2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold Bourbon Winners and Best of Class Finalists

2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Best of Class Bourbon Finalists

More than 550 bourbons competed in the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Of those entries, 88 bourbon and bourbon-related whiskey expressions earned Double Gold medals, the competition’s highest medal awarded during the initial judging phase. A smaller group has advanced as Best of Class finalists, with Platinum Medal, Best of Class, and Best in Show honors still to be awarded later this year.

The Best of Class finalists listed below represent the contenders for category honors.

Platinum Medal winners are scheduled to be announced during the week of October 19, 2026. Best of Class and Best in Show winners will be revealed at the Top Shelf 2026 Awards Gala on November 8, 2026, in San Francisco.

Best Straight Bourbon Finalists

• Brother’s Bond Cask Strength Straight Bourbon
• The Maven Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Square 6 High Rye Bourbon
• Willett Pot Still Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Pinhook 10 Year Vertical Series Bourbon

Best Wheated Bourbon Finalists

• Safai Bourbon Honey Roasted Malt Bourbon
• 1845 Distilling Co. Preemption Texas Wheated Bourbon Bottled in Bond
• Heaven Hill Traditional Barrel Series Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon (Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon 2025?)
• Heaven Hill Specialty Barrel Series Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon (Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon – Chinquapin Oak 2025)

Best Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon Finalists

• Wenzel Distillery Double Oak Bourbon
• Wenzel Distillery Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon
• Starlight Distillery Mizunara Reserve Bourbon
• Polly’s Still House Double Barrel Bourbon
• Maker’s Mark 46 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Best Single Barrel Bourbon – Up to 10 Years Finalists

• Conviction Founder’s Reserve Small Batch Bourbon
• James B. Beam Distilling Co. Baker’s 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10-Year Bourbon
• Nashtucky Whiskey Co. Single Barrel Bourbon, 8 Year Old

Best Single Barrel Bourbon – 11 Years and Older Finalists

• Mugen Spirit Shogun Series: Nobunaga Single Barrel Bourbon
• Elijah Craig 15-Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon

Best Small Batch Bourbon – Up to 5 Years Finalists

• Wheel Horse Whiskey Barrel Master Select Batch #2 Bourbon
• Chattanooga Whiskey Cask 111 Batch 26B16R Bourbon
• Bronze Bull Spirits Batch #7 Bourbon Finished in Armagnac and Orange Liqueur Barrels

Best Small Batch Bourbon – 6–10 Years Finalists

• Time Sipping Away Small Batch Straight Bourbon
• Peg Leg Porker Spirits Grey Label Tennessee Straight Bourbon
• Silverthorn Reserve The Bourbon Blend
• Dancing Goat Distillery Stillman’s Sonder Bourbon

Complete List of 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold Bourbon Winners

The following 88 bourbon and bourbon-related whiskey expressions earned Double Gold medals at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Winners are grouped by producer, distillery and/or brand.

1845 Distilling Co.

• Preemption Double Oak Texas Straight Bourbon
• Preemption Reverence Texas Straight Bourbon
• Preemption Texas Wheated Bourbon Bottled in Bond

Angel’s Envy

• 2026 Cask Strength Bourbon

Arizona Craft Beverage

• Quindecim Bourbon

Augusta Distillery

• Small Batch Kentucky Bourbon

Bardstown Bourbon Company

• Distillery Reserve Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend Whiskey

Barrel Global

• Peaky Blinders Bourbon

Barrell Craft Spirits

• Cigar Blend Bourbon
• 12 Year Old Finished in Toasted American Oak Bourbon

Blade & Bow

• 12 Year Old Solera Reserve Small Batch Bourbon

Blanton’s

• Original 93 Proof Single Barrel Bourbon
• Straight From The Barrel Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon

Bronze Bull Spirits

• Batch #7 Bourbon Finished in Armagnac and Orange Liqueur Barrels

Brother’s Bond

• Cask Strength Straight Bourbon

Burton James

• Bourbon – Batch 2

Cedar Ridge Distillery

• Amontillado Sherry Finished Bourbon

Chattanooga Whiskey

• Cask 111 Batch 26B16R Bourbon

Conviction

• Founder’s Reserve Small Batch Bourbon
• Single Barrel Small Batch Bourbon

Dancing Goat Distillery

• Stillman’s Sonder Bourbon

Edmond’s Honor

• Madagascar Vanilla Bourbon

Elijah Craig

• 15-Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon

Fathertime Bourbon

• The Caboose Small Batch: Empty Nester Strength

Few Spirits

• Straight Bourbon

Filmland Spirits

• Moonlight Mayhem!2 The White Port Wolf Bourbon

Fireside 8

• Bourbon

Four Branches

• Founders Reserve Bourbon

Fox & Oden

• Double Oaked Straight Bourbon

Gervasi Spirits

• Rum Barrel Bourbon

Ghost Hollow Distillery

• Barrel Proof Madeira Seasoned Toasted Red Oak Finish Bourbon

Golden Beaver Distillery

• Pacific Flyway Single Barrel Bourbon

Green River Whiskey

• Distillery Select #1 Toasted Double Oak Bourbon

Heaven Hill

• Traditional Barrel Series Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon (Grain to Glass 2025?)
• Specialty Barrel Series Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon (Grain to Glass Chinquapin Oak 2025)

Henry McKenna

• Single Barrel 10-Year Bourbon

Highline Spirits

• Bourbon
• Small Batch Bourbon

Hoot + Howl Spirits

• Armagnac Cask Bourbon

James B. Beam Distilling Co.

• Baker’s 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Baker’s 13 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Jos. A. Magnus & Co.

• Triple Cask Finished Straight Bourbon

Kentucky Credential

• Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Kentucky Senator Bourbon

• Jim Bunning

Kings County Distillery

• Barrel Strength Peated Bourbon

Maker’s Mark

• 46 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Private Selection “Milk Chocolate Truffle” Distillery Exclusive Bourbon

McLaughlin Distillery

• Cask Strength Baby Barrel Bourbon

Milam & Greene Whiskey

• Very Small Batch Straight Bourbon Finished with Charred French Oak Staves

Mugen Spirit

• Shogun Series: Nobunaga Single Barrel Bourbon

Nashtucky Whiskey Co.

• Single Barrel Bourbon, 8 Year Old

Neeley Family Distillery

• Old Jett Brothers Bourbon Finished in French Chateau Rieussec

Old Fitzgerald

• Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2025 Wheated Bourbon

Old Forester

• 1870 Straight Bourbon
• 1897 Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Peg Leg Porker Spirits

• Grey Label Tennessee Straight Bourbon

Pinhook

• 10 Year Vertical Series Bourbon
• Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Polly’s Still House

• Double Barrel Bourbon

River City Whiskey

• Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Rocker Spirits

• Bourbon Finished in Madeira Barrels

Safai Bourbon

• Honey Roasted Malt Bourbon

Seelbach’s Spirits

• Private Reserve Toasted French Oak Double Oaked 10-Year Straight Bourbon Batch 002
• Private Reserve “Humidor Blend” 118.6 Proof Cigar Batch Bourbon

Shortbarrel

• Double Oak Small Batch Bourbon

Silverthorn Reserve

• The Bourbon Blend

Square 6

• High Rye Bourbon
• Wheated Bourbon

Starlight Distillery

• Amburana “Cigar Batch” Bourbon
• Honey Reserve Bourbon
• Mizunara Reserve Bourbon

The Difference Business Bourbon

• Coach Pete’s The Dominator

The Maven

• Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The Old Guard Spirits

• Small Batch Bourbon

This Ol Cowboy

• Small Batch Straight Bourbon

Time Sipping Away

• Small Batch Straight Bourbon

TX Whiskey

• Straight Bourbon

Wenzel Distillery

• Double Oak Bourbon
• Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon
• Toasted Bourbon

Wheel Horse Whiskey

• Barrel Master Select Batch #2 Bourbon

Whiskey Thief Distilling Co.

• Wheated Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey B1 424

Whiskey Tree

• Cognac Finish Bourbon
• Wheated Bourbon

Willett

• Pot Still Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Woodinville Whiskey

• Bourbon Finished in Port Casks
• Straight Bourbon Aged 10 Years

Are you going to be hunting down any of these top bourbons from the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition? Would you like to compare this list to the best bourbons from the 2026 IWSC (International World Spirits Competition)?

Sources: The Tasting Alliance – Best Straight Bourbon Finalists, The Tasting Alliance – Best Wheated Bourbon Finalists, The Tasting Alliance – Best Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon Finalists, The Tasting Alliance – Best Single Barrel Bourbon Up to 10 Years Finalists, The Tasting Alliance – Best Single Barrel Bourbon 11 Years and Older Finalists, The Tasting Alliance – Best Small Batch Bourbon Up to 5 Years Finalists, The Tasting Alliance – Best Small Batch Bourbon 6–10 Years Finalists, The Tasting Alliance – San Francisco World Spirits Competition

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