Working in the spirits industry can be rewarding, but it can also be difficult at times. Even though the industry can be challenging, it’s a very fulfilling one to work in, especially when we hear from our wonderful customers about how much they love the whiskey we produced! As the year winds down, we’d like to take a moment and reflect on our accomplishments thus far.
Having one of our spirits nominated for an award in a spirit competition, or even better, winning one, is another aspect of our occupation that we adore and it makes all the time and effort worthwhile. Those of you who are fans of fine whiskey are aware that we have received a number of whiskey accolades over the years, and we couldn’t be more proud or thankful!
San Francisco World Spirits Competition – Double Gold
Not because we’ve won multiple bronze and silver, gold and double gold here twice, though it certainly helps, but the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is one of the favorite, most prestigious and oldest competitions around. The San Francisco International Wine Competition was first held in California in 2001, and has a long and illustrious wine history.
They added spirits because this was so well-liked and they now receive hundreds of entries annually from all around the world. A committee of expert judges is gathered annually to evaluate a variety of spirits, including whiskey. These judges include mixologists, spirits buyers, reviewers, critics, and others.
In 2022, we were awarded Double Gold at the San Francisco International Spirits Comp for our Flagship Bourbon! Again this year, 2024, our Wheated Bourbon was awarded Double Gold, with our Flagship Bourbon taking Silver!
The Proof Awards
The Proof Awards Double-Blind Tasting Competition is another competition we attend. This competition is unique in that every single judge is a buyer. All of our judges, hailing from across the United States, have the power of purchasing from your brand and that’s why they participate. Our judges want to experience what’s out there, the new emerging brands, new varieties and special spirits and beverages that might have a unique twist.
Their competition platform is different from many competitions as they rate each brand individually with a 100-point rating system. Therefore, there is not a first, second, or third place in each category. However, there is ample opportunity to medal in your category based upon the points you receive.
In 2019, B&B was awarded at the Proof Awards. Our Flagship Bourbon and our 3-Way whiskey both won Silver! The following year, 2020, we placed once again! Our Flagship Bourbon, Plumwood and Honey whiskeys all took Silver!
International Wine & Spirit Competition
The International Wine & Spirit Competition is an annual wine and spirit competition founded in 1969. Each year the competition that is held in London, receives entries from over 90 countries worldwide. The awards given by the competition are considered as high honors in the industry. We competed here in 2022 and our Flagship again received multiple accolades, Silver and Bronze!
Heartland Whisky Competition
The purpose of this competition is to raise awareness of the various and varied applications of corn and to support the craft spirits industry, which is primarily made up of family-run enterprises. Bourbon, the most common product in handmade spirits, is required by law to contain at least 50% corn.
The Heartland Whisky Competition aids small distilleries in promoting their goods through the awards and trophies they win. The ability to compete for “best of state” and other corn-based honors is unique and cannot be found in any other competition. In 2023, B&B scored a medal here as our Flagship Single Barrel #5 was awarded Silver!
American Craft Spirits Awards
The American Craft Spirits Association’s (ACSA) competition is held annually to determine the best of the best in craft spirits. This past year’s competition included more than 450 entrants from 37 states.The American Craft Spirits Awards celebrates excellence and creativity in the design of craft spirits labels and packaging. In 2023, our Flagship Bourbon once again rose to near the top, we were awarded Bronze!
Bartender Spirits Award
At this comp, medals are awarded to those spirits that meet very specific judging criteria, with a goal of identifying spirits that should become additions to bar inventories. Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are awarded to the best-performing spirits based on the following three factors: taste; packaging; and price.
This spirits competition’s objective is to give brands targeting the American bar market unbiased, independent reviews. Some of the most prominent individuals in the American bar industry, all with substantial experience in the on-premise sector, make up the judging panel.
This year, 2024, two of our finished whiskeys were awarded! Our 3-Way and Cafe Miel both were both awarded Silver!
Denver International Spirits Competition – Local Recognition
The Denver International Spirits Competition is the largest and most respected spirits competition in the Rocky Mountain region. All spirits are tasted double-blind by a prestigious panel of beverage professionals, sommeliers, and trade members. Their goal each year is to create a well-rounded panel of experts that will “double-blind” and achieve the fairest scoring results possible. For popular categories, they separate spirits at different price points to maintain an even playing field.
We first entered this competition in 2019 and our Flagship Bourbon won Silver. It was awarded Gold in 2020 and we knew we were on to something special! Fast forward to 2023 and 2024 and we entered our first ever 4-Grain whiskey here. It took Silver both years!
Local Award-Winning Craft Spirits
Our Award-winning craft whiskeys are made from high quality local grains and pure ground-filtered Rocky Mountain water. We’re blessed with both of these in abundance here in Colorado, and we take full advantage of it! These crucial components bestow much of the flavor and character you’ve come to know and love in our spirits, and we believe they’re a huge part of the accolades we’ve accumulated through the years.
Bourbon, whiskey and experimental spirits are the three cornerstones of the Branch & Barrel portfolio, and we can’t wait to share them with you! From traditional styles to intriguing and imaginative barrel finishes, we can guarantee you’ll find something to love at our distillery.
Bring home a bottle of Branch & Barrel and experience authentically local award-winning flavor. Come see us in the tasting room today for a pour and grab a bottle or two of the best damn whiskey in Colorado for the road!