When the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) hands out its medals, the spirits world pays attention. Often described as the Oscars of the industry, this Tasting Alliance event has run every year since 2000 and stands as the oldest and largest blind spirits competition in existence. A medal is among the most coveted endorsements a distillery anywhere in the world can put on its bottle.
That prestige is earned through an exacting process. Judges never see a label. Each spirit is poured blind and tasted in flights of similar styles, evaluated on the liquid alone rather than its name or reputation.
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The strongest entries are awarded Bronze, Silver, or Gold, and any spirit that wins a Gold from every judge on its panel is bumped up to the coveted Double Gold. Higher still is Platinum, granted only to bottles that earn Double Gold in three consecutive years.
The competition saves its biggest titles for last. Among the Double Gold winners that advance to the sweepstakes round, the best in each category is named Best of Class, and one exceptional spirit takes the night’s top prize: Best in Show.
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Indian whisky has become one of the category’s most exciting stories, and below you’ll find the award-winning Indian whiskies from the 2026 competition. Interestingly, there are only three. This list is purely for accessibility. Keep an eye on The Whiskey Wash for the upcoming deep dive into these whiskies.
| Whisky | Medal |
| Devans GianChand Indian Single Malt Whisky | Double Gold |
| Devans GianChand Indian Single Malt Whisky Manshaa | Silver |
| Kadamba Indian Single Malt Whisky Agave Barrel FInish | Silver |
