IWSC Judges: Kentucky is a great place with great whiskey
After our inaugural North American Whiskey Judging in Kentucky, members of our judging panel shared their thoughts on the whiskey they tasted, the trends they have noticed, as well as their advice to American producers seeking to grow their exports.
Richard Paterson OBE, who oversaw the judging alongside Dawn Davies MW, enjoyed his time in Kentucky, even going so far to name it his “second paradise”. He went on to share “There’s so much love and passion in the distilleries who want to create something great, that just shone through. It’s the people who are driving the quality forward.”
The American Single Malt category was a highlight for several of the judges. Member of the IWSC Spirits Judging Committee Shannon Tebay shared that “There was a lot of high quality drinks in the American Single Malts category”. She did however point out that she felt the styles of some single malts were not as structured and defined as she would have liked.
Richard Paterson OBE echoed these views. “I liked the single malts but I do feel a lot are still searching for their identity.” He offered the following advice to producers: “Feel free to experiment with flavours but find your niche. Your whiskey has just been born, let it settle down and find what works!”
Cask Strength was another highlight for judge Nate Gana. “I quite liked the cask strength category, which generally fared well throughout the judging. We ended on a gold medal-winning 66% proof that managed to show its notes through the high level of alcohol.”
Nate added that “the bottle in bond category was another standout, it’s got a standard, and structure that worked really well.”
IWSC Spirits Judging Committee member Dawn Davies MW found that the producers who had been patient with their whiskey saw the best results. “We had some exceptional rye, some beautiful bourbon and in fact I tried an American single malt that was just awesome, it was probably my favourite of the whole competition! It’s about giving that time, that structure and that space to the whiskey, while juggling with cash flow of course!”
In terms of improvements, our judges were keen to caution producers on their use of alcohol. “Alcohol levels are something that need looking at. We had some exceptional whiskey that were unfortunately negatively affected by high alcohol levels,” shared Dawn Davies MW.
Both Shannon Tebay and Richard Paterson OBE advised producers to focus more on the fundamentals of their whiskey before experimenting: “It’s so important for new producers to show us they understand the fundamentals. Keep it simple! While innovation is important for the advancement of any category, we need to see more of the core skills coming through.”
For those producers looking to break into the UK market, our judges imparted some key advice.
“I feel American whiskey would do really well in the UK. Stay consistent, improve your product and believe in the your whiskey and you will get the results. Look at Japan where American whiskey is in high demand,” said Nate Gana.
While Shannon Tebay expressed a desire for American producers to target UK consumers by creating something unique. “If American producers can develop something special, it will allow UK consumers to embrace the differences between US and UK whisky, and open up a whole new market!”
Similarly, Dawn Davies MW underlined the potential for American whiskey in the UK. “There’s a lot of love between the UK and US! Bourbon is an obvious choice for consumers looking for something sweeter, something unique but without the increasingly higher costs of Scotch and Japanese whiskey. There’s a gap in the market!”. Richard Paterson agreed with Dawn and suggest American producers target their products towards younger consumers in the UK who are “looking for something unique that’s carefully crafted with an edge of quality.”
Our panel concluded their discussion by expressing how much they enjoyed their time in Kentucky. “We have had such an incredible experience, all of the distilleries have been incredible hosts, and that comes through in the warmth and heart of their products” said Dawn Davies MW.
Best North American Whiskey 2024
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