the newest release this spring 2012 is its series of limited-quantity special bottlings with the 2012 Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon, which will be bottled at barrel strength and encompass a spicy, full-bodied recipe.

Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge personally selected a 12-year-old bourbon that uses Four Roses’ recipe coded OESK, one of the ten uniquely handcrafted bourbon recipes produced by the Lawrenceburg, Ky.-based distillery.

While BourbonBlog.com will bring you a review of this bourbon soon, Rutledge says  2012 Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon exhibits an aroma of smoky oak featuring ripe red cherries, nutmeg and hints of toasted almonds. The palate offers flavors of creamy vanilla and caramel combined with layers of rich honey, cinnamon and brown sugar, finishing with soft undertones of toasted almonds.

“This year’s single barrel selection really brings out the spicy aroma and flavor that is characteristic of our OESK recipe,” Rutledge tells BourbonBlog.com. “When I tasted it I found cinnamon and nutmeg spices were evident, and felt it would make for a great bourbon to be enjoyed neat or on the rocks.”

Four Roses’ ten distinct recipes allow the distillery to continually offer a variety of unique, limited-edition single barrel bottlings.

A barrel strength bottling offers bourbon enthusiasts the opportunity to taste straight from the barrel, when the bourbon is uncut and non-chill filtered. At a proof range between 100.6 and 114.4, approximately 4,000 bottles of the Four Roses 2012 Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon are planned for distribution in mid-April to U.S. markets where the brand is currently available.

“I believe this bourbon has the potential to become a classic,” added Rutledge. “It’s a testament to the capabilities of our ten recipes, the flexibility of our distillery and all the people attached to the brand.”

In November, for the second consecutive year and third time in five years, Four Roses Distillery was named 2012 “Whisky Distiller of the Year – America” by worldwide whisky industry publication, Whisky Magazine, during the annual Icons of Whisky Awards.

Popularity: 7% [?]

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BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer interviews Blair Bowman, founder of World Whisky Day, live from Scotland in the radio podcast below, click above to play.

We learn what inspired this 22-year old student at University of Aberdeen in Scotland to launch the first ever World Whisky Day today on March 27, 2012.

Blair tells us there has never been a day like this before to celebrate all types of whisk(e)y. With nearly 20,000 people logging in and officially “mapping themselves” as participants in several hundred events around the globe, the day has been a success.

Blair wants to help smaller events become bigger and work toward World Whisky Day 2013. He says that the Scottish Government will also help him as he moves forward to promote whisky.

If he could drink a whisky with anyone in the world, Blair tells us that he would pour a Laphroaig for President Barack Obama and work to solve the world’s problems over a dram of whisky.  His favorite whisky experience so far has been attending Taiwan Whisky Live at the Taipei 101.

Just to show the amount of attention World Whisky Day has drawn to the brown elixirs we love, Blair was in the STV Studios in Glascow, Scotland as we did this podcast radio interview with from the U.S.A. on BourbonBlog.com.

Congratulations, Blair and thanks to all those who participated in today’s inaugural World Whisky Day. Learn more on www.WorldWhiskyDay.com

 

Popularity: 7% [?]

 

BourbonBlog.com toasts to the inaugural World Whisky Day today on March 27th 2012 and congratulates whisky enthusiast Blair Bowman for creating the day!

According to the officia; website, “This chance for whisky fans and people new to whisky to get together and raise a glass of Whisky, Whiskey, Scotch, Bourbon, Blended Whisky, Single Malt Whisky wherever they are.”

We appreciate all whisk(e)y here at BourbonBlog.com (especially bourbon) and celebrate it every day of year. However, today especially we encourage you to and to Tweet with #WorldWhiskyDay as we ask you what you are #DrinkTonight (our nightly question). Tweet to both @BourbonBlog and @WorldWhiskyDay

We also encourage your to register your event if you’re drinking Bourbon and whiskey today and tonight on this link so that you can be added to World Whisky Day’s official Global Map. Right now, there are 170 events and we just registered our own to be added.  World Whisky Day says they are inviting all bars, restaurants, hotels, whisky clubs, liquor stores, whisky clubs, whisky distilleries, and fans to get registered on the map and celebrate by raising a glass of whisky.

Over 17,000 people are expected to take part in celebrations in 30 different countries. The official website www.WorldWhiskyDay.com became so popular with hits today that is appears it even shut down briefly, but it is back up now.

This day is yet another example of how popular bourbon and other whiskies around the world have become. One of the reasons why we see you back here for a virtual pour so often, right?

World Whisky day is giving whisky enthusiasts the chance to enter “World Whisky Day Best Photo” on this link for the chance to win a rare bottle of  Whyte & Mackay 30 year old blended whisky. Our good friend Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender Richard Paterson will be judging and decide which photo is the best and the winner.

Popularity: 7% [?]