- Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon was named the top bourbon of 2025 by the International Wine & Spirit Competition, earning 98 points and a Bourbon Trophy.
- Judges praised its layered flavor, highlighting apple tart, custard, dried apricots, buckwheat honey, vanilla, and warm spice.
- Founded in 2022, Frank August is a non-distilling producer that quickly gained recognition, with four additional whiskeys scoring at least 95 points in the competition.
The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) announced its top bourbon for 2025: Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Scoring 98 out of 100 points, this bottle retails for around $70 and outperformed many more expensive (and widely known) bourbons.
Frank August might not be a household name yet, but it has definitely earned recognition in certain whiskey circles. Founded in 2022 by former fashion executive Johnathan Crocker and partners, it is a non-distilling producer (NDP) that sources and blends whiskey from Kentucky distilleries. Its winning entrant is a 100-proof Kentucky bourbon, blended in batches of 10 to 15 barrels sourced from an undisclosed distillery (or distilleries). As a result, we don’t know the exact mash bill, and it’s a non-age-stated blend. (Though, due to federal labeling requirements, we know it’s at least four years old.)
The bourbon was initially tasted in June at IWSC’s North American competition in Bardstown, Kentucky. Judges who sampled and rated the spirit included Millie Milliken (spirits and cocktail writer), Dr. Bill Lumsden (head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg), Reece Sims (founder of Flavor Camp), and Ryan Mills (whiskey influencer and educator). Frank August Small Batch was ultimately awarded an impressive 98 points and a Gold Outstanding medal.
Judges noted a “delightful mix of apple tart, custard, and intriguing dried apricots” on the nose, followed by a palate that offers “a refined medley of buckwheat honey, dried apricots, vanilla, and warm spice.”
In August, members of IWSC’s Spirits Judging Committee convened in London to retaste all Gold Outstanding winners. They then selected the top entries to receive category trophies. Frank August Small Batch wasn’t the only bourbon to score 98 points, but after the final evaluation, it was chosen above others as this year’s Bourbon Trophy winner.
Fast Facts: Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Origin: Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon is sourced from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery (or distilleries). It’s blended in batches of 10 to 15 barrels at a time. Although the whiskey is non-age stated, due to federal labeling regulations, we know it’s at least four years old. Frank August has been blending and selling small-batch whiskeys since 2022.
Price: Usually between $70 and $80
Along with the 98-point small batch bourbon, four other Frank August whiskeys scored at least 95 points in competition: Frank August Cask Strength Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Frank August Case Study: 05 Wheated Reserve; Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey; and Frank August Case Study: 03 Winter Cover Rye.
The overall American Whiskey Trophy was awarded to Pinkhook’s Vertical Series 9 Year Old Rye, another 98-point spirit. This whiskey was originally distilled from a 95% rye mash bill at Indiana’s MGP distillery. Barrels were then aged at Castle & Key Distillery in Kentucky before blending.
Other 2025 whiskey trophy winners at the 2025 IWSC
- Single Malt Scotch Whisky Under 20 Years: Loch Lomond 18 Year Old Single Malt
- Single Malt Scotch Whisky Over 20 Years: Chivas Brothers’ A’glac Charrann 27 Year Old
- Blended Scotch Whisky: Dewar’s Double Double 38 Year Old
- Irish Whiskey: Blackwater Distillery’s The Full Irish Blended Whiskey
- Worldwide Whiskey: Ki One’s Unicorn Korean Single Malt Whisky
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