Top American Single Malt Whiskeys According To The 2024 Beverage Testing Institute

One American Single Malt (ASM) won a Platinum Medal at the recently completed Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) 2024 American whiskey judging and an additional 11 ASMs took Gold Medals.

The top-ranked American Single Malt, scoring 96/100 points, was Stranahan’s 10 YO Mountain Angel American Single Malt Whiskey Batch No. 4., 45.1% ABV, 750 ml. Stranahan’s, one of Colorado’s best-known craft distillers, dominated the results, winning four of the 11 Gold Medals as well.

Founded in 2004, by Jess Graber and George Stranahan in Denver, Colorado, Stranahan’s is renowned as Colorado’s first legal distillery since Prohibition. Over the last decade, the distillery has earned an outstanding reputation for the quality of its world-class American single malt whiskeys.

The BTI Judging Panel described Stranahan’s Mountain Angel ASM as exhibiting:

Aromas of vanilla fudge, over-roasted peanut butter, and bread pudding. Similar flavors are present on the palate, along with nuances of honey malt, cinnamon, and caramel cream. The flavor is a touch youthful and grain-forward, but in the best way possible, and it also shows restraint with the barrel regiment. This is a shining example of how American Single Malt is turning into an outstanding category.

Stranahan’s also won Gold Medals for its Stranahan’s Sherry Cask American Single Malt Whiskey, 47% ABV, 750 ml. Stranahan’s Sherry Cask expression, a personal favorite, is one of the outstanding ASM available today from both a quality and price standpoint.

The BTI Judging Panel described the whiskey as featuring:

Aromas of Basswood honey, figs, and dates on the nose. Similar flavors on the palate, along with suggestions of vanilla, cocoa, and cinnamon. Outside of the Celtic Nations you would be hard pressed to find anyone balancing single malt and Sherry casks more elegantly; a powerful American Single Malt reflecting a new tradition.

The other Stranahan’s Gold Medalists were Stranahan’s Blue Peak Solera Finish American Single Malt Whiskey; Stranahan’s Original American Single Malt Whiskey; and Stranahan’s 2024 Diamond Peak Caribbean Rum Cask-Finished American Single Malt Whiskey Batch No. 003.

Also winning Gold Medals were Shelter Distilling American Single Malt Whiskey; Whiskey Del Bac Classic American Single Malt Whisky; Copperworks Distilling Company Maltsmith American Single Malt Whiskey; Copperworks Distilling Company Farmsmith Single Origin American Single Malt Whiskey; Redwood Empire Foggy Burl American Single Malt Whiskey Batch No. 001, Clermont Steep American Single Malt Whiskey; and Whiskey Del Bac Dorado American Single Malt Whisky.

BTI reviews and scores, on a hundred-point scale, thousands of beverages each year. This activity makes it more like a conventional wine and spirits competition. The Chicago-based organization, however, plays a dual role in the beverage industry. It also functions as a consultancy that, in its own words, utilizes:

Exceptional methodology, proprietary tools, and decades of experience offer research, development, and marketing services that protest large investments, elevate brand reputations, optimize market reception, and engage consumers.

In the beverage industry, this dual role is unprecedented. BTI’s evaluations and advice are closely followed in the drinks industry by both global wine and spirit companies and by recently established craft spirit producers, as well as by consumers around the world.

These 12 American Single Malts are readily available; most are very competitively priced. Stranahan’s ASM expressions, in particular, are outstanding and among the best American single malt expressions being produced today. Similarly, if you are a fan of Sherry-matured Scotch whisky, you must try Stranahan’s Sherry Cask ASM. These whiskeys are all worthy additions to a home bar, especially the Stranahan’s Platinum Medal winner.

Cheers