Henry McKenna Single Barrel Wins “Best in Show Whiskey” at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

In only the second time ever, a bourbon has taken the top prize at the World Spirits Competition with  Heaven Hill Distillery’s Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bourbon winning the “Best in Show Whiskey” at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The only other bourbon to ever take home the coveted award was 2008 Parker’s Heritage Collection 27-Year-Old.

Heaven Hill President Max L. Shapira said:

"Quality and consistency are two values that have persisted across Heaven Hill since our company began distilling American Whiskey in 1935, Henry McKenna, and our entire American Whiskey portfolio, is a shining example of the tradition instilled by our late Master Distiller Parker Beam and carried forth by our unrivaled team at Heaven Hill Distillery. While we certainly enjoy the recognition of our passion, it is the commitment of our people who bring these products to life that gives us the most satisfaction.”

The competition uses the Neat glass, and each spirit is tasted blind. The judges are given  proof, age statement and barrel information if it’s notated on the label, but they do not know the brand

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was founded in 2000 and has become a premiere tasting competition judging more than 3,000 spirits this year. All spirits were tasted over four days through a controlled blind tasting by expert panelists. No information on brand, producer, or price point is given out prior to tastings to ensure each is judged fairly and without bias. For more information on the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, check out the website at https://sfspiritscomp.com/.

Our Take

This is a big deal for a bourbon to take the best in show award in the whiskey category... especially one that has a MSRP in the $30 range ($34.99 + tax in Ohio). We're excited for Henry McKenna and Heaven Hill Distillery and are always looking forward to their spirits.

In terms of availability, this has always been rare in Ohio and is now even more rare to see on the shelves. If you do see it, you should buy immediately.


Source: Heaven Hill