The World’s Best Straight Bourbon From The NY World Spirits Competition

The 2024 New York World Spirits Competition (NYWSC) is a prestigious event that attracts top spirits worldwide. Three straight bourbon whiskeys made the final round for the Best-in-Class Straight Bourbon. All three were Sazerac/Buffalo Trace-produced brands, compelling proof of Sazerac’s current and growing dominance of the American whiskey landscape. Below is a brief background on the brands, along with tasting notes.

1792, Bottled-in-Bond (BiB) Straight Bourbon, 50% ABV, 750 ml, was the Best-in-Class Straight Bourbon, a prestigious award that recognizes the highest quality and best representation of the straight bourbon category in the competition.

The 1792 BiB is a limited-edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a rare and exclusive offering from Sazerac’s Barton 1792 Distillery. It has been an annual autumn release since 2017. Sazerac’s does not disclose the mash bill, but it’s believed to be around 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley.

This expression adheres to the strict requirements of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship of making this bourbon. The act mandates that the whiskey must be the product of one distillation season, aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years, and bottled at exactly 100 proof/50% ABV.

The nose presents a complex bouquet with a unique blend of rye spice, vanilla, and caramel notes. There are also subtle hints of charred oak and fresh mint. Surprisingly, and adding to its intrigue, the nose is light, lacking the pronounced spirity notes expected from a 50% ABV bourbon.

The whiskey offers a bold and spicy entry on the palate, with pronounced cinnamon and clove notes, followed by caramel, ripe apple, dried fruit, black pepper, charred oak, fresh mint, and hints of coffee and furniture wax. The medium-length finish has lingering seasoned oak, caramel, and anise/licorice notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the bourbon as featuring:

Aromas of caramel and vanilla, complemented by flavors of dried fruit, caramel/butterscotch, and baking spices of cinnamon and clove.

Also making the final round is 1792, Full Proof Straight Bourbon, 62.5% ABV, 750 ml.

The 1792 Full Proof Straight Bourbon is a high-proof expression of the 1792 BiB described above.

The bourbon is very aromatic on the nose, offering an intense and layered complexity. It features vanilla, caramel, citrus notes, especially orange, vegetative notes of fresh mint and anise/licorice, charred oak, and roasted nuts.

It’s robust and flavorful, with a viscous texture and a pronounced mouth weight on the palate. The bourbon features pronounced vanilla and caramel flavors, spicy rye notes of cinnamon and clove, charred oak, ripe apple, dried fruit, fresh citrus zest, coffee, cocoa, and black pepper. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering smoky/charred oak, cinnamon, cocoa, and caramel apple.

The 1792 Full Proof offers a powerful and complex bourbon experience. Its high proof is unmistakable but well-integrated, allowing the rich flavors to shine. The bourbon combines sweet and spicy notes, with the rye content providing a robust spicy backbone that complements the traditional bourbon sweetness.

The absence of chill-filtering contributes to its full-bodied mouthfeel, palate weight, and rich flavor profile. While it’s a high-proof bourbon, it remains approachable, making it suitable as a sipper, both neat or on the rocks, and as a bold base for cocktails.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the 1792 Full Proof as expressing “vanilla, caramel, toasted oak, and hints of dried dark fruit.”

George T. Stagg, Straight Bourbon, 65.5% ABV, 750 ml, was the third finalist.

George T. Stagg Straight Bourbon is an iconic and highly sought-after expression from Buffalo Trace Distillery. It’s named after George T Stagg, a pivotal figure in American whiskey history. He was born in 1835 and was a talented whiskey salesman who became a partner with Colonel Edmund Haines Taylor, Jr. and eventually owned the historic O.F.C. (Old Fire Copper) Distillery, now known as Buffalo Trace Distillery.

This bourbon is part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC), a series of limited-release, highly sought-after whiskeys. It utilizes Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #1. The makeup of the mash bill is not disclosed but is generally believed to consist of 75%-80% corn, 10% or less rye, and 10%-15% malted barley. It’s aged for at least 15 years in new charred oak barrels, bottled uncut and unfiltered, and typically released at barrel proof, 130 proof/65% ABV or more.

George T. Stagg is an incredibly complex and flavorful whiskey. The nose features red fruits and cherries, orange and lime zest, with hints of orange oil, candied pecans, butterscotch, burnt sugar, bread dough and cola.

The whiskey is incredibly aromatic and robust on the palate, with an oily, viscous texture and a pronounced mouth weight. It has a candied sweetness and features maple syrup, caramel, burnt sugar, dark chocolate, creamy custard/crème brûlée, seasoned oak, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg baking spices.

The finish is exceptionally long, complex, and sweet, with lingering notes of old leather, dried dark fruits, candied walnuts, cinnamon, clove, and cherry kirsch.

George T. Stagg Straight Bourbon is known for its robust flavor profile, high proof, and exceptional quality. Despite its high alcohol content, the whiskey is presents well-integrated alcohol, allowing the complex flavors to shine through. A perennial Gold Medal winner, it consistently receives high praise from critics and is considered one of the world’s most collectible whiskeys.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Stagg Straight Bourbon as expressing:

A blend of dark chocolate, leather, and tobacco on the nose with flavors of ripe cherries, molasses, and charred oak on the palate.

The 2024 NYWSC featured some remarkable bourbons. Although well-known and widely available, these whiskeys deserve a second look. The George T. Stagg has developed a cult following and typically sells at a substantial premium to its list price. However, the 1792 bourbon, both the BiB and Full Proof versions, usually sell for around $50. That’s an outstanding price for arguably one of the world’s best bourbons.

See the New York World Spirits Competition website for a complete list of the bourbon medalists.