California’s Hinterhaus Distilling claimed the title of Best American Single Cask Single Malt Whiskey at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards. The distillery’s American Single Malt Whiskey – Singularity earned the top honor at the ceremony held on February 12, 2026, at the historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
The World Whiskies Awards is one of the world’s largest blind-judged whiskey competitions, attracting some 1,500 entries and crowning winners across more than a dozen countries.
“Our team is proud to be a part of the American Single Malt Whiskey landscape and honored to be recognized by the World Whiskies Awards,” said Nate Randall, Hinterhaus founder and head distiller.
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READ THE STORY“We want our spirits to reflect our creativity, hard work and dedication to the craft,” Randall added. “With thoughtful decisions and high quality ingredients, the spirit shines through.”
Randall attended the ceremony alongside his son, distiller Keagan Randall. The father-and-son team crafts single malts that highlight their unique location on the western slope of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Each bottling of Singularity features a unique malt bill and aging process, detailed on its back label. The whiskey is presented naturally — non-chill filtered and never color added — and bottled at cask strength.
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Singularity is currently sold out. A new batch is expected for release in summer 2026.
To commemorate the World Whiskies Awards win, Hinterhaus will re-release a limited number of Singularity bottles on its website for shipping beginning February 27, 2026. The distillery also offers a core expression, American Single Malt Whiskey – Discovery.
Founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife team Nate and Bonnie Randall, Hinterhaus Distilling is a family-operated distillery based in Arnold, California, at an elevation of 4,300 feet amidst the Stanislaus National Forest. The distillery sources local ingredients and utilizes fresh Sierra water.
Hinterhaus is a member of the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, the American Craft Spirits Association, and the Craft Malt Guild. Its spirits have earned recognition from the American Distilling Institute, Wine Enthusiast, Sunset Magazine, and more.
The American single malt category has grown significantly in recent years, gaining its own federal standards of identity from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in 2022, a landmark moment that formalized the style’s place in the broader whiskey landscape.
