hi i'm phoebe calver editor of american
whiskey magazine and i'm a ninja exactly
director of the world drinks awards
thank you for joining us this evening as
we present the whiskey magazine awards
america 2022 we'll be announcing our
icons of whiskey winners as well as the
category winners and best american
whiskeys from the world whiskies awards
before revealing our newest inductee to
the whiskey magazine hall of fame
[Music]
it's time to celebrate yet another
incredible year for the american whiskey
industry
despite the many difficulties it has
faced over the past 12 months the people
places and products have shown just how
resilient the industry is
we begin with the icons of whiskey which
recognize the people and places behind
the drams
whether it's outstanding whiskey makers
brilliant whiskey bars or not to be
missed visitor attractions
these awards celebrate the very best
from all areas of the industry
as ever we wouldn't be here today
without our judges in particular we
would like to thank maggie kimbell a
contributing editor for american whiskey
magazine for all her help with the
judging over in dc
although we find ourselves presenting
these awards virtually again this year
we hope you'll join us in settling in
with a dram as we celebrate the
wonderful work we've seen over the past
12 months
so to get us going we'll begin with
bartender of the year
the highly commended is
jose guzman from the good night group
[Music]
the winner of this award moved to
brooklyn in january 2016 after working
in a bar in partic and gaining a
certificate of expertise in the sales
and service of scotch whiskey from the
scottish whiskey heritage center
after a year in new york working as head
barman at the paulina he moved to the
flatiron room in 2019 he was promoted to
head bartender and in the years since
has progressed to one of the bar's key
spirit educators
regularly teaching classes large and
small on the wonders of whiskey
and the winner is
darren foy the flat iron
next up we have bar group of the year
which is sponsored by the glenn turret
established in 1763
in crief highland perthshire the glenn
turret is recognised as scotland's
oldest working distillery
with more than 250 years of
whiskey-making heritage the glen
turret's range of six exclusive malts
are bonded by their true scarcity and
exceptional quality
handcrafted by the highly respected
whiskey maker bob delgarno and presented
in a beautiful bottle designed by
lalique
every bottle has been guided by the glen
turret trinity
providence prowess and passion
three touchstones that underpin
everything that the glenn turret is
the trinity combines their extraordinary
provenance of people place and spirit
with their traditional prowess in
handcrafted whiskey making and an
enduring passion for bringing whiskey
lovers moments to treasure
reflecting their tradition of
exceptional quality the trinity ensures
that the glenn turret continues to
create moments to treasure in spirit and
glass
the light and subtle triple wood
welcomes whiskey lovers into the glen
turret range
next comes the sweet and smoky flavors
of the ten-year-old pete smoke before
the richness and complexity of the 12
year old
for those seeking a more venerably aged
dram there is an elegant mastery of the
15 years old
and most indulgent of all the extremely
scarce 25 and 30 year old expressions
the winner of this award came to
fruition with the creation of the
flatiron room in 2012 and after five
years of success was followed by fine
and rare in 2017
the bar group's purpose was to create
spaces that housed incredible food great
spirits and world-class whiskey under
one roof
the winner has experienced an array of
exciting opportunities since it was
created including whiskey pairings
alongside james bay's 2018 album release
tastings all over the world and
comprehensive whiskey education
and the winner is
the good night group
[Music]
now for the bar of the year
the highly commended is
the flat iron room
[Music]
the winner opened in 2005 in the clifton
neighborhood of louisville kentucky as
the area's first bourbon bar with a
mission to educate
featuring more than 130 selections of
bourbon and whiskey's as well as
southern inspired cuisine the bar has
also pioneered several barrel selection
programs
it values employee and customer urban
education and prides itself on how
knowledgeable its staff is about the
products they are serving
and the winner is
bourbon's bistro
[Music]
and now we move on to american whiskey
brand ambassador of the year
the highly commended award goes to
richie michaels from uncle nearest
[Music]
this award winner has been with the
brand for more than seven and a half
years
and in that time has worked in
everything from the tasting room
operations to managing a team of
representatives
at present in his role as senior vice
president of business development the
winner focuses on driving growth based
on a foundation of brand quality and
impactful relationships working with
leaders innovators and independent
operators
the winner is
philip rawley from distillery291
[Music]
now for our visitor attraction manager
of the year
the highly commended award goes to
matt higgins from buffalo trace
distillery
[Music]
as director of kentucky visitor
experiences this winner oversees the
development and management of teams and
programs at heaven hill bourbon
experience in bardstown and the evan
williams bourbon experience in
louisville
through the difficult circumstances of
the past two years the winner's patience
and perseverance in development and
training led to the successful opening
of the new state-of-the-art visitor
experience in 2021
and the winner is jeff crowe from heaven
hill brands
[Music]
next our distillery manager of the year
award
the highly commended war goes to
tyler peterson from westland distillery
[Music]
fondly known by her peers as the mother
of texas whiskey this winner has guided
her distillery through several years of
explosive growth
during the past year alone she watched
over the doubling of production while
maintaining supply lines in a year of
glass and cork shortages
the winner has also helped lead the
delegation of women from texas at the
bourbon women's symposium in 2021
ein route republic's stilling's success
is a testament to her hard work and
perseverance and the winner is
marcia licorice iron root republic
distillery
[Music]
now for the master distiller blender of
the year
which is sponsored by whiskey auctioneer
hello i'm joe wilson head curator and
spirit specialist at whiskey auctioneer
and we're delighted to be sponsors of
this year's icons of whiskey awards
whiskey auctioneer was founded in 2013
with the desire to create a marketplace
where great whiskies were accessible to
anyone with an internet connection
today whiskey auctioneer is the global
leader for buying and selling whiskey on
the secondary market
our monthly auctions feature thousands
of old rare and collectible whiskies our
passion and expertise for the spirit has
led to world record hammer prices each
month
on top of our monthly auctions we work
on identifying emerging trends within
the market reflect these in variety of
standalone auctions each year
we've had the privilege to build
industry partnerships with some
incredible individuals and companies
providing our global community with
exclusive opportunities and unique
educational content
since our first auction back in 2013
we've also supported and raised
awareness for a range of organizations
and individuals that help those in need
raising over 1 million pounds for
charitable causes through our auction
our global community of over 100 000
whiskey enthusiasts across 125 countries
together make whiskey auctioneer one of
the best places online for whiskey
lovers collectors and connoisseurs to
learn more about the spirit
acquire both new and old whiskies for
their cabinets or collection
the highly commended is
shane armstrong from westland distillery
[Music]
this winner has made her mark on the
industry in a relatively short space of
time
with a palette made for whiskey making
and distilling in her blood
since she began her role as master
blender in 2019 the winner has overseen
the creation of multiple award-winning
whiskies while also making a historic
moment in whiskey and spirits industry
as she became the first african-american
master blender of a major spirit brand
her most recent success came in the form
of uncle nearest master blend
and the winner is
victoria edie butler from uncle nearest
[Music]
and now for the campaign innovator of
the year
the highly commended award goes to
breckenridge distillery
[Music]
the winner of this award challenged the
fact that for centuries scotland set the
standards in single malt whiskey with
the emergence of new voices to challenge
the
sanctity of tradition the winner
believes that the merits of a single
malt should not be determined by where
the distillery sits on a map but instead
should be judged on the integrity of its
intention
and the excellence of its
execution
and that all fine single malts should be
equally considered as valid points in
the global conversation that defines
them
with the launch of the judgment of
westland the winner unveiled a bold
campaign that asks consumers to decide
if they measure up with the finest
single malts in the world
and the winner is
westland distillery
[Music]
next we move on to visitor attraction of
the year
this winner offers something for every
bourbon lover located right at the start
of the kentucky bourbon trail and with
three tasting rooms to choose from each
representing a key brand's whole story
the visitor attraction is not one to
miss
you can learn about the brand's history
and the traditions of whiskey making
while enjoying incredible views over
bourbon country this is an experience
that values not only its own history but
also that of its surroundings
and the winner is
heaven hill bourbon experience
[Music]
next our brand innovator of the year
which is sponsored by westrock
hi my name is james clark vice president
global beverage sales here at west rock
we're a leading provider of sustainable
packaging solutions dispersed brand
owners worldwide and we're proud to
sponsor the icons of whiskey award
please watch this short video detailing
more about our capabilities
westrock has enjoyed a long partnership
with the spirits industry developing
award-winning packaging solutions to
enhance the appeal of the world's
leading brands
with extensive global resources
industry-specific design expertise and
impressive local capabilities they are
perfectly placed to deliver a unique
combination of packaging products
cartons labels tubes and rigid boxes are
tailored to the customer's individual
requirements and feature innovative and
luxurious finishing processes
importantly too westrock is committed to
help you meet your sustainability goals
without compromising your packaging's
functional performance
clever constructional designs that
require no fitments linerless cartons
and paper-based tubes are just a few of
the single material pack formats
they also offer sustainable plastic-free
and reduced plastic content alternatives
to film laminates and metallic foils
without reducing shelf impact
the highly commended award goes to
a smith bowman
[Music]
the winner of this award has proven that
compelling innovation isn't done for the
sake of it
with each innovation undertaken by the
distillery furthering its mission of
expressing the authentic province of the
pacific north northwest while also
pushing forward the notion of what
american single malt whiskey can be
along with its new flagship whiskey
launched this year westland american
single malt whiskey and the latest
installment of garianna the year was
marked by the first edition of kolair
single malt the first in a series that
highlights the unique varieties of
barley bread grown malted and distilled
outside the commodity system
specifically for the whiskey industry
and the winner is
westland distillery
[Music]
next up we have our independent bottler
of the year
this winner knows exactly what's
important when it comes to blending and
bottling whiskeys so much so that it's
even named after two crucial parts of
the process
as well as sourcing whiskies from
america they also look further afield to
their spirits prioritizing the very best
they can get their hands on whether it's
for cocktails or collecting consumers
can find everything they need under one
roof
and the winner is
proof and word ventures
[Music]
and now for our sustainable distillery
of the year
this distillery continues to focus on
sustainability
as an integral part of its business
working to drastically reduce the amount
of water used in the production process
through the use of a closed-loop cooling
tower system
the winner is also continuing its
support of sustainable agricultural
systems that assist the well-being of
farmers the environment and the
community
additionally it has committed its time
and financial support to rebuilding
local oak savannas
in the pacific northwest and received
envirostar's green business
certification in the past year in
recognition of its green business
and the winner is
westland distillery
[Music]
and now we move on to our craft producer
of the year
the highly commended award goes to
corsair distillery
[Music]
in 2021 the winner proudly celebrated 10
years of craft distilling
here it is more than a name it's a
foundation
its founding distiller's mission was to
create an exceptional western whisky
that honoured the tradition of american
whiskey but also stood apart
it highlights the fact that the art of
craft whiskey is in the detail with each
step of the process being handled by
hand from scratch grain to barrel to
bottle
and the winner is
distillery291
[Music]
finally it's time to reveal our
distiller of the air
which is sponsored by glencairn crystal
glen care and crystal are a leading
manufacturer of bespoke crystal and
glass and for over three decades this
family business has gained an
international reputation for fine
crystal and glassware
based in scotland the company has been
built on a commitment to personal
service and quality marksmanship
and is perhaps best known by its
customers for their world-famous
glencairn whiskey glass
in the industry however they are known
as leading global experts in packaging
for super premium spirits and have been
supplying the whiskey industry with
creative premium quality glassware for
over 30 years
proud to work with great whiskey
companies and their brands the glencairn
team's unique knowledge of the crystal
glassware industry means that they can
answer the most challenging of questions
and tackle the most complex of tasks
with ease
the highly commended award winner is
westland distillery
with over 200 years of whiskey making
behind it this distillery has certainly
earned its title as one of our icons of
whiskey
but it takes more than just age to make
a distiller stand out
and our winner has shown the whiskey
world just how it's done
effortlessly combining decades of
experience with the desire to innovate
and never content to stand still
it's no wonder that this name is far
known far and wide
and the winner is
buffalo trace distillery
[Music]
congratulations to all our winners and
highly commended award winners
[Music]
from craft distilleries to large
producers it is time to enjoy the top of
this year's class in the world whiskies
awards as they go head-to-head
we're delighted to announce the winner
results including the best winners from
the usa covering the vast spectrum of
categories being explored by distillers
across the country
we'd like to thank all our sponsors
who've supported us this year
and would also like to extend a huge
thank you to all our judges who joined
us in november at jack rose in
washington d.c
to deliberate over the entries with a
special thanks to our head of judges
steve beal
with over 215 entries this has certainly
been one of the strongest years for the
world whiskies awards in america
and we've seen some incredible
development in the industry
we begin with the american blended mold
which is sponsored by kpac
there is no shortlist for this award so
we going straight in with the winner
and the winner is
lost lantern american battered mould
we have the blended limited release
which is sponsored by berlin packaging
hi everyone i'm david mcdonald sales
manager at berlin packaging uk i am
delighted that we are proud sponsors of
the icons of whisky and world whiskey's
award for 2022.
berlin packaging uk previously bruno
urban is the uk arm of berlin packaging
the world's largest hybrid packaging
supplier
founded in 1951 we are an ever evolving
company that brings together the best
elements of manufacturing distribution
and income boosting services
our company also has a design division
studio 111 utilizing a team that
delivers world-class expertise to yield
extraordinary results on bespoke
products and industry-leading technical
support
we understand the difficulties that
brand owners experience in maximizing
the efficiency of the supply chain
whilst maintaining the flexibility and
agility to allow them to seize new
opportunities as they arise
with a wide range of services including
fully bespoke glass embossing decoration
and custom closures we can support you
from concept to commercialization
if you are ready to embark on a journey
with berlin packaging get in touch today
many thanks and have a great evening
here's our short list
for no age statement range
this goes to breckenridge distillery
broncos bourbon blend and for 12 years
in under range this is heaven store 777
blend
now for the best blended limited release
this goes to
have in store 777 blend
and now we move on to the best american
blended whisky
for which there is no short list
the winner is
breckenridge distillery powder hound
whiskey
[Music]
now the best american corn again there
is no shortlist
this award goes to ironwood republic
icarus
[Music]
next we have the new make and young
spirit category
which is sponsored by angel's chair
glass
in the heart of central scotland is
angel sheer glass
founded by father and daughter master
craftsman and glassblower tom young and
daughter karen make beautiful glassware
over 65 years of scottish glassmaking
heritage has led them to design
innovative scottish products
the legend of the angel share is a long
told story of angels coming down to take
a small amount of whiskey from the casks
before bottling
designs include the whiskey angel
a truly unique product which locks the
spirit away forever
every product is unique
each one handmade and hand decorated
from award-winning water droppers
[Music]
to the wonderful angel share spirits
class
these inherently scottish ideas make
gifting a real personal affair
[Music]
this family business strives for quality
of craftsmanship and supply many of the
most well-known distilleries and visitor
centers here in scotland
and around the world
glassblowing is a scale taught over many
years
angel sheer glass is lucky to have the
best glass blowers and framework
producing these designs from our studio
in sterling
a passion for scotch whiskey and glass
are married together to produce pure
excellence
[Music]
the shortlist is
for our young spirits bespoken spirits
whiskey special badge
for specialities defiant rye and four
new makes distillery 291 fresh colorado
whisky
and now for our best new make and young
spirit
this is
new make distillery 291 fresh colorado
whiskey
[Music]
we now move on to the best american
flavored whiskey there's no shortlist
here
so we're going straight with the winner
and this goes to
whiskey smith
blood orange flavored whiskey
[Music]
next our green category which is
sponsored by lark fire
enjoying water with whiskey has been
part of scottish heritage since the
invention of the drink itself
too often though hard minerals or tap
waters are added which can easily spoil
the subtle and complex drink
as whiskey drinkers the founders of
larkfire wanted to find the purest
softest water that is untainted by
minerals
thus began the two-year search that led
them across the length and breadth of
scotland
and after consulting master blenders
chemicals and geologists they came to
the isle of lewis
a place that's hard to get to but worth
the effort
lewis is made up of some of the oldest
rock in the world louisian nice
importantly this rock is metamorphic and
insoluble making the water very soft
now in partnership with the stoneway
trust every can of lark fire water is
sourced from the island and a percentage
of every sale goes back to the community
adding log fire water to whiskey
amplifies its characteristics within the
nose and on the palate softening the
ethanol alcohol notes and creating a
luxurious softer and longer mouth feel
the shortest is
for our no age statement range flying
ace distillery blended bourbon cost
proof and for 12 years and under
bainbridge yama misonata cask
now for best american grain the winner
is
bainbridge yama misunada cask
[Music]
moving on to our pot still category
and the shortlist is
for our no age statement range
warbringer mesquite smoke bourbon and
for 12 years and under tarnus distillery
old saints keep
2021
now the best american pod style this
goes to talnora distillery old saints
keep 2021.
[Music]
next up we have our rye whiskies
and the shortlist is
for no age statement
sasara cry
for 12 years and under the senator roy
whiskey
and now for the best american rye
this goes to
the senator ry whiskey
[Music]
now we have the best american wheat
whiskey
and there is no shortlist here
the award goes to
bainbridge two islands hokkaido cask
and that brings us to the single modes
starting with the best small batch
single malt
no shortlist here
the award goes to the notch nantucket 12
years old
[Music]
and for the best single cars single malt
again no shortlist so we'll go straight
to the winner
and the winner is hogback distillery
wallace collection malt whiskey
and finally for the singer mods it comes
to the
overall best american singapore
which is sponsored by rankin brothers
and sons since 1774
six generations of the rankin family
have passionately supported the bears
wines and spirit sectors through the
development manufacture and supply of
quality cork stoppers enclosures
protecting and adding value to brands
worldwide we understand that they seek
more than just an effective functional
seal
they desire an aesthetically pleasing
closure of great value and quality that
resonates well with their brand
aspirations
as corkwood grows we also understand how
our choice of materials can impact the
planet
that's why we offer sustainable and
environmentally positive materials
without compromise to optimal closure
performance
powering our manufacturing sites with
green renewable energies we're always
investing and innovating to ensure that
the closures we supply protect your
brand and the environment long into the
future
here's our shortlist
12 years and under it goes to bear fight
american single mod whiskey
and our no age statement range winner is
westland distillery guyana edition
number six
and now the best american singer malt
the winner is
westland distillery guyana edition
number six
[Music]
and now we come to all our america only
categories
here we will be announcing all best per
category or region the world's best will
be announced on the 24th of march in
london
we're starting with our tennessee
whiskies
the best tennessee whisky in our age
statement range is
12 years and under goes to the jack
daniels 10 years old
[Music]
and the best tennessee whiskey without
an age statement
goes to
uncle nearest master blend edition
[Music]
and now we move on to the all-weighted
bourbon winners
first up we have the best non-kentucky
single barrel bourbon
the winner is
texas whiskey bottled and bond single
barrel texas straight bourbon
[Music]
and for kentucky single barrel bourbon
the winner is
blanton's the original single barrel
[Music]
next we have the best non-kentucky small
batch bourbon
this award goes to
widow jane 10 years old
[Music]
and now for the best kentucky small
batch bourbon
this goes to
rabbit hole
high gold
[Music]
and finally we move on to our overall
bourbons
starting with the best non-kentucky
bourbon
the winner here is
redemption bell-proof hi-ry bourbon
[Music]
and the best kentucky bourbon
2022
is
old forester 100 proof
[Music]
and now it's time to turn to the whiskey
magazine hall of fame the highest honor
we can bestow on any member of the
industry
which is kindly sponsored by amaram top
series hello i'm hugo mesquita
global sales and marketing director at
top series
it's with a true delight that we've been
associated with the whiskey magazine
hall of fame for more than 15 years now
it's an honor
we would like to congratulate deeply the
inductees
and we would like to wish to see you all
soon in person as soon as we are able to
until then
stay safe and have a wonderful day
bye-bye
amber and top series is dedicated to the
design engineering and production of
exclusive capsulated cork closures for
the world's most celebrated brands
with passion and vision they bring
together ideas skills and inspiration to
create exclusive closure solutions that
respond to their customers most in-depth
needs and aspirations
amaranth top series combine the maxless
sustainability credentials of natural
cork with a panoply of premium materials
and finishes to deliver distinctive
tailor-made design solutions know-how
innovation and creativity are all part
of their vision
along with a continuous commitment to
explore and expand the superior
technical performance and endless
expressive possibilities of an
exceptional material
cork
at tamarind job series we are
specialized in designing engineering and
manufacturing closures and bottle
dressing elements for spirits
in order to cover the needs and demands
of our customers we divided our product
portfolio in four different segments
classic value premium elegance and
prestige
in the classic value segment we have
wooden and polymer tops here cork is a
differentiator element
the premium segment uses the same
materials but we add a personalization
to the top this could be stamping
embossing debossing engraving laser
etching or fire branding
the elegance series offers distinctive
solutions developed by our design
department we use noble materials such
as ceramics glass exotic wood or metal
with the same types of personalization
we just saw
prestige is our top end segment each
product is a masterpiece
using deluxe materials each item is
tailor-made according to the client's
needs we can use crystal precious metals
exotic timbers and all kinds of rare
materials
in this segment we can apply all our
expertise in materials design and
finishing techniques to create true
pieces of jewelry
with 150 years of history amerum knows
court by heart and is the undisputed
leader of the world in cork producing 5
billion of court closures per year
our inductee this evening will join the
ranks of whiskey greats
while he has a formidable legacy to live
up to he has certainly earned his place
in the hall of fame and his
contributions to the world of whiskey
are incomparable
while we'd like to take a moment to
congratulate this person tonight we will
also be celebrating all together later
in the year
so we look forward to seeing this
inductee in person before too long
and inductee number 76 is
garvin brown
[Music]
we'd like to congratulate all our
winners and highly commended and thank
all our sponsors we'd also like to thank
gaia and gimbal cocktail bar for the
generous use of their space
you can tune in later this month when we
announce the icons of whiskey and world
whiskey's award winners for our rest of
world categories and of course we'll be
welcoming another inductee into the
whiskey magazine hall of fame
keep an eye out on our facebook and
twitter pages to stay up to date
[Music]