408: Silverthorn Reserve’s 98-Point Bourbon Blend Is a Best in Class Finalist. Its Blender Explains How He Built It

Silverthorn Reserve, a Maryland whiskey brand launched in 2026 by former Sagamore Spirit CEO Drew Thorn, is a Best in Class finalist at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The winner will be announced Nov. 8. On the latest Bourbon Lens Podcast, Thorn explained how he built the 98-point, Double Gold Blender’s Art Bourbon.

“As a blender, my goal is to create whiskey that is greater than the sum of its parts,” Thorn said in the brand’s award announcement.

What’s in Silverthorn Reserve Blender’s Art Bourbon

The 10-year-old, 115-proof blend combines three bourbons, with percentages for batch 1 as discussed on the show:

62% 10-year Kentucky bourbon (74% corn, 18% rye, 8% malted barley)
28% high-malt MGP bourbon (34% malted barley), distilled by Greg Metze and acquired through Old Elk
10% 14-year-old Georgia four-grain bourbon from Ivy Mountain stock

Thorn said the high-malt bourbon “brings in some viscosity, it brings in a little bit of balancing sweetness,” along with orchard fruit notes not found in a standard Kentucky mash bill.

The 10-to-14-year sweet spot

Thorn builds Silverthorn’s lineup around 10- to 14-year-old whiskey, but not for the label. “What I wouldn’t say is that age directly correlates with good whiskey by any means,” he said. In his view, every barrel has an aging curve with a peak and a decline, and most hit their peak in that range.

First-year results

Silverthorn’s first batches of Blender’s Art Bourbon and Blender’s Art Rye both earned Double Gold at SFWSC 2026, scoring 98 and 96 points. The lineup also includes single barrels such as a 13-year-old MGP rye and a 13-year-old Georgia whiskey.

Where to buy Silverthorn Reserve

Silverthorn Reserve ships to most states through silverthornreserve.com and Seelbach’s. It is also sold at major retailers in Maryland and Washington, D.C., where the brand plans to focus in 2027.

Listen to the full episode

Hear Drew Thorn on leaving Sagamore, sourcing barrels in six months and why he’ll only bottle what he likes on the Bourbon Lens Podcast and YouTube. For more on Greg Metze, revisit 101: Legendary Master Distiller Greg Metze & Old Elk Distillery. For another standout NDP, read our Proof & Precedent Illinois rye review.

Get whiskey news every week in The Weekly Pour newsletter.