BourbonBlog.com is just returning from the 9th Annual Craft Distilling Conference in Louisville, Kentucky where American Distilling Institute 6th Annual Judging of Artisan American Spirits took place. Hundreds of craft distillers from across the country came to learn, share, network and taste each other’s spirits with a focus on whiskey and rum.
The photo of the table you’re looking at above represents a number of the craft distillers who attended and we’ll be publishing more from the conference here soon.
Here are the winners of the 6th Annual Judging of Artisan American Spirits. BourbonBlog.com recommends you check these out and also support craft distillers based near you!
Bubble Cup Award — Distillery of the Year
Peach Street Distillers, Palisade, Colorado
Best of Class
Artisan Distilled Whiskey
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon
Brandy
Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery – Jepson Old Stock Brandy
Rum
Turkey Shore Distilleries – Old Ipswich Tavern Style Rum
Artisan Merchant Bottled
Smooth Ambler Spirits Co – Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Excellence in Packaging
Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Brandy
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WHISKEY
Clear Whiskey:
Silver Medal
Copper Fox Distillery – Wasmund’s Rye Spirit
Deerhammer Distilling Company – Whitewater Whiskey
Tennessee Distilling Company – Collier and McKeel Charcoal Mellowed White Dog
Dark Horse Distillery – Long Shot White Whiskey
Bronze Medal
High West Distillery – High West Silver Whiskey – OMG Pure Rye
Finger Lakes Distillery – White Pike Whiskey
Corn Whiskey
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Limestone Branch Distillery – T.J. Pottinger Moon*Shine
Silver Medal
Asheville Distilling Company – Troy & Sons Moonshine
Colorado Gold Distillery – Colorado’s Own Corn Whiskey
Dark Corner Distillery – Moonshine Corn Whiskey
Bronze Medal
Balcones Distillery – Balcones True Blue
Kings County Distillery – Kings County Moonshine
Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery – Corn Whiskey
Pinchgut Hollow Distillery – Corn Shine
BOURBON
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon
Silver Medal
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Nashville Bourbon
Tuthilltown Spirits – Hudson Whiskey Four Grain Bourbon
Bronze Medal
Kings County Distillery – Kings County Bourbon
Tuthilltown Spirits – Hudson Baby Bourbon
STRAIGHT BOURBON
Silver Medal, Best of Category
Colorado Gold Distillery – Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Silver Medal
Ballast Point Spirits – Devil’s Share Whiskey
Bronze Medal
Peach Street Distillers – Colorado Straight Bourbon
MALT WHISKY
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Golden Distillery – Samish Bay Single Malt Whiskey
Silver Medal
Golden Distillery – Samish Bay Whiskey Reserve
Rogue Ales & Spirits – Oregon Single Malt Whiskey
Bronze Medal
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Pils American Malt Whiskey
New Holland Artisan Spirits – Double Down Barley
Rogue Ales & Spirits – Dead Guy Whiskey
Darek Bell, Owner of Corsair Artisan Distillery, with one of the many ADI Awards Corsair along with BourbonBlog.com's Tom Fischer
STRAIGHT MALT WHISKEY
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Ballast Point Spirits – Devil’s Share Whiskey
Silver Medal
Edgefield D
istillery – Hogshead Whiskey
New Holland Artisan Spirits – Zeppelin Bend
RYE WHISKEY
Silver Medal, Best of Category
Breuckelen Distilling – 77 Whiskey
Silver Medal
1512 Spirits – Aged Rye Whiskey
Corsair Artisan
Distillery – 100% Rye
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Ryemageddon
NON-TYPICAL WHISKEY
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Balcones Distillery – ‘1’ Texas Single Malt
Gold Medal
1512 Spirits – Signature Poitin
Silver Medal
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Oatmeal Stout Whiskey
Corsair Artisan Distillery – PreProhibition American Malt Whiskey
Florida Farm Distillers – Palm Ridge Reserve
Koval Distillery – Lion’s Pride, 47th Ward Whiskey
Old Sugar Distillery – Queen Jennie Sorghum Whiskey
Glacier Distilling Company – Wheatfish Whiskey
Bronze Medal
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Quinoa & Barley Whiskey
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Triticale & Barley Whiskey
Koval Distillery – Lion’s Pride Millet Whiskey
Middle West Spirits – OYO Whiskey
SMOKED WHISKEY
Silver Medal, Best of Category
Balcones Distillery – Brimstone
Silver Medal
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Oak Smoked Wheat Whiskey
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Cherrywood Smoke
Bronze Medal
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Triple Smoke
Square One Brewery & Distillery – JJ Neukomm Malt whiskey
HOPPED WHISKEY
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Citra Whiskey
Silver Medal
Spirits of St. Louis – Hopskey
Bronze Medal
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Elderflower Bohemian Whiskey
FLAVORED WHISKEY
Bronze Medal
Corsair Artisan Distillery – Old Punk
Artisan Merchant Bottled Whiskey
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Smooth Ambler Spirits Co – Old Scout Bourbon Whiskey
Gold Medal
Bull Run Distillery – Temperance Trader Bourbon
Bronze Medal
Great Lakes Distillery, LLC – Kinnickinnic Whiskey
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BRANDY
Eaux de Vie:
Silver Medal, Best of Category
Clear Creek Distillery – Eau de Vie of Blue Plum (Slivovitz)
Bronze Medal
Westford Hill Distillers, LLC – Kirsch Eau de Vie
Peach Street Distillers – Jack and Jenny Peach Eau de Vie
Aged Fruit Brandies:
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Peach Street Distillers – Peach Brandy
Silver Medal
Peach Street Distillers – Pear Brandy
Bronze Medal
Harvest Spirits LLC – Rare Pear Brandy
Apple Brandy:
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Westford Hill Distillers, LLC – New World Aged Apple Brandy
Silver Medal
Clear Creek Distillery – 8 year. Eau de Vie de Pomme (apple)
Colorado Gold Distillery – Colorado Gold Brandy
Bronze Medal
Carolina Distillery LLC – Carriage House Apple Brandy
Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Apple Brandy
Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Apple Jack
Grappa:
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Clear Creek Distillery – Grappa Muscat
Gold Medal
Clear Creek Distillery – Grappa Nebbiolo
Bronze Medal
Flag Hill Distillery – Graham’s Grappa
Brandy from Grapes:
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery – Jepson Old Stock Brandy
Silver Medal
Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery – Jepson Signature Reserve Brandy
Dakota Spirits Distillery – Bickering Brothers Neutral Brandy
Fruit Infusion:
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Sidetrack Distillery – Raspberry Liqueur
Gold Medal
Clear Creek Distillery – Liqueur of Oregon Cranberries
Silver Medal
Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Black Raspberry Infusion
Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Raspberry Infusion
Clear Creek Distillery – Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir
Bloomery Plantation Distillery – Cello Cremma Lemma
Bronze Medal
Clear Creek Distillery – Liqueur of Oregon Cassis (Creme de Cassis)
Harvest Spirits LLC – Core Black Raspberry
Apollo Fine Spirits – Queen Esther Sweet Fire Liqueur
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RUM
Clear Rum:
Silver Medal, Best of Category
Ballast Point Spirits – Three Sheets White Rum
Silver Medal
New Deal Distillery – Distiller’s Workshop Rum
Bronze Medal
Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. – Dancing Pines Rum
Bull Run Distillery – Pacific Rum
Turkey Shore Distilleries – Old Ipswich White Cap Rum
Amber Rum:
Gold Medal, Best of Category
Turkey Shore Distilleries – Old Ipswich Tavern Style Rum
Silver Medal
Desert Diamond Distillery – Gold Miner Spirits Barrel Reserve Rum
Ryan and Wood Distillery – Folly Cove Rum
Bronze Medal
Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. — Cask Barrel Aged Rum
Rogue Ales & Spirits – Dark Rum
New Deal Distillery – Distiller’s Workshop Rum, Amber
Old Sugar Distillery – Cane and Abe Freshwater Rum
Overproof Rum:
Silver Medal, Best of Category
Barrel House Distilling Co. – Oak Rum
Silver Medal
Privateer Rum – Privateer True American Rum
Flavored Rum:
Silver Medal, Best of Category
Dogfish Head – Brown Honey Rum
Silver Medal
Duncan’s Idea Mill, LLC – Dunc’s Mill – Elderflower
Spiced Rum:
Silver Medal, Best of Category
Dancing Pines Distillery, LLC. – Spice Flavored Rum
Artisan Merchant Bottled Rum
Silver Medal
New Holland Artisan Spirits – Huron Rum
Bronze Medal
Firefly Distillery – Sea Island, Java
Firefly Distillery – Sea Island, Spice
Spirit of Texas – Pecan Street Rum
Special thanks to American Distilling Institute (ADI), ADI President Bill Owens, Andrew Faulkner Judging Director and Staff Photographer at ADI, Leah Hutchinson ADI Conference and Advertising Director, Amber Hasselbring, Assistant to the President at ADI, Huber’s Starlight Distillery at Huber’s Orchard, Winery & Vineyards in Borden, IN for hosting us, and all the distillers and friends we met along the way!
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