The 8 Best Bourbons in the World, According to the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

In November, The Tasting Alliance hosted its annual Top Shelf 2025 Awards Gala, at which the best of the best from this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition vied for the top recognition in their respective categories. Thousands of brands were submitted for consideration, spanning established favorites like single malt scotch and tequila to once-niche darlings like Peruvian pisco and Japanese shochu.

Judges awarded nearly 40 whiskeys with various Best in Class recognitions, diving deep into the nitty-gritty of pot still, single grain, regional and blended expressions. Eight bourbons — more than a few of which walked away with multiple awards — emerged on top. Here are the bottlings that the Top Shelf Gala heaped praise on, with prices ranging from $30 to well over $1,000.

Best Overall Bourbon, Best Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon: Starlight Distillery Japanese Mizunara Reserve Finished Bourbon

(Photo: Starlight Distillery)

The Best Overall Bourbon of 2025 was bestowed upon Starlight Distillery’s Mizunara Reserve. Distilled in Clark County, Indiana, the bourbon comprises a blend of three- and four-grain mashbills aged for seven years before finishing in prized Japanese Mizunara oak casks. Unsurprisingly, this $150 whiskey instantly became a collector’s item in the days after the Top Shelf Gala, selling out through retailers across the internet. If you’re hoping to pick up a bottle, it might be best to wait a few months until the hype simmers down.

Best Straight Bourbon: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C924

(Photo: Elijah Craig)

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C924 is a bold bourbon for bold drinkers. Aged for 11 years and bottled at 129 proof, this 2024 release from Heaven Hill is packed to the brim with uncompromising, syrupy sweet flavor, making it a natural fit for Best Straight Bourbon. Reviewing the expression at launch, we found a lot to like in its dense palate of oak, ginger, cherry cola and espresso, carried into the finish by rich flecks of barrel char and tobacco. The barrel-proof bourbon is widely available online at around $75.

Best Small Batch Bourbon, Up to 5 Years: 1792 Small Batch Straight Bourbon

(Photo: 1792)

1792 Small Batch is a ubiquitous sight on liquor store shelves across the country, and by far the cheapest and most widely available bourbon to walk away with an award at this year’s Top Shelf Gala. Distilled at the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, the high-rye bourbon is noted for its signature flavors of red fruit and baking spice. Whether sipped on the rocks or stirred into an Old Fashioned, the bourbon was clearly deemed well worth its $30 asking price. Click here to read reviews of this bottle from trusted critics.

Best Small Batch Bourbon, 6 to 10 Years: ASW Distillery Fiddler Encore Bourbon – Georgia Oak

(Photo: ASW)

ASW’s boozy homage to the Peach State is aged for nearly seven years before a secondary maturation of one year and 11 months in new, charred Georgia white oak. The bourbon is distilled from a distinctly sweet mashbill of 51% corn, 45% wheat and 4% malted barley, resulting in decadent flavors of brown sugar and marshmallow creaminess that play off its 120.6 proof point. The bottling is available for purchase exclusively through Seelbach’s at a suggested price of $99.

Best Small Batch Bourbon, 11 Years & Older; Best Overall Small Batch Bourbon: O.K.I. Bourbon 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon

At the time of its release in Fall 2024, this 15-year-old bourbon from O.K.I. was the oldest on record from the sleeper brand (a superlative that was later usurped by another bourbon that will be appearing shortly). Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, the whiskey is renowned among collectors for its rich flavors of toffee, dark chocolate, leather and aged oak. Also of note: The bourbon’s $749 suggested retail price, which has since risen to well over $1,000 if you’re buying it on the secondary market.

Best Single Barrel Bourbon, Up to 10 Years: Safai Bourbon 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon

(Photo: Safai)

The inaugural release from Safai Bourbon was sourced from New Riff Distillery, which made use of an unusual mashbill originally intended for wheat beer. Blended from two single barrels aged for eight years, the whiskey is said to boast a darkly sweet palate of raisins, orchard fruit and burnt caramel followed by a Cognac finish. At this point in the list, we’re venturing deep into the mud of “look but don’t touch territory,” as this bourbon is available online at nothing less than $300.

Best Single Barrel, 11 Years & Older, Best Single Barrel Bourbon: O.K.I. Bourbon 16 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon

Best Overall Single Barrel went to O.K.I. 16 Year Old. According to Whisky Advocate, the whiskey can be classified as a so-called “BuffTurkey” — a whiskey distilled by Buffalo Trace in the late 2000s using the classic Wild Turkey mashbill. The resulting spirit is as unique as it is exorbitantly expensive. Said to boast flavors of cherry, grape, cream soda and butterscotch, the 130.9-proof bourbon is available online in the range of $400.

Best Wheated Bourbon: Frank August CASE STUDY: 05 | WHEATED RESERVE | 5 BARREL BATCH Bourbon

(Photo: Frank August)

This year’s Best Wheated Bourbon was awarded to Frank August Case Study 05, the second latest in a series that explores bespoke cask finishes and unique mashbills. Bottled at 104.5 proof, the whiskey comprises a blend of six- and seven-year bourbons gathered from five barrels at an undisclosed distillery. Tasting notes for this $15o bottling include cornbread, baking spice, soft cherry and vanilla custard, per the brand.