The World’s Top Craft Whiskeys According To The American Distilling Institute

The American Distilling Institute’s Judging of Craft Spirits is an annual competition that recognizes the top craft spirits in the US and around the world.

Since 2007, the competition has brought together approximately 50 spirit judges to evaluate submissions from small and medium sized producers. Both members of ADI and non-members can submit entries.

In addition to the usual listing of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Double Gold, the ADI’s craft spirit judging also recognizes the Best of Category and Best of Class. These are the top entrants among the Gold Medal winners.

Whiskeys are the single largest category in the Judging of Craft Spirits. In the 2021 competition there were three whiskeys that garnered Best in Class awards and another seventeen whiskeys that won Best of Category awards.

Spirit of Hven, MerCurious Corn Whisky, 45.6% ABV, 500 ml, $55, won the Best of Class Award for International Corn Whisky. Spirit of Hven is a Swedish distiller located on the island of Ven in the Öresund Strait, between Scania and Zealand. It’s a silky, creamy, corn whisky based on a mash bill of 88% Swedish corn, 5% wheat, 3.5% barley and 3.5% rye, and is matured in virgin casks of American oak.

Pennington Distilling Company, Davidson Reserve Tennessee Whiskey, 48% ABV, 750 ml, $40, took the Best in Class award for bourbon. Davidson has been a perennial winner in spirit competitions over the last several years; recently winning a Double Gold and a Best in Class at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The whiskey is based on a mash bill of 70% white corn, 25% rye and 5% malted barley. It’s aged an average of four years.

Nearest Green Distillery, Uncle Nearest 1856, 50% ABV, 750 ml, $59, won the Best in Class award for Tennessee Whiskey. Uncle Nearest has been another perennial medalist in this year’s competitions.

This is a Tennessee whiskey, so it undergoes the Lincoln Country process of filtration through maple charcoal. This is a flavorful and spicy whiskey that offers up herbaceous notes of dry grass, along with caramel and stone fruits on the nose. It is followed by notes of dried fruit, floral potpourri and wood spice, along with caramel and hints of maple syrup on the palate.

The finish is sweet, long and rich, with lingering notes of dried stone fruit and caramel.

There was a total of 17 whiskeys that won Best of Category awards.

GR Andrews & Sons Fleurieu Distillery, Albatross Whisky, 48% ABV, 700 ml, won the Best of Category for International Malt Whisky. This is a new whisky that has not yet been released in the US. The distillery is located on the Fleurieu Peninsula just south of Adelaide. 

Don Michael Distillery, Black Whiskey, 45% ABV, 740 ml, $55, took the Best in Category for Non-Typical Whiskeys. This is a Peruvian whiskey made from Andean Black Corn, wheat, both Peruvian and imported, and malted barley. It’s matured in newly charred 10 and 25 gallon casks of American oak. This is the first Andean whiskey.

Andean Black Corn, it’s actually purple in color, is an ancient Peruvian corn variety that was used by the Incas to make a beer like drink called chicha de jora.

Adelaide Hills Distillery, 78 Degrees Australian Whisky, 44% ABV, 700 ml, is the winner in the Best in Category International Whisky. Historically, Australian whisky was based on a Scotch whisky template. This is starting to change as Australian distillers began developing uniquely Australian whiskies.

78 Degrees is based on a mash bill of unmalted barley combined with 11 different flavoring malts, and undergoes a single distillation. It’s too early to speak of an Australian whisky style, but one is surely coming

The Best in Category Canadian Whisky was Macaloney Caledonian Distillers, Glenloy Canadian Island Single Malt Whisky, 46% ABV, 750 ml, $100. Macaloney has been in a highly publicized dispute with the Scotch Whisky Association, which has complained that the distillery’s branding and packaging gives the impression that it is a Scotch whisky.

Dispute aside, this is an excellent single malt whisky. According to the company:

The Glenloy is our ‘Whiskymaker’s Signature Selection’ whereby we carefully selected our classic single malt whisky from a combination of 60% first-use Bourbon casks for a delicate, clean presentation, 15% from Dr Swan’s wonderful Portuguese STR red-wine barriques for pronounced oak and sweet red-berry contribution, and 15% Oloroso/10% PX Spanish Sherry casks for wonderful rich and delicate fruit cake and plums. Together they complement the tropical fruits and creamy presentation of our new make house style.

Stranahan’s Distillery, Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky, 47% ABV, 750 ml, $80, took the Best of Category award for American Single Malt Whiskey. Stranahan’s takes four-year-old Rocky Mountain Single Malt whiskey and finishes it in 500-liter butts that previously held Oloroso Sherry.

This is an outstanding whiskey that gives even the top ranked Sherry finished Scotch whiskies a run for their money. It offers up classic Sherry finished malt whiskey dried fruit aromas of cherry, apples, raisins and fig, along with notes of walnut, candied citrus zest and new leather.

Joseph A Magnus & Co, Blended Hill Club Blended Bourbon, 51% ABV, 750 ml, $111, and Sisterdale Distilling Co, Straight Bourbon, 46.7% ABV, 750 ml, $75, both won a Best in Category Award for blended bourbon.

The Blended Hill Club bourbon is a blend of 20% 18-YO bourbon, 50% 11-YO bourbon and 30% nine-year light whiskey. A “light whiskey” is a spirit that is distilled at a proof of between 160 and 190, typically at the higher end of the range. The resulting whiskey is less flavorful and more vodka like.

The Sisterdale straight bourbon is a blend of five different bourbons drawn from a single distillery in Indiana. The name of the distillery isn’t disclosed, but presumably this is Midwest Grain Products (MGP) in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Joseph A Magnus also took the Best in Category Bourbon award for its Joseph A Magnus & Co, Straight Bourbon, 50% ABV, 750 ml, $100. The Magnus bourbon is matured in newly charred casks of American white oak and then finished in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez (PX) Sherry butts and Cognac casks. Whiskey authority Fred Minnick called it “delicious … layered in apricot, roasted nuts, caramel and vanilla.”

Barrelhouse 6 Distillery, Middle Finger Moonshine, 46% ABV, 750 ml, took the Best in Category Corn Whiskey.

Bogue Sound Distillery, John AP Conoley Carolina Peanut Butter Flavored Whiskey, 35% ABV, 750 ml, $26. Flavored whiskeys are the fastest growing segment of American whiskeys. Bourbon marries particularly well with nut flavors. Peanut Butter and Pecan Pie flavored whiskeys have proven to be particularly popular. Unfortunately, Barrelhouse 6 whiskies are difficult to find outside of North Carolina.

Drift Distillery, Single Barrel Wheat Whiskey, 45% ABV, 750 ml, $45, was the Best in Category Wheat Whiskey winner.

Black Band Distillery, Whiskey, 43% ABV, 750 ml, $58 and Talnua Distillery, Continuum Cask Whiskey, 43% ABV, 750 ml, $40, won the Best of Category Whiskey award.

There were three Best of Category Awards devoted to rye whiskeys. Cutwater Spirits, Black Skinner American Rye, 45% ABV, 750 ml, $50, was the Best in Category Blended Whiskey. This is a blend of straight rye whiskeys, which offers up notes of honey, almond, black pepper, cinnamon and just a hint of clove.

Corsair Distillery, Dark Rye Whiskey, 42.5%, 750 ml, $42 and River Basin Distillery, Enclave Rye Whiskey, 47% ABV, 750 ml, $48, won the Best of Category Rye Whiskey. Corsair has a mash bill of 61% malted rye, 4% malted chocolate rye and 35% malted barley. It offers up rich flavors of rye spice, chocolate and coffee, along with candied citrus zest and seasoned oak. The River Basin rye has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, and offers up aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, caramel and clove.

There were an additional two whiskeys that won Double Gold and nine whiskeys that won Gold Medals at the 2021 ADI judging. For a complete list of the whiskey medalists see the ADI website..

The 20 whiskies that won the Best of Class and Best of Category awards at the ADI Craft Spirits Judging are truly the best of the best craft whiskies in the world today. If you are a lover of craft whisky or even just curious, you will find a lot to explore here.

Cheers