The American Whiskey Masters 2021 results

The difficult couple of years that US producers have endured has in no way dampened their enthusiasm or their skills, as Melita Kiely and her team of tasters discover in our annual competition.

It’s no secret that American whiskey has had a troublesome couple of years, with tariff wars and a global pandemic to contend with. But for all the trials and tribulations the category has faced, producers have marched on with innovative new launches.

At the start of 2021, third‐party spirits producer MGP expanded its own‐label offering with the launch of the 2021 George Remus Bourbon Single Barrel Program, while Luxco released Blood Oath Pact 7 Bourbon, which was finished in Sauternes casks. Angel’s Envy also embraced cask‐finishing and released a limited edition Bourbon finished in Madeira wine casks, while Jim Beam combined orange liqueur with Kentucky straight Bourbon whiskey to create Jim Beam Orange.

ASSESS THE QUALITY

With so much activity in the category, The American Whiskey Masters aimed to assess the quality of offerings available. The blind tasting took place at the Ibis Hotel in London Bridge on the same day as The World Whisky Masters and The Irish Whiskey Masters, and comprised the same panels of judges.

Nicola Carruthers, deputy editor of The Spirits Business magazine, chaired the first of four panels, joined by Tommy Cummins, head of purchasing at The Umbrella Project, and James Goggin, head of sales at Empirical.

Billy Abbott, ambassador for The Whisky Exchange, chaired a second panel, and was accompanied by judges Caroline Roddis, editor of The Whisky Exchange, and Karen Taylor, co‐founder of the Whisky For Everyone blog.

The third team comprised Evan Prousaefs, bar manager at The Leaf and Cane in London, and Matt Chambers, co‐founder of the Whisky For Everyone blog, who chaired his panel. Michel Fichtner, head bartender at the Coburg Bar at The Connaught hotel in London, joined me, Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business, and chair of the tasting, on the final panel.

The standard was set high in the opening flight: Bourbon – Premium. Three Master medals were brought to the judges’ attention, including Benchmark Small Batch by the Sazerac Company. The whiskey presented notes of “caramel, coffee, cake” and was described as “punchy”. Sazerac also picked up a Master medal for Benchmark Six Gold medallists gave the flight an extra boost, with strong performances from Eagle Rare Bourbon, which presented “vanilla, oak spice, some leather and a hint of honey”, and Bowman Brothers Small Batch, enjoyed for its “sweet and fruity” palate. A Silver medal was awarded to Aldi Ireland’s Daystar Bourbon.

Cummins said there were “lots of classic Bourbons” in the flight. “Bourbon gets very exciting when you get an exceptional cask,” he added. “Benchmark Full Proof offered something different, not the stereotype of whiskey; it was big, but very easy to drink.”

Moving to a more costly price bracket, the judges tasted a selection of super‐premium Bourbons. An impressive 13 Gold medals were awarded in this flight – one of which went to Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon, which was full of “marzipan and rich tropicals”, leading to a finish of “spicy chillis and oakiness”.

Wild Turkey 101 also collected a Gold medal in this flight, with notes of “caramel, figs and dried citrus”. Other notable Golds included Weller Full Proof, with notes of “fig and

prune” on the nose and a “buttery” finish with a “peppery note” for added complexity. A Silver medal was also awarded in this round. Abbott said: “This was a solid round, very consistent in quality. There were some great whiskeys, but nothing clearly pushing into higher scores.” However, the following flight did deliver the higher‐scoring Bourbons the judges were looking for and a trio of Masters were awarded in the ultra‐premium heat.

The first was handed to Stagg Jr by the Sazerac Company, which delivered a complex assortment of tasting notes: “Coconut, vanilla, cake‐like and oranges”, with “meaty” depth, too.

Sazerac also received a Master for A Smith Bowman Cask Strength, which offered “intense vanilla” and “rubber, toffee, cinnamon and roasted coffee beans”.

Sazerac also added a Master medal for EH Taylor Jr Barrel Proof to its growing haul, enjoyed for being “very chewy, juicy, refined and well balanced”.

Five Gold medals completed the flight, including a Gold for “earthy, spicy and sweet” Wild Turkey Rare Breed and another for 291 Colorado Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Aspen Wood Staves, with notes of “polished furniture and coffee”.

“These whiskeys delivered a great standard at this price point,” enthused Fichtner. “If that’s what you get for over £51, it’s brilliant value for money. So many of those we tasted were higher strength and really added to the category.” In the Bourbon – No Age Statement round, TX Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tawny Port Casks caught the judges’ attention and bagged a Master medal. The Bourbon had “a really lovely nose” with “lots of Sherry and dark fruits”. Seven Gold medals were also dished out in the no‐age‐statement flight, with winners including Yellowstone Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The whiskey was hailed for its “fruity nose” and “creamy mouthfeel”.

Zamora Company grabbed two Golds in this flight, one for “fresh and vibrant” Yellow Rose Harris County and a second for “unique and well balanced” Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon.

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Cummins said: “This was completely different from other rounds as it had so many things going on. It was very varied from what you think of the standard Bourbon category being, while still keeping certain aspects of the traditional style.”

In the last of the Bourbon categories, Aged up to 7 Years, two Master medals were awarded. One was presented to Beer Barrel Bourbon, with notes of “hops and orange peel” on the nose and palate, and a second to Hirsch The Horizon, with “vanilla, warming spices and coating mouthfeel”. Three Gold medals completed the flight.

As the tasting moved to Tennessee whiskeys, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey scooped two Gold medals in the super‐premium heat and two Golds in the ultra‐premium contingent. In the Tennessee – Super Premium heat, Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey was enjoyed for the “good cereal notes” that gave the whiskey “structure”, while Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey was described as having a “chocolate and mocha nose” leading to a “lovely palate with a good balance of sweetness and spice”.

Moving on to Rye – Super Premium, and Sazerac Rye took one of two Silver medals. Tasting notes included “orange zest” and “spicy, peppery” flavours. Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye 80 Proof also received a Silver in this flight, with “toffee sweetness” and “punchy spice”.

The judges noted there was a lot of room for innovation in the rye category. Roddis said: “The category has a lot of potential for great whiskeys.”

At the more expensive end of the category, the judges found much to be excited about with EH Taylor Jr Straight Rye. The whiskey received the top award, securing a Master for its “delicious, lush mouthfeel”, and “dates and treacle” on the nose.

Four Golds followed, including one for Peerless Small Batch Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, with aromas of “vibrant fruits and dates” and a “very smooth and long‐lasting palate”. “Rye can sometimes be a bit too aggressive and in your face, but the Master medal was very well made,” said Goggin. “The palate opened up really well, and the tropical showed that it had been matured well.”

A solid set of Gold medals were found in the Rye – No Age Statement flight. 291 Colorado Rye Whiskey Finished with Aspen Wood Staves was found to be up to the Gold standard with its flavours of orange oil, maraschino cherry” and “juicy and delicious” palate. Yellow Rose Rye by Zamora Company was also deemed worthy of a Gold award because of its “lovely mouthfeel” with “vanilla, maple syrup and gripping cereals”. Completing the trio of Golds was Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey from Luxco. The whiskey had flavours of “golden syrup and white pepper” on the nose, and “oaky, peppery spices” on the finish.

In the Rye – Aged up to 7 Years heat, Old Potrero Straight Rye 6 Years Old continued the Gold streak. The whiskey was found to have “serious cereals on the nose” with “delicate cherry notes and earthy spices, and a hint of burnt caramel”. In the Single Malt – Super Premium heat, R6 Distillery Single Malt scooped a Silver medal for having flavours of “coffee liqueur and syrup” on the palate, with some “drying oak spices”. In the penultimate flight – Other Grains – Zamora Company secured a Silver medal for Yellow Rose Premium American whiskey. The judges noted the whiskey’s “elegance” with a “hint of floral and slightly herbal finish”.

The competition ended on a high, with two Gold medals awarded in the Flavoured Whiskey heat. The first recipient was Ole Smoky’s Salty Caramel Whiskey, which was “nicely balanced sweet and salty”. The producer’s Peanut Butter Whiskey also secured a Gold, liked for being “super nutty” on the nose and “sticky sweet” on the finish.

The customary retasting of the Master medallists then took place, and the judges individually selected their favourites. The votes were tallied, and The American Whiskey Taste Master 2021 was awarded to Stagg Jr from Sazerac Company.

All the tasters agreed there was quality in abundance in the American whiskey category – and not just at the higher price point. Innovation was clearly in action, and left the judges feeling excited about what’s still to come. “There was very high quality across everything we sampled today, the whiskeys were consistently good,” said Fichtner. “Great products, great balance – it’s no wonder American whiskey is so popular. There’s a lot to discover and enjoy here.”

Click through to the following page for the full list of winners from The American Whiskey Masters. 

Bourbon – Premium

Bourbon – Super Premium

Bourbon – Ultra Premium

Bourbon – No Age Statement

Bourbon – Aged up to 7 Years

Tennessee – Super Premium

Tennessee – Ultra Premium

Rye – Super Premium

Rye – Ultra Premium

Rye – No Age Statement

Rye – Aged up to 7 Years

Single Malt – Super Premium

Other Grains

Flavoured Whiskey

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