Here is everything you need to know about the world’s best bourbons according to the International Whisky Competition 2025.
What Is the International Whisky Competition?
Each whiskey is judged double-blind by a panel of seasoned experts, with no knowledge of the distillery, bottle, or proof. Entries are scored on a 100-point scale, assessing aroma, taste, finish, and balance. The result is a competition that rewards standout quality above all. Winning an IWC category is a clear signal that a whiskey has risen above tough competition.
Best Bourbon Whiskey: 1st Place – A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Batch #4 (97.01 points)
Tasting Notes: Leather, plums, apple, raspberry, chocolate, stone fruit, cinnamon
BUY NOW: $649.98
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Taking top honors in the overall bourbon category with a score of 97.01 points, A. Smith Bowman’s Cask Strength Batch #4 is a bold showing from one of Virginia’s most historic distilleries. This annual limited release has built a quiet following, but its 2025 win puts it firmly in the spotlight.
Batch #4 is bottled at an eye-watering 139.7 proof and is non-chill filtered. It was aged for at least 10 years in new charred oak, stored upright in Virginia’s climate-controlled warehouses. The result is a small-batch, high-proof bourbon that blends intensity with complexity.
Released by lottery every year, the whiskey is priced at $99.99 plus taxes upon release. However, prices on the secondary market very quickly creep up.
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Best Bourbon 10 Years and Older: 1st Place – 1792 Aged Twelve Years (94.51 points)
Tasting Notes: Vanilla, cocoa, fruit notes, smoky finish
BUY NOW: From $70
Scoring 94.51 points, 1792 Aged Twelve Years took the top spot in the 10 Years and Older category.
This release uses the distillery’s high-rye mash bill (roughly 75% corn, 15–18% rye, and the remainder malted barley) and is aged a full twelve years in new charred American oak. That extended time in the barrel allows the whiskey to develop deep complexity without losing balance.
Bottled at 96.6 proof, it’s a limited-release bourbon that builds on the success of the standard 1792 Small Batch, offering extra maturity for those who enjoy a richer, oak-driven profile.
Best Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon Whiskey: 1st Place – Early Times Bottled-In-Bond (92.37 points)
Tasting Notes: Caramel, oak, black pepper, honey, chocolate, cinnamon, spice
BUY NOW: From $20
With a score of 92.37 points, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond secured first place in one of bourbon’s most historically significant categories. This win also marks a full-circle moment for a brand that has seen dramatic highs, lows, and a major resurgence in recent years.
Originally established in 1860 by Jack Beam (uncle of Jim Beam), Early Times became a household name by the mid-20th century. Its Bottled-in-Bond expression, first introduced in 1945, was once the best-selling bourbon in the U.S. By the 1980s, however, the brand had shifted toward a cheaper blended product, and the bonded version disappeared from shelves.
That changed in the late 2010s when Brown-Forman reintroduced Early Times Bottled-in-Bond as a budget-friendly, full-flavored straight bourbon. The mash bill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley delivers a classic bourbon profile, and it’s distilled and aged in compliance with bottled-in-bond laws: one distiller, one season, four years minimum, and bottled at 100 proof.
Best Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey: 1st Place – Rebecca Creek Spanish Oak Double Barrel Whiskey (93.95 points)
Tasting Notes: Spicy rye, sweet pecan, coffee, roasted nuts, dark chocolate
BUY NOW: N/A
Texas made a strong statement at this year’s competition, with Rebecca Creek’s Spanish Oak Double Barrel Bourbon winning Best Single Barrel Bourbon with a score of 93.95 points. It’s a notable win for a relatively young distillery that’s been quietly experimenting with bold aging techniques.
Founded in 2009 in San Antonio, Rebecca Creek Distillery is one of South Texas’s early post-Prohibition craft distilleries. The Spanish Oak Double Barrel expression reflects the distillery’s commitment to innovation, particularly in how it uses wood to shape flavor.
This single barrel release starts with a high-rye mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% 2-row malted barley. It’s first aged in new Spanish oak barrels, a less common choice in bourbon making, where American white oak is standard. After an initial four years, the whiskey is transferred to used American oak barrels for a secondary maturation period of around two years.
The result is a complex, full-bodied bourbon often bottled at cask strength, typically ranging from 120 to 128 proof. It’s a standout example of how regional styles and creative maturation can push the boundaries of traditional bourbon and win big on the world stage.
