Whiskey was a major focus of the Top Shelf 2025 weekend, with the category drawing some of the strongest entries from across the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the San Francisco Ready to Drink Competition.
Across the multi-day event, industry leaders, distillers, and enthusiasts explored a range of masterclasses, tastings, and discussions that highlighted the depth and diversity of modern whiskey making. The celebrations concluded at the Top Shelf Awards Gala, where the year’s Best of Class and Best in Show whiskey winners were announced.
Below is a complete list of the bottles that stood out, representing the highest levels of quality, character, and craftsmanship in whiskey today.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORY| Award | Product |
|---|---|
| BEST STRAIGHT BOURBON | Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C924 |
| BEST SMALL BATCH BOURBON – UP TO 5 YEARS | 1792 Small Batch Straight Bourbon |
| BEST SMALL BATCH BOURBON – 6 TO 10 YEARS | ASW Distillery Fiddler Encore Bourbon – Georgia Oak |
| BEST SMALL BATCH BOURBON – 11 YEARS & OLDER; BEST OVERALL SMALL BATCH BOURBON | O.K.I. Bourbon 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon |
| BEST SINGLE BARREL BOURBON – UP TO 10 YEARS | Safai Bourbon 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon |
| BEST SINGLE BARREL – 11 YEARS & OLDER; BEST SINGLE BARREL BOURBON | O.K.I. Bourbon 16 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon |
| BEST SPECIAL BARREL-FINISHED BOURBON; BEST OVERALL BOURBON | Starlight Distillery Japanese Mizunara Reserve Finished Bourbon |
| BEST WHEATED BOURBON | Frank August CASE STUDY: 05 | WHEATED RESERVE | 5 BARREL BATCH Bourbon |
| BEST CRAFT DISTILLER WHISKEY | Starlight Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon |
| BEST TENNESSEE WHISKEY | Old Dominick Bonded Tennessee Whiskey |
| BEST CORN WHISKEY | Dancing Goat Distillery The Spaniard Corn Whiskey |
| BEST WHEAT WHISKEY | Heaven Hill Heritage Collection: 2025 Release 19 Year Old Wheat Whiskey |
| BEST RYE WHISKEY | Wenzel Whiskey Rectifier Rye Whiskey |
| BEST CANADIAN WHISKY | J.P. Wiser’s Decades Series: 28 Year old Canadian Whisky |
| BEST OTHER SINGLE MALT WHISKEY | KI ONE SIGNATURE Single Malt Whiskey |
| BEST SINGLE GRAIN WHISKEY | Frey Ranch 100% Barley Whiskey (Unmalted) |
| BEST OTHER WHISKEY | Craftbros Collaboration Whiskey |
| BEST AMERICAN BLENDED WHISKEY | Longleaf Distilling Co.Cask Strength Heirloom American Whiskey |
| BEST JAPANESE WHISKY | Hinomaru Whisky Signature 1823 |
| BEST AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKEY | Stranahan’s Snowflake |
| BEST FLAVORED WHISKEY | King’s Creek Black Label Cider |
| BEST SPECIAL BARREL-FINISHED WHISKEY | 1933 Macleod’s PX Highland Single Malt Sherry Cask Finish Scotch Whisky |
| BEST AUSTRALIAN SINGLE MALT WHISKY | Callington Mill Distillery Pedro Ximenez Single Malt Whisky |
| BEST BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY | Jameson Triple Triple Irish Whiskey Chestnut Edition |
| BEST SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY | Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey |
| BEST PURE POT STILL IRISH WHISKEY; BEST OVERALL IRISH WHISKEY | Spot Whiskey Yellow Spot |
| BEST BLENDED SCOTCH – 16 YEARS & OLDER; BEST OVERALL BLENDED SCOTCH | Isle of Skye 25 Year Old Blended Scotch |
| BEST BLENDED SCOTCH – NO AGE STATEMENT | D’YAVOL VORTEX Blended Scotch |
| BEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH – UP TO 12 YEARS | Highland Park 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch |
| BEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH – 13 TO 19 YEARS | Royal Brackla PALO CORTADO 18 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch |
| BEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH – 20 YEARS & OLDER; BEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH; BEST OVERALL SCOTCH; BEST IN SHOW WHISK(E)Y | Rosebank 31 Year Old Lowland Single Malt Scotch |
| BEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH – NO AGE STATEMENT | Loch Lomond Remarkable Alchemy Single Malt Scotch |
| BEST BLENDED MALT SCOTCH | Compass Box Crimson Casks Blended Malt Scotch Whisky |
| BEST NEW BOURBON | Lasso Motel DARTS Cigarette Blend Bourbon |
| BEST NEW RYE WHISKEY | Never Say Die Rye Whiskey |
| BEST NEW JAPANESE WHISKY | Sakurao Single Malt Japanese Whisky TOGOUCHI MISTY STILLMAN’S SELECTION |
| BEST NEW SCOTCH | D’YAVOL VORTEX Blended Scotch |
Latest On The Whiskey Wash
