The World’s Best Cask Finished Bourbon According To The NY World Spirits Competition

Three bourbon producers made the New York World Spirits Competition (NYWSC) World’s Best Cask Finished Bourbon final round. The finalists were all up-and-coming craft producers. Cask finished bourbons have surged in popularity over the last several years and are now available in a wide array of finishes. Below is a brief background and tasting notes on the three finalists.

Bhakta Spirits, 2014 Bourbon Finished in Armagnac Casks, 52.7% ABV, 750 ml, was the Best-in-Class Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon and Best Overall Bourbon.

Bhakta Spirits was founded by Raj Peter Bhakta in 2020 after he left WhistlePig, his previous rye whiskey company. The brand’s origin stems from Bhakta’s purchase of a chateau in the Armagnac region of France, where he acquired a rare collection of vintage Armagnacs dating back to 1868.

Bhakta Spirits is built on seeking out forgotten spirits and abandoned properties with overlooked quality and potential. The company focuses on rare, exquisite, and valuable spirits to revive overlooked spirits and decrepit farms.

While Bhakta Spirits initially focused on Armagnac, the company has expanded its portfolio to include other spirits like rum, bourbon, and rye whiskey. These new offerings are typically bottled as vintage-dated expressions. Increasingly, Bhakta is finding synergies between using casks from different spirits for innovative cask finishes and creating unique aroma and flavor profiles by blending liquids across different spirit categories.

The Bhakta Armagnac Cask finished bourbon presents a typical bourbon profile supplemented by Armagnac’s earthy and dried dark fruit notes. On the nose, the whiskey presents pronounced aromas of caramel, vanilla, dried dark fruits, especially prune, dark raisin, fig, and well-seasoned oak. It’s smooth, sweet, and robust on the palate. It has well-integrated alcohol and a pronounced mouth weight featuring pronounced vanilla, caramel, dark-dried fruit, and rye spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the bourbon as expressing “pronounced flavors of caramel and vanilla accompanied by dried fruit and rye spice notes.”

The bourbon offers a well-balanced profile of fruit and spice, harmoniously combining American bourbon sweetness with Armagnac’s nuanced, dark fruit and earth notes. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering dark fruit and spice notes.

15 Stars, Triple Cask II Straight Bourbon Finished in Cognac, Rum, and Apple Brandy Casks, 51.5% ABV, 750 ml was a finalist for Best Cask-Finished Bourbon.

15 Stars is a relatively new bourbon brand founded by Rick Johnson and his son Ricky Johnson. The company honors the history and tradition of American whiskey while embracing innovative production techniques. The name “15 Stars” pays homage to Kentucky’s historical significance as the 15th state to join the Union. The company has quickly established a stellar reputation for innovative cask finishes and is a perennial medal winner in international spirit competitions.

This expression is a blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbons aged 16 & 8 years, finished in Cognac, rum, and apple brandy casks. On the nose, it expresses a candied sweetness, along with stone and tropical fruits, especially cherries, plums, and bananas. The fruit aromas and the rye spices create notes of apple pie and warm banana bread. There are additional notes of caramel, hints of rum-laced molasses, and subtle rancio notes of old leather and furniture wax.

The palate features candied citrus zest, sweet caramel, creamy butterscotch, rye spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, dried fruits, roasted nuts, and herbal notes of dried tobacco leaf. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering orange zest, dried fruit, and oak notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the whiskey as expressing:

Baking spice, candied sugar, butterscotch, vanilla, and a hint of rum sweetness dominate the nose. The palate features orange marmalade and honeysuckle with layers of nutmeg and cinnamon. The finish shows vibrant citrus notes intertwined with molasses richness.

This bourbon offers a complex and well-balanced flavor profile, showcasing the influence of the various cask finishes. Combining different age statements and finishing casks contributes to its depth and richness, creating a unique and sophisticated sipping experience.

Barrell Bourbon, Cask Finish: Mizunara, 57.76% ABV, 750 ml was the other finalist for Best Cask Finished Bourbon.

Barrell Bourbon was founded by Joe Beatrice in 2012, with the first bottling released in early 2014. The company sources and creatively blends whiskeys and rums from various distilleries. In 2017, Tripp Stimson joined as Director of Distillery Operations. Barrell releases bourbon in batches, each with its own unique flavor profile, rather than aiming for consistency across releases.

The nose features complex and layered aromas of baking spices, dried fruits, vanilla, caramel, and hints of sandalwood and incense. It’s full-bodied, with an oily texture and a distinctive mouth weight. It features prominent oak, spices, dark chocolate, toasted nuts, and subtle hints of coconut and tropical fruits. The Mizunara oak contributes notes of sandalwood and exotic incense. The finish is long and slightly sweet, with lingering notes of caramel, sandalwood, vanilla, and faint hints of coconut and wood incense.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Barrell Bourbon as “floral and aromatic, with persistent vanilla and caramel notes and subtle sandalwood aromas.”

This Mizunara cask-finished bourbon offers a unique and complex flavor profile, showcasing the influence of this rare Japanese oak. The Mizunara cask imparts distinctive sandalwood and incense notes, complementing the bourbon’s traditional caramel and vanilla flavors. The result is a sophisticated and well-balanced whiskey that provides a unique tasting experience.

The NYWSC featured three outstanding finalists for Best-in-Class Cask Finished Bourbon. All three bourbons display unique aroma and flavor profiles that differ markedly from traditional bourbons. See the New York World Spirits Competition website for a complete list of the whiskey medalists.