Every year, the Worldwide Spirits Problem (ISC) brings collectively a panel of skilled judges to guage 1000’s of entries from throughout the globe. Now in its thirtieth 12 months, the ISC stays one of the crucial revered blind tasting competitions within the business, recognizing craftsmanship, steadiness, and consistency on the highest stage. This text focuses on a single class from the 2025 awards: Straight Bourbon.
These American whiskeys kind the spine of the bourbon world. Inside this class, a choose few bottles stood out, incomes both Gold or the even rarer Double Gold medals.
So, let’s check out the world’s greatest straight bourbon in line with the Worldwide Spirits Problem 2025. We are going to talk about manufacturing, tasting notes, and pricing, serving to you to determine which of those award-winning bourbons is best for you.
Barton 1792 Distillery: A Masterclass in Model and Power
Barton 1792 Distillery, nestled in Bardstown, Kentucky, has quietly established itself as a constant medal-winner in worldwide competitions. With a home fashion outlined by a high-rye mashbill and a dedication to non-chill filtering, the distillery produces a variety of daring, characterful bourbons. In 2025, 4 of its expressions earned prime honours on the Worldwide Spirits Problem.
1792 Bottled-in-Bond (Double Gold) – From $35
This straight bourbon adheres to the strict requirements of the Bottled-in-Bond Act: distilled in a single season, aged in a federally bonded warehouse for not less than 4 years, and bottled at 100 proof. The result’s a well-structured, vibrant whiskey that captures Barton’s signature high-rye edge.
Anticipate aromas of pink fruit, raisin, and orange peel, adopted by a wealthy palate of graham cracker, pancake batter, and toasted oak. The end is lengthy, warming, and evenly spiced.
1792 Aged 12 Years (Gold) – From $68.39
Launched yearly in restricted portions, 1792 Aged 12 Years provides a deeper, extra contemplative expertise. Prolonged growing old in new charred oak barrels reveals complicated layers not usually present in high-rye bourbon.
Chocolate-covered cherries, cedar wooden, and blackberry jam dominate the nostril and mid-palate, whereas notes of candy tobacco and dry leather-based add depth to the end. It’s a refined expression that rewards sluggish sipping.
1792 Full Proof (Gold) – From $45
That is 1792 at its most intense. Bottled on the similar 125 proof it entered the barrel, this expression is full-bodied and unfiltered, preserving all of the oils and taste compounds that develop over its years in oak.
Charred oak, burnt sugar, and clove spice headline a daring and highly effective profile. Regardless of its energy, it maintains steadiness, providing a chewy texture and a dry, spiced end that lingers.
Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Chardonnay Cask End (Gold) – From $65
Underneath the Thomas S. Moore label, Barton explores prolonged secondary maturation in wine casks. This Chardonnay Cask End is likely one of the most distinctive choices within the vary, aged first in conventional oak earlier than spending as much as 5 years in ex-Chardonnay barrels.
The result’s a bourbon layered with tropical fruit, buttery oak, and orchard sweetness. A creamy mouthfeel and mild tannic construction give it a wine-like magnificence whereas retaining its bourbon soul.
Buffalo Hint Distillery: Straight Bourbon Consistency Throughout the Board
Few distilleries command as a lot respect in each ingesting circles and awards circuits as Buffalo Hint. Residence to a various steady of manufacturers, from Eagle Uncommon to Weller and the Vintage Assortment, it constantly delivers high-quality straight bourbons throughout a variety of proofs and types. In 2025, 5 of its expressions took house Gold medals on the Worldwide Spirits Problem, underlining the distillery’s outstanding manufacturers.
Eagle Uncommon 17 Yr Previous Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Gold) – From $1,795
A part of the annual Buffalo Hint Vintage Assortment, Eagle Uncommon 17 Yr Previous represents the peak of affected person maturation. Aged for over 17 years and bottled at 101 proof, it captures the magnificence that comes with time.
The profile leans mature: anticipate notes of seasoned oak, smooth caramel, cigar field, and hints of pepper. The end is dry, refined, and lingers with aged wooden and mild spice—excellent for individuals who respect subtlety over energy.
Eagle Uncommon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Gold) – From $46
Usually thought of probably the greatest values in straight bourbon, the usual Eagle Uncommon 10 Yr Previous is bottled at 90 proof. It’s a well-known favourite with good purpose.
Vivid and balanced, it provides aromas of orange peel, honey, and contemporary herbs. The palate provides cocoa, smooth spice, and toasted oak, ending dry and crisp. A reliable every day pour that doesn’t lower corners, as it’s pretty reasonably priced.
W.L. Weller 12 Yr Previous (Gold) – From $129.99
Recognized affectionately as “Poor Man’s Pappy,” Weller 12 Yr shares its wheated mashbill with the elusive Van Winkle vary. Aged for 12 years, it delivers richness with out aggression. Phil Dwyer is an enormous fan of this bourbon.
Silky on the tongue, it brings collectively cherry, apricot, and vanilla cream with background notes of baking spice and leather-based. The steadiness is outstanding: mature, candy, and endlessly drinkable.
W.L. Weller Vintage 107 (Gold) – From $129
The bolder, youthful sibling within the Weller household, Vintage 107 is a high-proof wheated bourbon identified for its strong taste and warming character.
Upfront cherry and cinnamon dominate the nostril, adopted by vanilla and toasted oak. The palate is punchy and vibrant, ending with peppery spice and a contact of tobacco. Excellent for individuals who like their wheated whiskeys with a bit extra hearth.
William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Gold) – From $155
Bottled at barrel proof and aged round 12 years, William Larue Weller is the crown jewel of the Weller line, and one of the crucial sought-after bourbons on the earth.
The 2024 launch, which earned Gold on the 2025 ISC, was an intense, cask-strength expression of every little thing wheated bourbon might be. Wealthy caramel and toasted marshmallow meet darkish fruit, leather-based, and tobacco, all delivered with weight and heat. The end is lengthy, luxurious, and unmistakably elite.
A. Smith Bowman Distillery: Virginia’s Quiet Big
Tucked away in Fredericksburg, Virginia, A. Smith Bowman Distillery operates below the radar in comparison with its Kentucky cousins, however its outcomes communicate volumes. As a part of the Sazerac household (alongside Buffalo Hint), Bowman receives distillate from Kentucky earlier than placing its personal distinctive spin on the method via a 3rd spherical of copper pot distillation. The result’s a home fashion that’s smooth, layered, and quietly complicated. In 2025, two of its standout bourbons claimed Gold medals on the Worldwide Spirits Problem.
A. Smith Bowman Cask Power (Gold) – From $399.99
This annual launch showcases the distillery’s full potential. Aged for over 9 years and bottled at a fiery 135 proof, it delivers intense taste with out sacrificing finesse.
The nostril is daring however inviting, with maple syrup, raisin, and vanilla main the cost. On the palate, wealthy toffee and toasted oak come via, lifted by a warming wave of barrel energy. Regardless of its proof, it maintains a outstanding steadiness.
John J. Bowman Single Barrel (Gold) – From $60
Bowman’s flagship single-barrel expression is a masterclass in subtlety. Additionally triple-distilled and aged roughly 9–10 years, it’s bottled at a extra approachable 100 proof, permitting its nuanced character to shine.
Anticipate a softer nostril of chocolate and malt, underpinned by crisp apple and mild oak. The palate brings heat vanilla, baking spice, and a contact of leather-based. The end is clean, evenly spiced, and lingers simply lengthy sufficient to ask one other sip. A quiet achiever who rewards consideration.
Heaven Hill Distillery: The Energy of Barrel Proof
Heaven Hill has constructed a fame for daring, age-stated bourbons that ship each depth and worth. Its Elijah Craig Barrel Proof collection exemplifies this philosophy: 3 times a 12 months, the distillery releases an unfiltered, high-strength batch that displays the uncooked character of its growing old warehouses. In 2025, the primary launch of the 12 months, Batch A125, earned a Gold medal on the Worldwide Spirits Problem, reinforcing Heaven Hill’s place among the many top-tier producers of straight bourbon.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A125 (Gold) – From $70
Aged for 10 years and seven months and bottled at 118.2 proof, Batch A125 straight bourbon strikes a refined steadiness between warmth and concord. It’s daring, as anticipated, however by no means brash.
The nostril opens with traditional bourbon aromas of caramel, vanilla custard, and charred oak, lifted by a dusting of nutmeg and black pepper. On the palate, these dessert-like notes are joined by toasted cinnamon, leather-based, and a wealthy oak presence. The end is lengthy and warming, with a tapering spice that lingers gently. It’s a showcase of barrel energy carried out proper: highly effective, however composed.
Increasing Your Straight Bourbon Palate
From cask energy heavyweights to rigorously aged classics, this 12 months’s ISC outcomes provide a snapshot of what’s value your time on the earth of straight bourbon. When you’re seeking to discover what American whiskey does effectively or desire a shortcut to bottles that genuinely ship, this record is a stable place to begin.
Some are restricted releases, others are a part of ongoing ranges. Both approach, when you’re constructing a set, increasing your palate, or simply need to see what the judges rated extremely in 2025, these are the bottles to look out for.
