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Two glasses of bourbon
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The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) has announced the results of its 2025 Wine & Spirits Tasting Competition (WSTA). Four bourbons dominated the final round, with three winning Best in Show in their respective class. All three automatically advance to the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the world’s largest bourbon judging. Below is a brief description of the four finalists, tasting notes, and list price.
Calumet Farm, Centennial 17 YO Decanter Small Batch Bourbon, 58.5% ABV, 750 ml. $399
The Centennial 17 YO Bourbon is a premium, limited-edition bourbon from Calumet Farm. The brand is known for offering aged expressions with exceptional depth and complexity.
Centennial bourbon’s extended aging ensures it develops rich flavors and maintains a balanced, smooth character. The long maturation enhances the bourbon’s natural flavors and allows the oak influence to integrate beautifully.
The bourbon’s nose is bold and complex, featuring caramelized sugar, vanilla bean, and toffee aromas. Hints of oak spice and clove, a touch of dark chocolate, subtle notes of dried fruit, particularly raisin, and fig, and a soft trace of smoke complete the profile.
The mouthfeel is rich and velvety on the palate, with deep flavors of butterscotch, dark caramel, and a touch of molasses. The oak influence is prominent, contributing flavors of wood spices, cedar, a slight tobacco edge, and dried fruit flavors of red currant, raisin, fig, and prune.
The finish is long and warming, with lingering notes of dark chocolate, oak, and slight spice notes. This whiskey is not yet available but may be ordered directly from the Calumet Farm web site.
Glass of bourbon with smoking cigar and ice cubes in front of old barrel
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Calumet Farm, Centennial 18 YO Decanter Small Batch Bourbon, 59% ABV, 750 ml. $499
The Centennial 18 YO swept most bourbon categories, winning Best of Show Small Batch Bourbon, Best of Show Overall Small Batch Bourbon, Best of Show Bourbon, and Best of Show Whisk(e)y.
With 18 years of maturation, this bourbon offers an even more refined and deeper profile than its 17 YO counterpart. The extended aging produces more pronounced wood influences and creates complex, nuanced flavors, making it a prized bottle for bourbon enthusiasts and collectors.
The nose is exceptionally flavorful and aromatic, with rich aromas of toasted oak, vanilla, and caramelized pecans. There’s a subtle layer of spicy cinnamon and nutmeg, followed by a trace of leather, dried tobacco leaves, and dark fruit notes of blackberry and raisin.
The bourbon is smooth and full-bodied on the palate, featuring dark chocolate, toffee, and baked apple flavors. The oak influence imparts flavors of cedar, tobacco, and a slight smokiness. There is a rich, spicy complexity with hints of cloves and black pepper, balanced by a soft, vanilla sweetness.
The finish is long and velvety, with lingering notes of seasoned oak, dark fruit, and a touch of spice.
O.H. Ingram, River Aged 2024 Flagship Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 58.85% ABV, 750 ml. $80
Ingram’s River Aged Bourbon, the Best in Show, Small Batch 6-10 YO Bourbon, is a testament to the brand’s innovative approach to bourbon-making. A relative newcomer to the market, Ingram has quickly gained fame for its unique aging process.
This bourbon is aged on river barges anchored along the banks of the Mississippi River. The constant rocking of the river barges maximizes the interaction of the whiskey and the cask wood, maximizing the extraction of flavorful compounds from the wood, a process referred to as “kinetic aging.”
The 2024 Flagship Bourbon is designed to showcase a balanced and flavorful profile with a smooth texture, making it ideal for those seeking a refined straight bourbon.
The nose features caramel, toasted oak, and a touch of vanilla bean aromas. Hints of clove, cinnamon, and black pepper spice are present. A faint trace of dried fruit notes of raisins and figs adds a layer of complexity.
The bourbon is smooth and well-rounded on the palate, featuring flavors of buttery toffee, sweet vanilla, and caramelized sugar. The oak provides subtle notes of cedar and smoke, with a slight nutmeg and spice kick. The mouthfeel is balanced, offering a soft yet flavorful texture.
The finish is long and warm, with lingering notes of spicy oak, sweet caramel, a slight peppery warmth, and a touch of dark chocolate.
Wooden bourbon barrels stacked up and aging in a rickhouse in Kentucky
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Tennessee Legend, Kingsnake Honey Cask Finished Bourbon, 45% ABV, 750 ml. $46
Kingsnake Honey Cask Finished Bourbon was the Best of Show Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon. This unique and innovative expression combines traditional bourbon-making with the infusion of honey for an extra layer of sweetness and flavor complexity.
The bourbon is finished in casks that have previously held honey, allowing the spirit to absorb the natural sugars and flavors from the honey. This finishing process adds an intriguing sweetness to the bourbon while maintaining the integrity of the classic bourbon flavor profile. It is crafted to appeal to bourbon lovers who appreciate the intersection of sweetness and traditional bourbon flavors.
The nose features a rich, pronounced sweetness. The honeyed aromas blend seamlessly with notes of vanilla, caramel, and a hint of pecan pie. Subtle hints of oak, spices, and cinnamon add depth to the honey-forward nose.
The bourbon is smooth and sweet on the palate, with prominent flavors of honey, butterscotch, and caramelized sugar. The richness of the honey is balanced by a soft, oak spice, and a touch of cinnamon and clove. The finish is creamy with a slight peppery warmth, perfectly contrasting the sweetness.
The finish is warm and long, with a lingering honey sweetness that melds with subtle vanilla and spicy oak notes.
The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) is a leading trade organization representing wholesalers, distributors, and suppliers of wine, spirits, and related products in the United States. The WSWA’s Annual Wine and Spirits Competition brings together industry experts to recognize the best wines and spirits.
The 2025 competition, in partnership with the Tasting Alliance, showcased innovative and high-quality products. The panel of expert judges, including sommeliers, mixologists, journalists, and industry professionals, brought their extensive knowledge and experience to the table, ensuring the credibility of the awards. These awards can significantly boost brand visibility and influence consumer choices.
These bourbons represent a range of flavor profiles and aging processes, from the bold, aged expressions of Centennial to the innovative honey finish of Kingsnake. Each one offers a distinctive experience for bourbon connoisseurs, with deep, complex flavors and unique influences from different aging techniques.
