The World’s Best Bourbons According To The 2023 SFWSC

Some of the finalists in the Bourbon category at the 2023 SFWSC

Bourbon is the largest spirits category in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC). In addition to the several dozen major producers, hundreds of craft distilleries produce bourbon, many with heirloom or regionally specific grain varieties and complemented with innovative cask finishes.

The number of grain-to-glass producers is also proliferating. Terroir, a concept not typically associated with bourbon, is also starting to become relevant. This is an exciting and innovation-driven period in the American bourbon industry. Little wonder that US distillers are producing the finest bourbon they have ever made.

According to the Distillers Council of the US (DISCUS), sales of American whiskey have increased from 13.7 million 9-liter cases to 29.7 million cases in 2021. The overwhelming majority of those sales are bourbon.

The sales increases have been especially pronounced in the premium-priced category. Between 2016 and 2021, sales of "value" priced whiskey increased at an annual rate of 4.2%. "Premium" priced whiskey sales grew by 40.1%, while sales of "High-End Premium" priced whiskey grew by 27.7%. "Super-Premium," the category that included most single barrel and small batch expressions, grew 129.2%, increasing from 332 thousand 9-liter cases to 4.723 million cases.

The number of producers has seen an equally dramatic increase, rising from just a handful in 2009 to almost 1,000 today.

There were 503 bourbons evaluated during the 2023 SFWSC. The entries were the most extensive bourbon submissions ever received in the competition's history.

Three straight bourbons are in the final round for the Best 0f Show category winner, and two cask-finished bourbon expressions are in the final round for the Best of Show Special Barrel-Finished category. The final results will be announced at the Top Shelf Awards Gala and Grand Tasting on June 16 and 17 at Resorts World in Las Vegas. Tickets for the event are available at the Top Shelf website or through ReserveBar.

Nineteen Straight Bourbons won Double Gold, and 27 won Gold medals. Ten Special Barrel-Finished Bourbons won Double Gold, and 27 won Gold medals.

Results for Single Barrel Bourbons and Small Batch Bourbons will be covered in a separate article.

Founded in 2000, the SFWSC is the oldest competition in North America and the largest spirits judging in the world. Sixty-five judges from around the world evaluated approximately 5,500 spirits over three days in April 2023.

The competition is organized by the Tasting Alliance, an organization founded by Anthony Dias Blue. In addition to the SFWSC, the Tasting Alliance also organizes spirit competitions in New York and Singapore, wine competitions in San Francisco and New York, and competitions for beer and RTDs.

The 1845 Distilling range of bourbons.

The three finalists for Best of Category Straight Bourbon are 1845 Distilling Preemption, Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 50% ABV; Old Forester, King Ranch Edition, 52.4% ABV; and William Heaven Hill, 9 th Edition Bourbon, 54.5% ABV.

1845 is a family-owned artisan distillery based in Lowry Crossing, Texas. The Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey expression is crafted from a mash bill of yellow corn, Elbon rye, and malted barley.

It is one of three bourbon expressions in the company's whiskey range, which includes a Texas Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a Texas Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The Four Grain expression also won a Double Gold, and the Wheated Expression won a Silver medal. All three bourbons are outstanding.

The SFWSC Judging Panel described the 1845 Distilling Bourbon as expressing:

Caramel and vanilla on the nose with a distinctive salty/saline character, dried fruits, and spice notes. Sweet and slightly drying on the palate with pronounced notes of caramel, cinnamon, and clove spice. It has mild but persistent pepperiness and a long, sweet, caramel-laced finish.

Old Forrester, King Ranch Edition, is a multiple-barrel selection of Old Forester Bourbon that, according to the company, "is matured in heavily charred barrels and filtered through King Ranch mesquite charcoal." The expression is only available in Texas.

The SFWSC Judging Panel described the King Ranch bourbon as featuring:

Fruity, caramel, vanilla overtones with cinnamon spice, some herbal notes, and a hint of black pepper on the nose. Sweet, spicy, and pronounced tropical fruit flavors on the palate, along with notes of dried/candied cherry, toasted nuts, and dark chocolate. The finish is long with a candied, cotton candy-like sweetness, fruity, with tropical and cherry notes, chocolate, and just a hint of pepperiness.

The William Heaven Hill, 9th Edition Bourbon is the latest expression in a long-running series of special edition bourbons released by Heaven Hill starting in 2008. Ranging in proof from 144.6 to 100/72.3% ABV to 50% ABV and matured for periods ranging from 11 to 19 years, these are exceptional bourbons, each of which the company calls "a unique expression of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey."

The Heaven Hill Ninth Edition Bourbon is a blend of 34 hand-selected barrels from the fourth floor of the LL Rickhouse at the Schenley distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. The bourbon was matured for 15 years and bottled at 54.5% ABV. This is an exceptional bourbon, though it is among the most expensive bourbons currently available at a list price of over $1,000/750 ml bottle.

The SFWSC Judging Panel described the bourbon as:

A salty/saline note accompanied by tropical fruits and a hint of licorice on the nose. Pronounced spicy and vanilla notes emerge as the bourbon opens up. Sweet, smooth, and viscous on the palate with tropical fruit, caramel, and vanilla with a creamy, custard-like quality. There are additional notes of cinnamon, clove, a hint of nutmeg, and a slight pepperiness. Long, sweet, caramel-laced finish with a persistent pepperiness.

Some of the Double Gold bourbon medalists at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Also winning Double Gold medals and well worth trying are 15 Stars, 13 YO Timeless Reserve Bourbon; Blackened Whiskey, Blackened x Wes Henderson Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Blue Note, Juke Joint; Blue Note, Crossroads; Breckenridge Distillery, Bourbon Whiskey, Breckenridge Distillery, High Proof 105 Bourbon Whiskey; Clyde May's, Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Detroit City, Butcher's Cut Straight Bourbon; Fox & Odeon, Double Oaked Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Heaven's Door, Decade Series Vol 1, 10 YO Bourbon Whiskey; J. Rieger & Co, Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond; Maker's Mark, Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon; McFarlane's Reserve, Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon; Old Louisville Whiskey Co., Old Louisville Whiskey; Pinhook, Vertical Series Bourbon 7 Year; Pursuit United, Straight Bourbon; and Sweet Grass, Sweet Grass Bourbon.

Finishing mature whiskeys in casks that previously held other liquids has become widespread in several whiskey-producing countries. In the United States, cask finishing, rye whiskeys, American single malt whiskeys, and American blended whiskeys have become quite popular.

However, the practice is not without some controversy in the case of bourbon. TTB rules require bourbon to be matured in a new, charred oak cask. Some purists have argued that cask-finishing bourbon violates the TTB regulations, and the resulting spirit cannot be called bourbon. However, it can still be called American whiskey.

Others have argued that as long as the bourbon has been matured in a new, charred oak cask, the subsequent cask finishing is not a violation of the TTB rules, and the resulting whiskey can still be called bourbon.

The TTB has yet to rule on the matter officially. It's unlikely that the TTB would ban cask-finishing bourbon by ruling that cask-finished bourbons can no longer be called bourbon. Nor would the industry be in favor of such a narrow interpretation of the regulations concerning the maturation of bourbon.

Until the TTB officially rules on the matter, however, the practice will remain controversial, notwithstanding that cask-finishing bourbon is producing some outstanding whiskeys.

Some of the bourbons in Doc Swinson's, Exploratory Cask series

The finalists for Best of Category Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon are Doc Swinson's, Exploratory Cask French Toasted Bourbon, 55.4% ABV, and Neeley Family Distillery, The Old Jett Brothers, Sauternes Finished Bourbon, 57.2% ABV.

MGP produces Doc Swinson's Bourbon, a blend of two separate mash bills. The first mash bill consists of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley, and the second mash bill consists of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.

The bourbon from each of the two mash bills is matured in charred American White Oak casks for a minimum of 5.5 years and then finished in new, medium-toasted French oak barrels from Taransaud Cooperages in Cognac. Bourbon from the first mash bill is finished for 5.5 months, and the bourbon from the second mash bill is finished for 9.5 months.

The SFWSC Judging Panel described the bourbon as exhibiting:

Milk chocolate, tropical fruits, caramel with spice, and hints of vanilla on the nose. Pronounced caramel and vanilla on the palate, accompanied by sweet fruit notes. Long sweet finish with lingering oak and fruity notes and a mild pepperiness.

The Old Jett Brothers Sauternes Finished Bourbon is a four-year-old wheated bourbon finished for 14 months in a Sauternes barrel from famed producer Chateau Rieussec. The expression is one of seven different single-barrel bourbons, each finished in a different cask.

The Sauternes cask finish is exclusive to Revival Vintage Bottle Shop and is only available from that retailer.

The SFWSC Judging panel described the Sauternes cask finished bourbon as exhibiting:

Fruity, caramel, and vanilla notes on the nose. Very drying on the palate, semi-sweet, featuring fruity notes of peach and dried apricot along with slight saline/salty notes. Long sweet finish featuring lingering dried stone fruit notes and seasoned oak.

Also winning Double Gold medals in the Special Barrel-Finished category is Angel's Envy, 2022 Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels; Chicken Cock, Chanticleer Finished in Cognac Casks; Everwild Spirits, Seeker's Toasted Oak; Frank August, Case Study: 01, Mizunara, Japanese Oak; Hidden Barn Whiskey, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Small Batch Series One Finished in Madeira Casks; Hillrock Estate Distillery, Solera Aged Bourbon, Tawny Port Finished; Rabbit Hole Distillery, Dareringer Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Cask; and Woodford Reserve, Double Oaked.

The 2023 SFWSC judging showcased a record collection of outstanding straight and cask-finished bourbons. These bourbons ranged from among the most expensive bourbons available in the United States to among the cheapest. Many Double Gold winning bourbon retail for under $100/bottle. Compelling proof that outstanding quality does not necessarily mean a high price.

Among the Special Barrel Finished Double Gold medalists, try the Doc Swinson's, The Woodford Reserve Double Oak, or the Everwild Spirits, Seeker's Toasted Oak.

Among the Straight Bourbon Double Gold medalists, try the expressions from Detroit City, Blue Note, Breckenridge (Bourbon), 1845, Maker's Mark, J Rieger, or McFarlane's. All these bourbons sell for around $50/750 ml bottle or less.

At an RRSP of $22/750 ml bottle, the Clyde May is the single most compelling bourbon value available today. This Alabama-based distillery is little known outside its home state. That's a pity because the bourbon is outstanding, and it's an incredible value.

A complete listing of all the medal winners at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition is available on the Tasting Alliance website.