Experts selected these as the best spirits from Spring 2024

The John Barleycorn Awards Best of Spring 2024 results are in

By Georgina Torbet Published July 2, 2024

Special Occasion Liquor — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Spirits competitions are a mainstay of the industry, when professionals gather together to reach consensus on the best quality new releases. They can also be a great place to learn about new brands and to get a feeling for what spirits you might want to try at home, especially if you’re shopping online and aren’t able to taste samples in person. Recently, the John Barleycorn Awards announced its Best of Spring 2024 lineup, featuring the highest scoring entries from its competition.

Each high-scoring entry was blind tasted by a panel of professionals to select the best in each category. The awards have a focus on whiskey, with the following spirits selected as the best in their categories for Spring 2024:

Best Bourbon: Buzzard’s Roost Toasted American Oak Bourbon
Best Single Barrel Whiskey Bourbon/ Tennessee Whiskey: M&O Spirits Batch 27 Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
Best American Single Malt: Stranahan’s Sherry Cask
Best Rye Whiskey: Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey
Best Single Barrel Rye: King’s Family Distillery Toasted Amburana
Best American Whiskey: Jacob’s Pardon Small Batch #3
Best American Single Barrel Whiskey: Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey – Batch 101
Best World Whiskey: Rampur Jugalbandi #3
Best Tennessee Whiskey: Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old Whiskey, Batch 3
Best Wheat Whiskey: Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof A224
Best American Craft Spirit: Starlight Japanese Mizunara Finished Bourbon Whiskey
Best Scotch Whisky: The Glenlivet 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
Best Irish Whiskey: Redbreast 15 Year Old

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The competition does also cover other spirits though, so awards were also given for categories like best gin (Rampur Jaisalmer Gold Edition), best vodka (High Rock Vodka), and best mezcal (Gracias a Dios Mezcal Espadín). You can see a full list of the winners on the Barleycorn Awards website.

And if you’re curious about even more recommendations for award-winning whiskeys, then you might be interested in recent results from the 2024 International Whisky Competition as well.

Topics

Liquor, Beer, Wine & Drinks

Georgina Torbet

Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…

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