2025 World Whiskies Awards: The Best Non-Kentucky Bourbon

The 2025 World Whiskies Awards USA recently announced, honoring top whiskeys from across the United States, including several non-Kentucky bourbons. These whiskeys showcase exceptional craftsmanship, proving that high-quality bourbon is not limited by geography. Here are some of the standout non-Kentucky bourbon winners:

1. **Old Elk High Malt Straight Bourbon**: From Colorado, Old Elk is known for its unique malt recipe, using four times the traditional amount of malted barley. It offers sweet vanilla, caramel, and spice flavors, with a nuanced complexity that highlights its innovative spirit.

2. **Boulder Spirits 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon**: This small-batch bourbon from Colorado's Boulder Spirits is distilled using traditional Scottish copper pot stills and aged for seven years in new American oak barrels. It boasts rich flavors of candy, caramel, and almond oil, earning it the title of 'World's Best Small Batch Bourbon.'

3. **Highline Double Oaked Bourbon**: From Michigan, Highline Spirits focuses on exploration. This double-oaked bourbon undergoes secondary aging in French oak barrels, delivering smooth caramel and vanilla notes with a unique structure and depth.

4. **Tumblin’ Dice Single Barrel Bourbon**: Produced by Proof & Wood, this single-barrel bourbon uses a high-rye recipe, distilled in Indiana and aged in new charred oak barrels. It features bold spice flavors and was named the best non-Kentucky single-barrel bourbon.

These award-winning whiskeys not only highlight the innovation and craftsmanship of distillers across the U.S. but also offer whiskey enthusiasts a wider range of choices.

2025-03-07

Source: https://thewhiskeywash.com/whiskey-awards-ml/the-best-non-kentucky-bourbon-according-to-the-world-whiskies-awards-usa-2025/