For the third year in a row, Heaven Hill Brands has been named Most Awarded U.S. Distillery at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC). It earned about 88 medals, including 2 Platinum and 20 Double Gold. Nine Heaven Hill products reached the “Best of Class” finals. Mezcal Vago Espadín Joel Barriga and Mezcal Vago Elote are in the running for Triple Still awards, which will be announced at the Top Shelf 2026 Awards Gala on Nov. 8 in San Francisco.
Best of Class finalists
- Straight Bourbon: Square 6 High Rye Bourbon
- Wheated Bourbon: Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Traditional Barrel Series and Specialty Barrel Series Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbons
- Single Barrel Bourbon (up to 10 years): Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10-Year-Old
- Single Barrel Bourbon (11 years and older): Elijah Craig 15-Year-Old Single Barrel
- Reposado Tequila: Tequila Ocho Reposado
- Añejo Tequila: Tequila Ocho Añejo
- Mezcal: Mezcal Vago Espadín Emigdio Jarquín and Mezcal Vago Espadín Joel Barriga
Platinum medals (given only for Double Gold three years in a row): Mezcal Vago Elote and Tequila Ocho Plata.
“Being named Most Awarded U.S. Distillery for a third straight year is a tribute to the quality of our brands and the commitment of our distillers, blenders, and teams behind every bottle,” said Kate Latts, Co-President, Heaven Hill Brands. “It’s especially meaningful to see our agave spirits stand alongside our whiskeys on this stage.”
Follow & Subscribe To The Bourbon Lens
🔔 Subscribe for more weekly discussions, tastings, and bourbon insights from the Bourbon Lens community.
- 📸Follow on Instagram: @BourbonLens
- Visit: BourbonLens.com
- Join: Patreon.com/BourbonLens
- Merch: Bourbon Lens Shop
- Mailing List: The Weekly Pour
- Discord: Discord.gg/pd6ys5nRSU
Latest Bourbon & Whiskey News
- WhistlePig Releases 12 Year Rye Single Finish Maple Crème Brûlée for the Holidays
- Stranahan’s Releases Mountain Angel 14-Year-Old, Its Oldest American Single Malt Yet
- Orphan Barrel Unveils 20-Year-Old Latverian Cask Inspired by Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday
- 407: Why Heaven Hill’s Double Mash Bourbon Needed Nine Years
- Roaming Road Spirits Expands U.S. Single Barrel Program, Offering Private Bourbon and Rye Picks at Bardstown Bourbon Company
- Mike Rowe’s KNOBEL Tennessee Whiskey Releases 7-Year Single Barrel Special Edition for mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s 18th Anniversary
