‘American Style Whiskey’ is something of an all-encompassing term, with many different whiskey styles falling underneath this category at the World Whiskies Awards in 2024. As such, there is a wide variety of award-winning expressions for you to read about today. This is part 2 of The Best American Style Whiskey According To The World Whiskies Awards 2024. Read part one here.
Including tasting notes, purchase links, and production techniques, here are the rest of the award-winning American Style Whiskeys from the 2024 World Whiskies Awards.
Never Say Die Rye Whiskey
Medal: Silver
Tasting Notes: “All of the spice and character of a rye whiskey, layered with the unmistakably sweet and smooth complexity of a Kentucky whiskey.”
BUY NOW: $81
Never Say Die might be famed for its bourbon, known as ‘England’s bourbon’, but its rye whiskey expression is also award-winning.
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Distilled from a mash bill of 33% corn, 56% rye, and 11% malted barley, Never Say Die has dubbed this product a ‘Kentucky Rye’. The combination of cereals makes for a spicy and sweet, bold yet smooth expression.
Never Say Die has garnered a reputation for going against the grain, particularly with its bourbon, for which it uses a legislative loophole allowing the barrels to be matured in England. Whilst this rye expression is not matured across the Atlantic, its rebellious nature can be seen in the mash bill, which has just enough rye to justify its classification. And, of course, Never Say Die’s self-imposed ‘Kentucky Rye’ classification reinforces the brand’s commitment to standing out from the rest.
The Macklowe American Single Malt Kentucky Edition
Medal: Silver
Tasting Notes: Vanilla double cream, chili flakes, cracked black pepper, black cherries, wood char, honey, chili, eucalyptus, spicy
BUY NOW: $250
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The Macklowe Whiskey is a relatively new player in the American single malt category, having been established in 2019 by Julie Macklowe. Julie, a passionate whiskey collector and connoisseur, set out to create the perfect American single malt using locally sourced, non-GMO barley.
This limited edition release from The Macklowe Whiskey was crafted by Master Distilling team Ian MacMillan and Brendan McCarron. It was matured in specially selected Char 1 and Char 3 ISC barrels for a minimum of four years. Only 10 barrels were bottled to create this expression, yielding 2,544 bottles.
Traverse City Whiskey Co. XXX Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Medal: Silver
Tasting Notes: Bold, caramel, vanilla
BUY NOW: $38
Traverse City Whiskey Co., located in – you guessed it – Traverse City, Michigan, is dedicated to producing high-quality craft spirits that embody the “friendly adventurous spirit of “Up North” Michigan.
Founded by three friends – Chris, Moti, and Jared – Traverse City Whiskey Co. was born when Chris found old patents held by his great-grandfather for whiskey distilling on the family’s cherry farm.
This Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the distillery’s flagship expression, bottled at 43% ABV.
Passionate supporters of Michigan’s agricultural industry, Chris, Moti, and Jared have also created limited-edition expressions celebrating the fruits of Michigan. These include the American Cherry Edition, the Michigan Apple Edition, and the Lakeside Peach Edition.
Bainbridge Battle Point French Oak
Medal: Gold
Tasting Notes: Cinnamon, baking spice, cedar, brandied cherries, dark chocolate, rose water, red fruits, eucalyptus, menthol, warm spice
BUY NOW: $89.95
A second medal was awarded to Bainbridge Distillery in the American Style Whiskey category at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards. This expression, Battle Point French Oak, was awarded a Gold medal.
Bainbridge Battle Point French Oak is twice distilled on Bainbridge Island and initially matured in American oak. Then, it undergoes a secondary aging period in level #3 char French Oak with toasted cask heads. The use of French oak imbues the whiskey with subtle spice and tannins, balancing out the sweet caramel notes from the American oak casks.
The whiskey is matured for between seven and eight years before being bottled at 100 Proof.
The distillery is renowned for the salty, maritime influences on its whiskey, thanks to its island home off the northwest coast of the United States.
F.E.W. American Straight Whiskey
Medal: Category Winner, Gold
Tasting Notes: Graham cracker, honey, rye spice, tart cherry, smoke, white pepper
BUY NOW: $52
F.E.W. Spirits is located in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, which ironically was the seat of the temperance movement in the United States during Prohibition. Founder, Paul Hletko, created F.E.W with the aim of creating a distinct, urban, Chicago-style spirit that also paid homage to distillers past.
The name F.E.W. has been linked to Frances Elizabeth Willard, a prominent temperance advocate from Evanston. In an interview with PourAndSip.com, Hletko insisted that “it is of course a sheer and total coincidence,” but admitted that he is “not allowed inside the Frances Willard Museum.”
The F.E.W. American Straight Whiskey is no stranger to winning Gold at the World Whiskies Awards and also has medals from the SFWSC under its belt.
Described as a “whiskey first for the spirit of the Republic”, F.E.W. American Straight Whiskey is a blend of F.E.W. bourbon and rye, vatted together with a malt whiskey for perfect balance.
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