Each year the Texas Whiskey Festival hosts a competition to determine who has the best Texas Bourbon, Rye, and Malt Whiskey.
With a panel of judges, we conduct the competition with a method known as blind judging. The brands and specific whiskeys they are tasting are unknown to the judges. Our panel of judges smell and taste their way through each whiskey, rating the aroma, taste complexity, and finish.
Bourbon: Grain to Glass
Garrison Brothers Balmorhea Texas Straight Bourbon
Silver Star Spirits 1849 Straight Bourbon
Balcones Distilling Texas Pot Still Bourbon
Bourbon: Aged and Bottled in Texas
Rebecca Creek 10 year Straight Bourbon
Milam and Greene Triple Cask Straight Bourbon
Iron Wolf Ranch and Distillery Select Bourbon
Rye Whiskey: Grain to Glass
Balcones Distilling Texas Rye 100
Gulf Coast Distilling Giant Rye 100
Ranger Creek Distilling .44 Texas Rye
Rye Whiskey: Aged and Bottled in Texas
Treaty Oak Distilling Schenley Reserve Rye
Yellow Rose Distilling Rye
Oak & Eden Rye & Spire
Malt Whiskey: Grain to Glass
Ranger Creek Distilling Rimfire Mesquite Smoked Single Malt
Andalusia Whiskey Co. Stryker Smoked Single Malt
Balcones Distilling Lineage Single Malt
Other Whiskeys: includes whiskeys aged in used barrels, blended whiskey, and light whiskey.
Austin 101 Light Whiskey (made grain to glass in Texas)
Remington Family Distillers Remington Revival
Rebecca Creek Small Batch
These are their winners, but remember the best whiskey is the one you like.
Thank you to the Crowded Barrel Whiskey Co for hosting us. A big thank you to our talented judges.
Marianne Eaves, KY’s First Female Master Distiller, Founder of Eaves, LLC Whisk(e)y and Spirits Consulting and Curator of Eaves Blind.
Gabrielle Pharms, Veteran journalist with bylines in/on Bourbon Plus, Whisky Advocate, Imbibe Magazine, UPROXX, and more.
Tom Koerner the former Spirit Guide and General Manager of Seven Grand Whiskey Bar and Las Perlas Mezcaleria, Current Brand Ambassador for Mezcal Unión
