The Barleycorn Society has spoken!

The Winners of the Fall 2021 Taste + Marketing competitions have been posted! See how your favorite spirit brand stacked up against the rest of the competition!

Congratulations to these winners for the honor “Best Of” in their respective categories. Fore a full list of Barleycorn winners, visit www.barleycornawards.com.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B521

Heaven Hill Brands
Region: Kentucky
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Whisk(e)y | Bourbon / Straight | 1013. Age Stated 11-15 Years
Age: 12
Alcohol Content: 59.1%
Retail Price: 59.99

“Deeply mature nose of dark fruit, cola, spice, and leather is a pleasure to inhale. Mouth coating toffee and chocolate to spare. Even at full-strength, this is very drinkable and balanced. A winner all around.”
Parker's Heritage Collection 11-Year-Old Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey

Heaven Hill Brands
Region: Kentucky
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Whisk(e)y | American / Wheat | 1093. Age Stated 11-15 Years
Age: 11
Alcohol Content: 62%
Retail Price: 139.99

“Vibrant aromas of dry fruit, and strawberries leads to a delicate and silky, fruitcake palate, capped with a rich and long finish with cinnamon, berries and balanced viscosity. Outstanding!"
Uncle Nearest Master Blend Edition

Uncle Nearest Distillery
Region: TN
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Whisk(e)y | Tennessee | 1142. Age Stated 5-10 Years
Age: 7 years
Alcohol Content: 55.51%
Retail Price: $149

“Love the deep chocolate notes throughout, a cacao dream.”
Woodinville Cask Strength Straight 100% Rye Whiskey

Woodinville Whiskey Co.
Region: Washington
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Whisk(e)y | Rye / Straight | 1160. NAS
Age: 5 years
Alcohol Content: 58.31%
Retail Price: $69.99

“Loving the warm-rye-toast-drizzled-with-honey nose here, and oh lordy, the palate does not disappoint. Jammy fruit and big, bold spice without the alcoholic heat one might expect from this high-octane beast.”
Corsair Triple Smoke

Corsair Distillery
Region: Tennessee
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Whisk(e)y | American / Single Malt | 1071. Age Stated under 5 Years
Age: 1 year
Alcohol Content: 40%
Retail Price: $46.99

“This is pretty excellent, with a lovely chestnuts-roasting-on-an-open-fire flavor, some nice, sweet malt up front, a little bit of fruit, all in such beautiful harmony I hear Boyz II Men when I drink it.”
Aberlour A'bunadh

Aberlour
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Country of Origin: Scotland
Category: Whisk(e)y | Scotch / Single Malt | 1370. NAS
Alcohol Content: 59.6%
Retail Price: 89.99

“A nice fruity, musty nose that evokes Grandma's kitchen if she was baking a peach tart. It's quite gentle for such a high-proof behemoth, and quite fully realized. Lovely on the tongue and finishes dry with inky tannins.”
Limavady

Whistlepig, LLC
Region: Northeast
Country of Origin: Ireland
Category: Whisk(e)y | Irish / Single Malt | 1300. NAS
Age: unaged
Alcohol Content: 46%
Retail Price: 49.99

“A soft and fruit forward malt with long, lush, syrupy tendrils of vanilla coating creamily on every sip. This is malt silk, pure and simple, elegant and smooth on the palate.”
Takamine 8 Year Old Koji Whiskey

Shinozake Distillery
Region: Asakura, Fukuoka
Country of Origin: Japan
Category: Whisk(e)y | Japanese / Single Grain / Specify______ | 1432. Age Stated 5-10 Years
Age: 8
Alcohol Content: 40%
Retail Price: $99.99

"Yes. Just yes. Excited to find out what this one is. A distinctive whiskey with gorgeous structure—flavors of vanilla, black cherry, and melon are sharp and pleasant, before a subtle, dry finish.”
Peated Mac na Braiche

Macaloney's Caledonian Distillery
Region: British Columbia
Country of Origin: Canada
Category: Whisk(e)y | Canadian / Single Malt | 1230. NAS
Alcohol Content: 46%
Retail Price: 77.99

“An initial smoky, fruity punch wakes up the palate, making way for a malt character on the palate with a lot of bready sweetness. It's an impressively complex malt.”
Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky

Amrut Distilleries
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Country of Origin: India
Category: Whisk(e)y | 1500. Other -- Indian Single Malt
Age: NAS
Alcohol Content: 46.0%
Retail Price: $57

“Elegant, grain, honey, slight savory and saline (hint peat?), on the palate it is elegant, but also austere and a bit hot and phenolic. Finishes quite clean. Well balanced and lush."
Midnight Moon Apple Pie Moonshine

Midnight Moon
Region: NC
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Whisk(e)y | American | 1130. Moonshine, Flavored | Apple Pie
Alcohol Content: 35%
Retail Price: 19.99

“Cinnamon apple nose and a palate with all the pieces of a classic apple pie: apple, sugar, brown sugar, crumble—even caramelized crust on the finish. Nice!”
Inspiro Luna Blanco Tequila

Inspiro Tequila LLC
Region: Amatitan
Country of Origin: Mexico
Category: Agave (Tequila, Mezcal) | 600. Tequila,100% Agave, Blanco/Silver
Alcohol Content: 40%
Retail Price: 49.99

“Clean nose of fresh agave and slight fennel seed. Round palate that finishes clean. Margarita time, people.”
Mezcal Amarás Cupreata

Mezcal Amaras
Region: Guerrero
Country of Origin: Mexico
Category: Agave (Tequila, Mezcal) | 614. Mezcal, Joven
Alcohol Content: 40.3%
Retail Price: $59.99
“Very earthy aromas laden with balanced alcohol and sweet citrus. Green apple and lime on the palate is pleasing with a solid mid-section.”

“Like a nice fruity soda with a kick of citrus peel. Not overly sweet, the mellow punch flavor is refreshing.”
Affinity Gin

Urban Press Spirits
Region: California
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Gin | 301. Contemporary (Signature Botanical)
Alcohol Content: 45%
Retail Price: 39
Production Volume: < 5000

“Unique and distinctive. A good example of contemporary gin, with lots of terroir; juniper, lemon peel, fennel, and licorice. It's got beautiful botanicals and finishes quite clean with a long, long finish.”
Goodnight Loving Vodka

Austin Vodka Company
Region: Texas
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Vodka | Corn Vodka | 200. Domestic (USA), Classic (Clean)
Alcohol Content: 40%
Retail Price: 19.99

“A corn pudding nose leads to a clean palate with flecks of citrus and corn with a nice mouthfeel; Overall this vodka is pleasing, round, and supple.”
Hope Town Lime

King Spirits
Region: South Carolina
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Vodka | Corn Vodka | 200. Domestic (USA), Classic (Clean)
Alcohol Content: 40%
Retail Price: $22.99

“This is what you want in a vodka! Clear appearance and a nice minerality on the nose leads to a silky and clean vodka that remains elegant from start to finish, which is fresh with a touch of fruit.”
Ron Abuelo Two Oaks Rum

Ron Abuelo
Location: Princeton,
Country of Origin: Panama
Category: Rum | 505. Age stated 10-15 Years
Age: 12 Years
Alcohol Content: 40%
Retail Price: $60

“Very mature and nicely aged aroma; rich with caramel and butterscotch and a touch of char and dried apricot. Great finish with a tingly edge to it. I would happily drink this all night.”
Branson Cognac XO

Sire Spirits
Region: Cognac
Country of Origin: France
Category: Brandy | 713. Cognac, XO
Age: 10
Alcohol Content: 40%
Retail Price: 249.00
Production Volume: 5,001 - 50,000

“Glorious! Lovely complexity with fruit and nuts. Just the right amount of light tannins. Silky mouthfeel. Where’s my smoking jacket? Bravo.”
Vicario Monk's Secret Liqueur

Salute! LLC
Region: SC
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Liqueurs | 801. Herbal/Botanical
Alcohol Content: 35%
Retail Price: 46.95

“Complex aroma and taste profile with long finish. Cocoa, coffee and mint to spare.”
Badger Claw Citrus Punch

Blank Collective
Region: California
Country of Origin: United States
Category: Premixed Cocktails | 101. Vodka
Alcohol Content: 12%
Retail Price: 12.99

“Like a nice fruity soda with a kick of citrus peel. Not overly sweet, the mellow punch flavor is refreshing.”

Spirits writers, marketers and designers are among the most influential forces in the spirits industry. Their opinions, ideas and creative talents inform and influence consumer perceptions and buying decisions. The John Barleycorn Society was started by a group of spirits journalists seeking to honor excellence in all facets of the industry. The journalists spent several years creating a comprehensive competition that became the John Barleycorn Awards. An elite team of authoritative and influential spirits journalists was selected to administer the flagship component of the Awards, a blind tasting competition destined to become the preeminent arbitrator of spirits taste, quality and character.