The 2026 World Whiskies Awards recently named a new champion in the bourbon category, and the results might surprise people who usually stick to the big-name brands. The top prize for the World’s Best Single Barrel Bourbon went to a bottle called Presidential Dram 2 Term.
This specific bourbon is produced by Proof & Wood, an independent company based in Connecticut that focuses on finding and bottling high-quality spirits. According to a report from Forbes, this win shows how much the industry is changing as smaller, independent bottlers start to beat out the traditional big distilleries.
A new kind of champion
Presidential Dram 2 Term is an 8-year-old bourbon that was sourced from Indiana and bottled at a very high strength. Emily Price at Forbes noted that the judges liked its specific scent, which included hints of pecans and tobacco. On the palate, the bourbon offers a rich mix of dark fruits and raw sugar. Because this is a single barrel product, the flavour comes entirely from one specific cask rather than being blended with other barrels to create a uniform taste.
The decision to leave the whiskey unfiltered and at its natural barrel proof of 120.56 gives it a much stronger profile than your average bottle. Many collectors now prefer these “uncut” bourbons because they offer a more intense experience. While some famous brands try to make every bottle taste exactly the same, this winner celebrates the unique character that a single barrel develops over years of aging.
Competition from the classics
Even though Presidential Dram took the overall world title, the awards also recognized some familiar names from the heart of bourbon country. The title for the Best Kentucky Single Barrel went to Elmer T. Lee, which is produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. As reported by The Whiskey Wash, this bottle is often seen as the original standard for the single barrel category. It focuses more on being smooth and balanced rather than being extremely high in alcohol content.
The contrast between these two winners shows that there are two different schools of thought in the whiskey world right now. On one side, you have the refined and classic Kentucky style that Elmer T. Lee is known for. On the other side, you have the bold and high-proof approach of independent bottlers like Proof & Wood. The 2026 results suggest that judges are currently leaning toward those bigger and more complex flavors coming from outside the traditional Kentucky system.
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