Hooten Young has earned a Double Gold medal for its Operation Gothic Serpent Rye Whiskey at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, hosted by the Tasting Alliance. The seven-year-old rye, created in tribute to the 19 American soldiers killed during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, received the unanimous top honor in the Rye Whiskey category.
The Double Gold distinction is among the rarest awards bestowed by the competition. It requires every judge on a blind-tasting panel to unanimously rate a spirit Gold.
Operation Gothic Serpent was the U.S. military mission carried out in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 3–4, 1993. The battle was later depicted in Ridley Scott’s 2001 film Black Hawk Down.
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Hooten Young founder Norm Hooten, a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant, was present during the mission. He created the whiskey and an accompanying cigar pairing as an act of remembrance for the fallen soldiers and their families.
“This one isn’t for me,” said Norm Hooten, founder of Hooten Young. “It’s for the 19 men who didn’t come home, and for the families they left behind. If this award brings any attention to their story, that’s the only win that matters.”
The expression carries a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% barley, is aged seven years, and is bottled at 93 proof (46.5% ABV). It retails at $60.99 for a 750ml bottle.
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READ THE STORYOfficial tasting notes from the brand describe flavors of candied apricot and caramelized pear.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is widely regarded as one of the most credible and rigorous spirits competitions in the United States. Established in 2000, the annual event draws thousands of entries across all spirits categories and is judged entirely through blind tasting.
Hooten Young, based in Jacksonville, Florida, positions itself around the pairing of whiskey and cigars. The Operation Gothic Serpent Rye Whiskey is designed to pair with the brand’s Operation Gothic Serpent Cigar.
The expression is available through Hooten Young’s official website and select retailers.
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