This $25 Bottle Is America’s Best Straight Bourbon, According to the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition

The bottled-in-bond whiskey earned 98 points and a coveted Gold Outstanding medal, an honor awarded to just 1.3% of spirits entered this year.

All Old Bardstown bourbons are distilled from a mashbill of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% malted barley. (Among Kentucky bourbon producers, that’s a notably high barley content.) The whiskey enters the barrel at 125 proof, and Old Bardstown Bottled-in-Bond ages for at least four years before bottling at 100 proof. If you’re looking to pick up a bottle, you may need to travel. This is generally a Kentucky-only release — fortunately for shoppers, it’s readily available on shelves in the state for around $25.

https://www.foodandwine.com/old-bardstown-bottled-in-bond-earns-gold-outstanding-medal-at-international-wine-and-spirit-competition-2026-12019951