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Red River Distillery's 12-Year Rye Clinches Top Prize at 2025 NY World Spirits Competition
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Published in Sports and Competition on Tuesday, November 11th 2025 at 7:21 GMT by Forbes- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
A Deep‑Dive into the 2025 New York World Spirits Competition: The Best Rye Whiskey
The 2025 edition of the New York World Spirits competition has once again turned heads in the whisky world, this time spotlighting rye as the star category. The competition, held annually at the renowned Manhattan venue, gathers distillers from across the globe to submit their finest single‑malt, grain, and blended rye whiskies for blind tasting by a panel of seasoned judges. The latest Forbes feature, “The World’s Best Rye Whiskey According to the 2025 New York World Spirits Competition,” chronicles the results, offering a concise yet comprehensive overview of the winners, their tasting notes, and the broader context that makes these accolades significant.
1. The Competition in Context
The New York World Spirits competition is celebrated for its rigorous blind‑tasting format and international judging panel, which typically includes mixologists, industry experts, and seasoned connoisseurs. The 2025 cycle was no exception: 120 rye entries were evaluated in three separate rounds—initial blind taste, advanced tasting, and final evaluation. The competition’s scoring system is split equally among aroma, palate, finish, and overall impression, ensuring that no single attribute can dominate a whisky’s final ranking.
Forbes’ article places the competition within the broader resurgence of rye whiskies in the United States and Europe. With consumers increasingly seeking spicier, more complex profiles, rye has surged in popularity, especially after the 2018 revival of rye distilling in the U.S. and the recent “Rye Wars” between American and Canadian producers. The 2025 competition therefore provides a timely snapshot of where the world stands in terms of quality and innovation in rye whisky production.
2. The Winner: A Bold Blend from the Midwest
At the top of Forbes’ list is “Red River Rye 12‑Year”, a single‑malt rye from the Red River Distillery in Oklahoma. The distillery, known for its innovative use of local grain and its dedication to small‑batch production, was praised for the whisky’s “rich, peppery complexity” and a “smooth, lingering finish.” Judges highlighted its subtle oak character, a direct result of the distillery’s use of French oak barrels aged with a touch of sherry. The whisky’s balance of spice and sweetness earned it a perfect score of 95/100 in the final round.
Red River’s win marks the first time a Midwestern distillery has claimed the top prize in rye whisky at the World Spirits competition. Forbes notes that this reflects a shift in the industry: the United States’ central regions are moving beyond the historical focus on the East and West Coasts to become serious players in premium spirits.
3. Other Notable Awards
a. “Rye Revival” – Canadian Single‑Malt (Ontario) – 92/100
The Canadian single‑malt, produced by the Maple Ridge Distillery, won the “Best Canadian Rye” award. Its profile, described as “fruity with a pepper‑corn kick and a sweet caramel finish,” showcased the distillery’s commitment to using native rye grains and a unique 10‑year aging process in char‑red American oak. Forbes quotes the judges, “Maple Ridge’s whisky embodies the best of Canadian rye tradition while pushing its boundaries.”
b. “Bluegrass Rye” – American Blended Rye (Kentucky) – 90/100
Kentucky’s Bluegrass Distillery claimed the “Best American Blended Rye” category with a 90/100 score. The blend’s hallmark is its “complexity of sweet corn and a subtle, smoky undertone,” a result of the distillery’s use of a 4‑year-old bourbon cask for finishing. The judges were particularly impressed by the whisky’s “smooth, approachable palate, making it ideal for both sipping and cocktails.”
c. “European Rye” – German Rye (Sachsen) – 88/100
Germany’s Sachsen Rye earned recognition in the “Best European Rye” award. The 12‑year‑old single‑grain rye was highlighted for its “earthy, herbal aroma with a crisp, peppery finish.” Distillers at Sachsen use a unique “sorghum‑rich mash” in combination with traditional rye, giving the spirit a distinctive profile. The article underscores how the European entry demonstrates that rye is not confined to North America.
4. The Judging Panel and Methodology
Forbes provides a brief background on the judging panel, noting that it comprised 12 members, each with decades of experience in distillation, mixology, and whisky education. The panel’s anonymity preserved the integrity of the blind tastings, ensuring that each whisky was judged solely on its intrinsic qualities. Judges scored each entry on five sensory attributes: aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, finish, and overall impression. A final “spirit quotient” (SQ) was calculated by averaging these scores, then weighted by the judges’ expertise.
The article highlights a notable methodological tweak: for the first time in the competition’s history, the panel incorporated a “digital tasting scorecard” that captured instantaneous reactions, thereby reducing bias that might arise from prolonged tastings. This innovation has been praised by both the industry and the press as a leap forward in transparent evaluation.
5. Industry Reactions and Future Trends
Several distillery representatives and industry analysts were quoted in the Forbes article. Red River Distillery’s CEO, Lydia Harris, expressed her pride in winning “a recognition that underscores the value of local grain and careful maturation.” Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Canadian distillery remarked that the award could “boost interest in single‑malt rye back in the U.S.”
Analysts predicted that the 2025 results may inspire more distilleries to invest in rye‑based production lines, especially in regions that historically focused on bourbon or other grains. The article points out that the rising consumer demand for spicier, higher‑proof whiskies will likely influence distilleries to experiment with “high‑rye mash bills” and “extended char‑red finishing.” The win for a Midwestern distillery also signals a diversification of the geographic footprint of premium rye.
6. Where to Find the Whiskies
For readers eager to try these award‑winning spirits, Forbes provides links to the distilleries’ websites and a few specialty retailers. Red River Rye can be found at RedRiverWhiskies.com and selected bars in Oklahoma City. Maple Ridge Rye is available through the distillery’s direct‑to‑consumer channel, while Bluegrass Rye can be purchased at the Kentucky Distillery Association’s store. Sachsen Rye has a limited edition online distribution.
7. Final Takeaway
The Forbes article does more than just list winners; it frames the 2025 New York World Spirits competition as a pivotal moment for rye whisky. The diverse winners—from a Midwestern single‑malt to a German rye blend—highlight the global, cross‑continental appetite for this once‑regional spirit. By providing tasting notes, industry commentary, and a look into the competition’s rigorous methodology, Forbes offers readers a complete snapshot of why these whiskies have risen to the top and what that means for the future of rye whisky worldwide.
Read the Full Forbes Article at:
[ https://www.forbes.com/sites/hudsonlindenberger/2025/11/11/the-worlds-best-rye-whiskey-according-to-the-2025-new-york-world-spirits-competition/ ]
