Balcones Distilling's Texas 1 Single Malt was awarded the highest honor of Whiskey of the Year at the New Orleans Spirits Competition presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, which unveiled the 2023 award winners on Tuesday, July 25th. In addition to this recognition, Balcones Distilling received category Double Gold for Balcones Texas 1 Single Malt, which means it was named Best American Single Malt, as well as Best Single Malt overall. To add to the list, Balcones Lineage Texas Single Malt also won Gold in the Whiskey category.
"Tales of the Cocktail is a fantastic event and it's a huge honor to take home any medal in The New Orleans Spirits Competition," said Jared Himstedt, head distiller at Balcones Distilling. "To be recognized for both of our American Single Malts is a testament to our team who pioneers the category every day, showing great whiskies can come from the state of Texas."
The New Orleans Spirits Competition is an international spirits judging competition, bringing wider recognition to fine beverages and spirits from top-flight producers across the globe. Presented by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, each spirit is tasted blind by a panel of industry experts, without identification, to ensure integrity and secrecy. The judging panels include preeminent industry professionals, including award winning bartenders and distillers, decorated beverage writers, and industry luminaries.
These awards come on the heels of Balcones being named American Single Malt Distillery of the Year at 2023 New York International Spirits Competition, as well as Double Gold for Texas 1 Single Malt, and Gold for Lineage Texas Single Malt and Pilgrimage Single Malt respectively.