The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) is one of the most respected spirits competitions in the industry, with the annual results eagerly anticipated.
The competition is held every year in San Francisco by The Tasting Alliance. First held in 2000, the contest has been awarding accolades to spirits from across the US for almost 25 years.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024
In May 2024 the most recent SFWSC results were released. There were a total of 82 Platinum medal winners across all categories, including bourbon, whiskey, gin, vodka, and liqueurs.
So, in the interest of breaking down a large number of results, I thought today I would run through the Platinum medal-winning bourbons from the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including tasting notes, prices, and producers.
Read my previous article on Double Gold medal-winning age-statement American whiskeys and bourbons, here.
W.L. Weller 12 Year Old Wheated Bourbon
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Lanolin, almond, creamed corn, toasty vanilla, oak
BUY NOW: $189.99
Let’s start with a widely recognized name in the bourbon industry: W.L. Weller.
Named for William Larue Weller, a pioneer of wheated bourbons, this gentle expression is aged for 12 years. This is a much longer maturation period than is standard for a wheated bourbon.
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Wheated bourbons are notable for their gentle, easy-drinking nature and smooth mouthfeel, brought about by the high proportion of wheat in the mash bill.
The W.L. Weller 12 Year Old Wheated Bourbon has long been a fixture in the brand’s core range. It is produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, alongside brands such as George T. Stagg, Pappy Van Winkle, and E.H. Taylor Jr.
F.E.W Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Cherry, smoked vanilla, oak, caramel
BUY NOW: $39.99
The Bottled-In-Bond designation constitutes the first quality control law that was with reference to distilled spirits, particularly American whiskey, rye, and bourbon.
For a whiskey to be classed as Bottled-In-Bond it must be distilled in a single season at one distillery (January-June or July-December). It must also be aged for a minimum of four years and bottled at 100 proof.
This F.E.W Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon was subjected to exactly this treatment, aging for over four years in American oak.
F.E.W Spirits Company was established in 2011 in Evanston, Chicago, IL. Ironically, Evanston was once the headquarters of the Temperance Movement during Prohibition.
The F.E.W American Straight Whiskey was named the World’s Best American Style Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards 2024.
Blue Note Crossroads Straight Bourbon
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: No official tasting notes available
BUY NOW: $37.99
Our next bourbon hails from a company that had not one, but two Platinum-medal winning expressions in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024.
Blue Note Bourbon, based in Memphis, TN, has been owned by B.R Distilling Co. since 2018. Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, the Blue Note warehouses benefit from a humid micro-climate in which the whiskey is matured.
The Blue Note core range currently consists of the Blue Note Crossroads, Blue Note Juke Joint, Blue Note Uncut, and Blue Note Rye Whiskey.
Blue Note Crossroads is a straight bourbon whiskey that was finished in two different types of French oak staves. Despite a 100-proof bottling strength, this bourbon is smooth and easy-drinking.
Blue Note Juke Joint Straight Bourbon
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Sweet corn, allspice, oak, vanilla, apricot, pear
BUY NOW: $25.99
Another expression from Blue Note Bourbon is Juke Joint.
Juke Joint is also a straight bourbon whiskey. However, we know a little more about the technical aspects of this whiskey than we do about Crossroads.
Juke Joint was distilled from a mash bill comprising 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. The whiskey was aged for a minimum of three years before being bottled at 93 proof.
This is Blue Note’s flagship bourbon expression, and clearly impressed the judges at the SFWSC 2024.
Ezra Brooks Old Ezra 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Floral, vanilla, cinnamon, fine wood, butter
BUY NOW: $65
The Old Ezra 7 Year is a long-standing expression in the Ezra Brooks portfolio.
The whiskey is distilled from a mash bill consisting of corn, rye, and barley, with the corn making up at least 51% of the mash bill. Then, the whiskey is matured in virgin American charred white oak casks for at least seven years, before being bottled at cask strength.
Ezra Brooks has an interesting history, including a significant legal clash with the beloved Tennesee whiskey brand, Jack Daniel’s.
Widow Jane 10 Year Old Bourbon
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream, orange, maple, cherry, almond, charred oak, spice
BUY NOW: $49.99
Located in Brooklyn, New York, Widow Jane is celebrated for its small-batch bourbons. Founded in 2012, the distillery initially specialized in chocolate production before expanding into whiskey blending, sourcing casks from various regions across the United States. Looking ahead, Widow Jane plans to centralize all whiskey production at its own facilities.
Widow Jane’s 10 Year Old bourbon is crafted from select batches of five barrels, each aged over a decade. The distillery credits the bourbon’s intricate and layered flavors to the dramatic temperature and humidity changes within its warehouse.
Additionally, barrels are strategically repositioned within the rick house, exposing the bourbon to a variety of climatic conditions throughout its aging process.
More Results From The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024
This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of the Platinum-medal winning American whiskeys at the SFWSC 2024; there are many other whiskeys and ryes that have been given this accolade.
So, if you are interested in finding out more about the winners, keep an eye on the Awards Series page for updates. There, you can also find articles relating to other highly-respected spirits competitions.
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