- Elijah Craig Toasted Rye was named the top rye in America at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards, surpassing pricier competitors to win the overall category and the “No Age Statement” subcategory.
- Produced by Kentucky’s Heaven Hill Distillery, the whiskey uses a mashbill of 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley, and is finished in custom-toasted, new charred oak barrels.
- Bottled at 94 proof and priced at $55, the rye joined Heaven Hill’s portfolio in 2024.
The World Whiskies Awards crowned its top American rye for 2026: Elijah Craig Toasted Rye. The bottle — which retails for just $55 — beat numerous other Gold Medal winners, including whiskeys that sell for several times its price, to claim the top prize. Elijah Craig Toasted Rye also won best “No Age Statement” American rye whiskey, in addition to its overall category win.
Produced by Kentucky’s Heaven Hill Distillery, Elijah Craig Toasted Rye was introduced in 2024 as an extension of the popular Elijah Craig brand. It’s distilled from Heaven Hill’s classic rye recipe, which is 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley. Considered a “Kentucky style” rye because of its high corn content, the whiskey is aged for at least four years (often significantly longer) in new charred oak barrels. That mature whiskey is then transferred into a second oak barrel, which undergoes a custom, nearly hour-long toasting process.
Food & Wine / Elijah Craig
After additional aging, the whiskey is batched and bottled at 94 proof. Because those secondary barrels are also new, charred oak, Elijah Craig Toasted Rye is still classified as a straight rye whiskey. According to World Whiskies Awards tasting notes, the rye’s nose is rich with “salty, buttery caramel corn and burnt sugar,” followed by a palate that adds “clove and spice with a velvet mouth feel.”
Elijah Craig Toasted Rye wasn’t Heaven Hill’s only top performer in the rye category. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Rye — also introduced in 2024 — earned a coveted Gold Medal.
Fast Facts: Elijah Craig Toasted Rye
Mashbill and maturation: Elijah Craig Toasted Rye is made from a mashbill of 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley. After initial maturation, the whiskey is transferred to a second new charred oak barrel, toasted to custom specifications. It undergoes additional aging before bottling at 94 proof.
Price: $55
Winners of the World Whiskies Awards America were announced at a gala at Louisville’s Brown Hotel in February 2026. The awards follow two rounds of judging in late 2025, one in Bardstown, Kentucky, and another in Washington, D.C. Overall category winners advance to judging in the United Kingdom, where they compete against other global spirits for the title of World’s Best. Those final results will be announced at the World Whiskies Awards 2026 Global Dinner in March.
The February event also revealed the World’s Best winners in categories exclusive to the United States, including bourbon and Tennessee whiskey.
Other Gold Medal recipients for American rye at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards
- Minden Mill Rye (category winner for 12 Years and Under)
- Sazerac 18 (category winner for 13 to 20 Years)
- Proof & Wood Tumblin’ Dice 11 Year Single Barrel Rye (category winner for Single Cask American Rye)
- Highline Spirits Double Oaked Rye
- Ironroot Republic Saints Alley Nobleman
- Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Batch #12
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Author: Staff Author
Published on: 2026-02-20 17:01:00
Source: www.foodandwine.com
