The World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon According To The NY World Spirits Competition

Three iconic bourbon producers made the 2024 New York World Spirits Competition (NYWSC) final round for Best-in-Class Small Batch Bourbon. The three, all small craft producers, have an enviable record in international spirit competitions and are perennial Gold medalists. Below is a brief background on the brands, along with tasting notes.

Rabbit Hole Distillery, Heigold Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 47.5% ABV, 750 ml, was the Best-in-Class Small Batch Bourbon 10 Years and Younger.

Rabbit Hole Distillery was founded in 2012 by Kaveh Zamanian, an Iranian-born Ph.D. psychologist who transitioned from a successful career in clinical psychology to pursue his passion for bourbon. Located in Louisville’s trendy NuLu neighborhood, the distillery opened in 2018 and has rapidly gained a reputation for innovative bourbon-making. French beverage giant Pernod-Ricard acquired a majority stake in Rabbit Hole Distillery in June 2019.

Zamanian’s vision was to challenge the status quo in the bourbon industry by creating innovative whiskeys with unique mash bills while honoring traditional techniques. The distillery operates 24/7, producing whiskeys from grain to glass, and sources its barrels exclusively from family-owned Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville.

Heigold is Rabbit Hole’s high-rye double-malt bourbon. The distillery uses a unique mash bill for its Heigold High Rye Bourbon, consisting of 70% corn, 25% malted German rye, and 5% malted barley.

The malted rye adds a more pronounced spicy character to the whiskey, which is more refined and complex than unmalted rye. It has more pronounced black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove flavors. It also enhances the earthy, woody, and herbal undertones of dried herbs, anise, and eucalyptus.

The malting process also adds a unique sweetness, typically described as honeyed, biscuity, or cereal-like. The malty sweetness softens the spicy, earthy characteristics, adding balance and roundness to the whiskey. It also brings out flavors of toasted nuts and rye bread. Malting enhances esters in the rye, producing lighter fruity notes of apple, pear, and even citrus zest.

Finally, malted rye contributes to a smoother, creamier mouthfeel and fuller texture in whiskey, enhancing complexity.

The nose features aromas of baking spices, stone fruits, toasted nuts and almonds, and hints of vanilla and caramel.

The palate is robust, bold, sweet, and spicy, typical of high rye mash bill whiskeys. It features spice notes of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cumin, vanilla, herbal notes of dried tobacco leaf, well-seasoned oak, and subtle honey undertones.

The finish is long and sweet, with lingering spice, well-seasoned oak, and hints of mint and allspice notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Heigold Kentucky Straight Bourbon as featuring “butterscotch, toasted malt, and baking spices.”

Peg Leg Porker Spirits, Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey 12 YO Black Label, 46.35% ABV, 750 ml, was the Best-in-Class Small Batch Bourbon 11 Years and Older.

Carey Bringle, a renowned pitmaster and barbecue expert from Nashville, Tennessee, founded Peg Leg Porker Spirits. Bringle, who lost a leg to cancer in high school, turned his passion for barbecue and bourbon into a successful business venture. He launched Peg Leg Porker Spirits in 2013, becoming the first pitmaster in the US to establish a bourbon brand.

The whiskey is complex and robust on the nose, featuring pronounced caramel, vanilla, charred oak, cold smoke, and savory hints of pickle brine. The palate is sweet and creamy, featuring vanilla, caramel, tropical fruit notes of banana, toasted nuts, buttered popcorn, seasoned oak, and black pepper. The smoke is more intense on the palate than on the nose.

The finish is long and sweet, with prominent oak wood and lingering spice notes. Without question, this is a whiskey that will invoke memories of a roadside barbecue pit.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the whisky as featuring “caramel, oak, and vanilla notes wrapped around a distinctive cold smoke.”

15 Stars, Platinum Straight Bourbon, 49% ABV, 750 ml, was also a finalist.

15 Stars is a relatively new distillery founded in 2021 by Rick Johnson and his son Ricky Johnson. The company aims to honor 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.

Despite being a newcomer, 15 Stars has quickly gained recognition in the whiskey world. Their Sherry Cask bourbon was crowned “World’s Best Bourbon” at the 2023 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, catapulting the distillery into the spotlight.

This expression is a blend of 10, 15, and 18 YO bourbons sourced from undisclosed distilleries in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.

The nose is very aromatic, with sweet aromas of toffee/butterscotch, salted caramel, chocolate syrup, pronounced vanilla, and baking spices of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.

It’s robust on the palate, with a pronounced mouth weight and a viscous, oily texture. It features a distinctive but well-integrated backbone of seasoned oak, baking spices, caramel and butterscotch sweetness, crème brûlée, and vegetative notes of anise/licorice.

The finish is long and sweet, with prominent oak notes, creamy custard/crème brûlée, coffee, cocoa, and cherry candy.

This bourbon offers a complex and well-balanced flavor profile, showcasing the distillery’s innovative approach to whiskey-making. The blend of different age statements contributes to its depth and richness, while the lower bottling proof makes it approachable without sacrificing complexity.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the 15 Stars bourbon as expressing:

Maple syrup, peanut brittle, candied orange, and lavender on the nose. The palate offers ginger, allspice, and honeycomb, complementing a smooth background of aged leather and seasoned oak. The finish features herbal spice, a long-lasting cigar box aroma, and a leather note.

The 2024 NYWSC highlighted some outstanding small-batch bourbons. These bourbons are readily available and very reasonably priced. All are worth pursuing. See the New York World Spirits Competition website for a complete list of the bourbon medalists. For additional information on outstanding small batch bourbons see also The Top Craft Bourbons from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.