The 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition delivered one of the strongest bourbon fields of the year.
At the IWSC's North American judging in Kentucky, 163 bourbons received medals, representing nearly half of all medal-winning spirits. Just 25 bourbons reached Gold or Gold Outstanding level, while judges repeatedly highlighted balance, integrated oak and drinkability.
IWSC scores spirits on a 100-point scale: Gold Outstanding is 98–100 points, Gold is 95–97 points, Silver is 90–94 points and Bronze is 85–89 points.
We've gone through the 2026 results and selected 15 award-winning bourbons worth knowing, from the competition's 99-point leader to bottles you can actually buy and open today.
Here are 15 award-winning bourbons from the 2026 IWSC worth putting on your radar.
1. Bardstown Bourbon Company Lochs of Jura Barrel 10 Year Bourbon Whiskey — 99 Points, Gold Outstanding
This was the headline bourbon result of the entire 2026 IWSC North American judging.
Bardstown Bourbon Company's Lochs of Jura Barrel 10 Year earned an exceptional 99 points and Gold Outstanding.
It was the highest-scoring spirit at the Kentucky judging and demonstrates just how far modern American whiskey producers are pushing cask maturation and finishing.
2026 IWSC Score: 99 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
Age: 10 Years
Country: USA
Why Buy It: The highest-scoring bourbon of the 2026 IWSC North American judging.
2. Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond 4 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding & Bourbon Trophy
Willett produced one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 competition.
Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond 4 Year earned 98 points, Gold Outstanding and went on to win the 2026 IWSC Bourbon Trophy.
The result is a reminder that age and price aren't everything. At just four years old, Old Bardstown outperformed numerous older and significantly more expensive bourbons.
2026 IWSC Score: 98 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
2026 IWSC Trophy: Bourbon Trophy
Age: 4 Years
Style: Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Why Buy It: The 2026 IWSC Bourbon Trophy winner and one of only two bourbons to reach Gold Outstanding.
3. Frey Ranch Inaugural Batch 1 10 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 97 Points, Gold
Frey Ranch delivered one of the strongest Gold Medal performances in the bourbon category.
Frey Ranch Inaugural Batch 1 10 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey earned 97 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
At 97 points, it sits immediately below the competition's Gold Outstanding threshold and represents one of the year's highest-rated American bourbons.
2026 IWSC Score: 97 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Age: 10 Years
Style: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: One of only a small group of bourbons to reach 97 points in 2026.
4. Kentucky Beau Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 97 Points, Gold
Heaven Hill's Kentucky Beau was another of the competition's highest-scoring Gold Medal bourbons.
Kentucky Beau Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey earned 97 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
That places it just one point below Gold Outstanding and among the strongest-performing bourbons in a field of more than 160 medal winners.
2026 IWSC Score: 97 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: A 97-point bourbon from one of Kentucky's most historic whiskey producers.
5. Whiskey Tree Wheated Bourbon Whiskey — 97 Points, Gold
Wheated bourbon also made an impression among the competition's highest scorers.
Seven Three Distilling's Whiskey Tree Wheated Bourbon Whiskey earned 97 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
Its result puts it alongside Frey Ranch and Kentucky Beau among the highest-scoring Gold Medal bourbons of the year.
2026 IWSC Score: 97 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Style: Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: One of the highest-rated wheated bourbons in the 2026 competition.
6. 15 STARS Kentucke County Straight 6 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 96 Points, Gold
15 STARS Kentucke County Straight 6 Year earned 96 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
Its six-year age statement puts it between youthful everyday bourbon and older collector-focused releases, while the 96-point score places it firmly among the competition's strongest Gold Medal performers.
2026 IWSC Score: 96 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Age: 6 Years
Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: A 96-point Gold winner from an increasingly interesting American whiskey producer.
7. Four Roses Small Batch Select Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
One of the most useful results of the competition came from a bourbon you can actually open and enjoy rather than simply admire on a shelf.
Four Roses Small Batch Select earned 95 points and a Gold Medal at the 2026 IWSC.
Bottled at 104 proof, Small Batch Select combines six Four Roses bourbon recipes and delivers the fruit-and-spice character that makes the distillery distinctive.
Expect red fruit, vanilla, apricot, baking spice and oak, with enough proof to give everything structure.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Proof: 104
Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: A genuinely accessible 2026 IWSC Gold-winning bourbon with serious enthusiast credentials.
Shop Four Roses Small Batch Select at Blackwell's →
8. Rabbit Hole Dareringer PX Sherry Cask Bourbon — 95 Points, Gold
Dareringer is where Kentucky bourbon and Pedro Ximénez Sherry meet.
Rabbit Hole Dareringer earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
The judges highlighted its rich Sherry aroma, nutty sweetness, caramel spice and full, mouth-coating palate, followed by a balanced finish with lingering bourbon warmth.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Style: PX Sherry Cask-Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Why Buy It: A Gold-winning finished bourbon that combines Kentucky character with rich Sherry-cask influence.
9. W.L. Weller Antique 107 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
Weller remains one of the most searched-for names in American bourbon, but its 2026 performance gives buyers something more substantial than scarcity to talk about.
W.L. Weller Antique 107 earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
Antique 107 combines Buffalo Trace's wheated bourbon recipe with a considerably more assertive 107-proof presentation, bringing caramel, vanilla and fruit together with additional weight and spice.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Proof: 107
Style: Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Why Buy It: A 95-point Gold winner for drinkers who want the Weller profile with considerably more intensity.
10. W.L. Weller Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
Weller scored twice at Gold level in the 2026 judging.
W.L. Weller Full Proof earned 95 points and a Gold Medal.
Bottled at 114 proof, Full Proof amplifies the rich caramel, dark fruit, vanilla and oak character associated with the Weller wheated bourbon style.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Proof: 114
Style: Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Why Buy It: One of the most powerful Gold-winning expressions of Buffalo Trace's wheated bourbon recipe.
11. Rabbit Hole Raceking Five Grain Double Chocolate Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
Rabbit Hole had more than one Gold Medal bourbon in the 2026 results.
Raceking Five Grain Double Chocolate Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey earned 95 points and Gold.
Its five-grain recipe gives Rabbit Hole another route into bourbon beyond the Sherry-finished character of Dareringer.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Style: Five-Grain Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: An unconventional grain recipe backed by a 95-point IWSC Gold Medal.
12. Redemption Bonded Single Barrel 6 Year Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
Redemption Bonded Single Barrel 6 Year Bourbon earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
The six-year age statement, bonded presentation and single-barrel format make this an interesting combination of traditional American whiskey standards and barrel-specific character.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Age: 6 Years
Style: Bonded Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: A 95-point Gold winner combining age, proof and single-barrel individuality.
13. Redemption Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
Redemption's standard Straight Bourbon also performed exceptionally well.
Redemption Straight Bourbon Whiskey earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
Its presence alongside the Bonded Single Barrel demonstrates that the producer's success wasn't limited to one special release.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Style: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: A straightforward 95-point Gold Medal bourbon without relying on an extreme age statement or elaborate finish.
14. Belle Meade Reserve 11 Year Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
Belle Meade Reserve 11 Year Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
Eleven years of maturation and cask-strength bottling put this firmly into the richer, more concentrated end of American bourbon.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Age: 11 Years
Style: Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
Why Buy It: Mature, high-proof bourbon backed by a 95-point Gold Medal.
15. Larceny Barrel Proof C925 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
We finish with another strong showing for wheated bourbon.
Larceny Barrel Proof C925 earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
Larceny Barrel Proof takes Heaven Hill's wheated bourbon profile and presents it without reducing it to standard bottling strength, creating substantially more concentration and intensity.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Style: Barrel Proof Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Why Buy It: A high-proof, 95-point Gold Medal alternative for fans of wheated bourbon.
What Did the 2026 IWSC Bourbon Results Tell Us?
The sheer depth of the category may be the most impressive part of the 2026 results.
A total of 163 bourbons received medals, with 25 reaching Gold or Gold Outstanding.
Only two bourbons reached the competition's highest medal tier. Bardstown Bourbon Company's Lochs of Jura Barrel 10 Year scored 99 points, while Willett's Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond 4 Year scored 98 points.
The results also demonstrate that age alone wasn't driving the judging. A four-year-old Bottled-in-Bond bourbon reached 98 points and ultimately won the Bourbon Trophy, while several significantly older bourbons finished lower in the medal table.
Four Roses, W.L. Weller and Rabbit Hole also delivered multiple strong results, helping each producer earn a place on the 2026 IWSC Bourbon Producer Trophy shortlist.
How Does IWSC Score Bourbon?
IWSC spirits are evaluated through blind tasting, removing branding, packaging and price from the initial assessment.
- Gold Outstanding: 98–100 points
- Gold: 95–97 points
- Silver: 90–94 points
- Bronze: 85–89 points
That distinction is useful when comparing bottles. A Gold Medal doesn't necessarily mean 97 points: Four Roses Small Batch Select, Weller Antique 107, Weller Full Proof and Rabbit Hole Dareringer all earned Gold with 95 points, while Frey Ranch 10 Year, Kentucky Beau and Whiskey Tree Wheated Bourbon reached 97 points.
Which 2026 IWSC Bourbon Should You Buy?
The results offer several very different ways into award-winning bourbon.
At the very top, Bardstown Bourbon Company's Lochs of Jura 10 Year and Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond produced the two Gold Outstanding results of the year.
For something considerably easier to buy and actually open, Four Roses Small Batch Select is particularly compelling. It earned 95 points and Gold while remaining a bourbon that doesn't have to be treated like a museum piece.
Fans of wheated bourbon should pay particular attention to the strong performances from W.L. Weller, Whiskey Tree and Larceny, while Rabbit Hole's results show what can happen when producers push bourbon in less conventional directions.
An IWSC medal shouldn't dictate what you enjoy, but the scores provide a useful independent data point when deciding which bottle deserves a place on your bar.
Shop Award-Winning Bourbon at Blackwell's
Blackwell's Wines & Spirits has been helping customers discover great whiskey since 2004, with stores in San Francisco and San Rafael and a continually changing selection of Kentucky bourbon, allocated releases, single barrels and limited editions.
One of the standout 2026 IWSC Gold winners is currently available directly from Blackwell's:
Four Roses Small Batch Select — 95 Points, Gold →
Shop the Blackwell's Bourbon Collection →
Availability changes quickly, especially with allocated and limited-release bourbon. Individual product links above are included only where current Blackwell's availability could be verified.
