Best American Whiskeys Announced at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

G. Clay Whittaker
·3 min read
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The San Francisco World Spirits Competition has chosen the best American whiskeys of 2023, and if you’re looking for a new bottle, you’ll want to take some cues from their list.

Each year, judges at the SFWSC blind taste and rate hundreds of spirits, then bestow a range of medals and honorable mentions. The top honor is double gold—essentially the fullest-throated argument for you to buy and try the liquid inside.

Related: The Best American Single Malt Whiskeys of 2023

A short list of finalists are selected from the double gold pool to compete for “Best in Show” in their respective categories (if you see any categories with just one bottle named below, they’ve already won by default).

The American whiskey category excludes the popular bourbon and rye categories, so you may not have heard of some of these bottles if you’re a purist. But the categories shouldn’t be too unfamiliar—they include:

  • Tennessee Whiskey

  • Wheat Whiskey

  • Special Barrel Finish Whiskey

  • Corn Whiskey

  • American Blended Whiskey

  • American Single Malt Whiskey

These whiskeys push boundaries and the potential of whiskey beyond boring rules that stunt experimentation. The below bottles represent the best of the best. If you want to know what the trendsetters are drinking, these bottles are how you’ll catch up.

The Best American Whiskeys From the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Tennessee Whiskey

  • Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey

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  • Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-OId Tennessee Whiskey

  • Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old Batch 2

Wheat Whisk(e)y

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  • Bainbridge Battle Point Barrel Proof

Special Barrel-Finished Whiskey

  • Art of Spirits Whiskey-Cask Strength "Final Run" BouRye finished in a Rum Cask (Finalist)

  • Barrell Dovetail

  • Breckenridge Distillery Breckenridge XO Cognac Cask Finish Whiskey

  • Courage & Conviction Sherry Cask American Single Malt Whisky (Finalist)

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  • Found North 17yr Cask Strength PX Sherry Finish

  • Liberty & Plenty Distillery Bronze Bull Spirits Rye Whiskey Finished in Sherry Barrel (Finalist)

  • New Riff Kentucky Straight Malted Sherry and Jaqueira Cask Finished Rye ReserveBar (Finalist)

  • The Whiskey Blendery “Applejacked”

  • Traverse City Whiskey Co. Finishing Series: Sherry Barrel

  • Western Reserve Distillers 20 Year Sherry Cask Finished Rye

Other Whisk(e)y

  • Rare Character Exceptional 9 Year Kentucky Straight Malt – Selected by Gordon’s (Finalist)

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  • Whiskey JYSPI Legacy Batch 001

  • WhistlePig The Beholden Single Malt Whiskey

Corn Whisk(e)y

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  • Heaven Hill 2nd Edition Corn Whiskey

American Blended Whiskey

  • Breckenridge Distillery Two Clans Blended Whiskey (Finalist)

  • High Bank Distillery Co. – Whiskey War Whiskey War Double Double Oaked (Finalist)

  • High Bank Distillery Co. – Whiskey War Whiskey War Double Oaked

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  • High Bank Distillery Co. – Whiskey War Whiskey War Barrel Proof

  • High Bank Distillery Co. – Whiskey War Midnight Cask Barrel Proof

  • High Bank Distillery Co. – Whiskey War Barrel Select Whiskey War Barrel Select – Double Double Pinot Noir (Finalist)

American Single Malt Whiskey

  • Proof and Wood The Cabinet

  • ASW Distillery Space Hide Single Malt Whiskey

  • ASW Distillery Red X Single Malt Whiskey (Finalist)

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  • Boulder Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey – The Trailhead

  • Cedar Ridge Distillery The QuintEssential Batch 010 (Finalist)

  • Courage & Conviction Cuvée Single Cask American Single Malt Whisky

  • Harbormaster American Single Malt Whiskey

  • Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release American Single Malt

  • Lost Lantern Gentle Giant (Finalist)

  • Balcones Distilling Texas Single Malt (Finalist)

  • Lost Woods Whiskey 88

  • Macklowe Whiskey The Macklowe, American Single Malt

  • Pacific Coast Spirits American Single Malt (Finalist)

  • Stranahan’s Blue Peak

  • Stranahan’s Diamond Peak

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  • Tenmile Distillery Little Rest American Single Malt Whisky

  • Triple Eight Distillery The Notch Nantucket Island Single Malt Whisky

  • Triple Eight Distillery The Notch Nantucket Island Single Malt Whisky 12 years old

  • Triple Eight Distillery The Notch Nantucket Island Single Malt Whisky 8 years old

  • Westland Distillery Solum Edition 1

See more results from the 2023 San Francisco Spirits Competition

Related: Best World Whiskeys of 2023 Announced at Spirits Competition

Related: Best Rye Whiskeys Revealed: 2023 SF World Spirits Competition

Related: Best Bourbon Whiskeys 2023: SF World Spirits Competition

Related: Best Tequila, Mezcal From 2023 SF World Spirits Competition

Related: Best Scotch Whiskies From 2023 SF World Spirits Competition