5 Of The World’s Best Whiskeys—According To New York International Spirits Competition

The New York International Spirits Competition recently announced its best-in-show winner, a newly released offering from an 18 Year Old American Straight Whiskey from Lasso Motel. Prior to that, the judges for the prestigious competition had bestowed a select few spirits—this year’s competition had 1400-plus submissions—with the sought after double gold medal. I recently began trying as many of these double gold medal whiskey award winners as I could get my hands on—some I tried for the first time, others are longtime favorites. Ultimately five of these double gold medal winners rose to the top of my rankings. So here are my favorite double gold medal whiskey winners from the 2024 New York International Spirits Competition.

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Brother’s Bond Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Price category: $41-70

Made from a mash bill of 51% corn, 39% Rye, 10% Malted Rye this bourbon is distilled at a single distillery during one season and aged for a minimum of seven years and uses non-chill filtration. I’m a fan of Brother’s Bond products overall and this one creates a nice blend of oak, caramel and vanilla notes.

Rittenhouse Rye

Price category: $41-$70

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-in-Bond is aged for at least 10 years and is a bartender’s favorite for mixing drinks. Its high 100-percent proof adds to its allure but while that booze does provide a bit of bite, it doesn’t take away from a nice balanced flavor with pretty intense rye notes. This has long been a personal favorite.

Ardbeg Whiskies, Uigeadail

Price category: $41-70

Uigeadail (pronounced ‘Oog-a-dal’) is the Gaelic word for a “a dark, mysterious place,” and this non-chill-filtered Islay scotch lives up to that name. It delivers the smoke and peat flavors one expects from Ardbeg, but in this offering that is paired with some sweetness and spice. A favorite of the Ardbeg Committee, Uigeadail gets its flavor from a vatting method that combines the smoke from ex-bourbon American oak casks and the raisin-like flavors imparted by ex-sherry Oloroso casks.

Garrison Brothers, Lady Bird

Price category: $101-plus

Lady Bird is a honey-infused bourbon that starts as a whiskey that is aged for years in American white oak casks that are then infused with Texas-grown wildflower honey. The resulting bourbon has the right mix of sweetness and booze. If you want a more conventional bourbon there are plenty of options from this Texas distillery that is no stranger to competition success. The American Distilling Institute named it Distillery of the Year in 2023 and this year its Cowboy Bourbon was awarded Platinum at the TAG Global Spirits Awards. The distillery also won a platinum award in the New York International Spirits Competition for its Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon.

Heaven’s Door, Revelation — Double Barrel Whiskey

Price category: $41-$70

Celebrity spirits brands get knocked on all the time but this brand from Bob Dylan, the unofficial patron saint of singer-songwriters, always delivers. Revelation is made from a blend of two different bourbons and one rye that are aged independently for at least five years before being blended and aged another 6-12 months in Tonnellerie Radoux barrels. That process creates a blended whiskey that is simultaneously balanced and fall of character. Like the lyrics to a good song, each sip stays with you.