Only one bottle can be awarded Best American Whiskey at the International Spirits Challenge, and after months of deliberation, the annual spirits competition has finally announced the winner for 2020. In what was a particularly competitive year, Pikesville Rye has been named the Best American Whiskey, and was awarded the “trophy” in the massive category.
American Whiskey is only getting stronger, as can be seen from the awards handed out at this year’s competition. In total, stars & stripes Whiskeys took home four double golds, 48 golds, 27 silvers and no bronze medals. But in the end, it was the Pikesville that stood on top.
First produced in Maryland in the 1890s, Pikesville Rye, along with the rest of the once-booming Maryland Rye industry, was shuttered by Prohibition. The brand reemerged after Prohibition and became the last standing Maryland Rye, as the rest of the industry’s production had ceased. Now produced in Kentucky from extra-aged barrels stored in prime warehouse locations, Heaven Hill Distillery keeps this historic Maryland mark alive. And obviously they do so for good reason.
| Sub Category | Brand Name / Distillery Name | Company Name | Medal |
| American Straight Rye Whiskey | Pikesville | Heaven Hill Distillery | Trophy |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | 1792 Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Double Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Henry McKenna Single Barrel | Heaven Hill Distillery | Double Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 11 years old and over | 1792 Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Double Gold |
| American Straight Rye Whiskey | Yellow Rose Rye Whiskey | Zamora Company | Gold |
| Canadian Whisky | Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Canadian Whisky | Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| American Straight Rye Whiskey | Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey | Beam Suntory | Gold |
| American Straight Rye Whiskey | Hudson Do The Rye Thing | William Grant & Sons Distillers | Gold |
| American Straight Rye Whiskey | Hudson Short Stack Maple Cask Rye | William Grant & Sons Distillers | Gold |
| American Straight Rye Whiskey | Elijah Craig Rye | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| American Straight Rye Whiskey | Old Overholt Bottled-in-Bond | Beam Suntory | Gold |
| American Straight Rye Whiskey | Parker’s Heritage Collection 13th Edition | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Single Barrel Bourbon | Evan Williams Single Barrel | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Single Barrel Bourbon | Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Single Barrel Bourbon | Jim Beam Single Barrel | Jim Beam | Gold |
| Single Barrel Bourbon | 1792 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Single Barrel Bourbon | John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Single Barrel Bourbon | Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Single Barrel Bourbon | Rebel Yell Single Barrel 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Lux Row Distillers (Luxco) | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | OLD VIRGINIA | LA MARTINIQUAISE | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Jim Beam Black | Jim Beam | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Evan Williams Black | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Jim Beam Double Oak | Jim Beam | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Rebel Yell French Oak Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Lux Row Distillers (Luxco) | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | TX Texas Straight Bourbon | Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | W.L. Weller Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Old Forester 1910 | Brown-Forman Corporation | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Elijah Craig Small Batch | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond Spring 2020 | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Jim Beam Devil’s Cut | Jim Beam | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Yellowstone Limited Edition 2019 | Limestone Branch Distillery (Luxco) | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Old Ezra 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Lux Row Distillers (Luxco) | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | W.L. Weller Antique 107 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Old Forester 1920 | Brown-Forman Corporation | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Larceny Barrel Proof | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | 1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | TX Texas Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof | Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| American Single Malt Whiskey 11 years old and over | The Notch Nantucket Island Single Malt Whisky 12 years Old | Triple Eight Distillery | Gold |
| American Single Malt Whiskey 11 years old and over | The Notch Nantucket Island Single Malt Whisky 15 years Old | Triple Eight Distillery | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A120 | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 10 years old and under | Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Virginia Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 11 years old and over | W.L. Weller 12 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Sazerac Company, Inc. | Gold |
| Straight Bourbon 11 years old and over | Knob Creek 12 Year Bourbon Whiskey | Knob Creek Bourbon, Beam Suntory, Inc. | Gold |
| American Blended Whiskey | Bear Fight | Next Century Spirits | Gold |
| American Blended Whiskey | Legent | Beam Suntory | Gold |
| American Wheat Whiskey | Bernheim | Heaven Hill Distillery | Gold |
| Tennessee Whiskey | Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey | Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey | Gold |
This was an incredible year for the competition overall, and Scotch Whiskies were the most impressive, picking up a total of 26 Double Gold winners. And in the end it was also a bottle of Scotch bringing home the award for Best Spirit in the World in 2020.
