Thank you for your support of the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition
Thank you to all of the judges who traveled into Central Indiana in mid-July to serve in the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition. Special thanks to Chris Montana, owner of Du Nord Social Spirits, who served as judging director for this fifth consecutive competition. Special gratitude is extended to Margie Lehrman who heads the American Craft Spirits Association, and her staff, who are invaluable partners in this biennial competition, along with being craft spirits greatest advocates. The competition is made possible through the support of participating state corn marketing associations. Morning Ag Clips is the official media sponsor of the 2025 competition.
Judges look over some of the entrants from the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition at the conclusion of the day-long blind tasting
This competition was created to help bring attention to the many and diverse uses of corn, and to lend a hand to an industry predominantly consisting of family-owned businesses: craft spirits. The most ubiquitous product in craft spirits is bourbon which by law must be made from 50 percent or more corn.
The 2025 competition year is the fifth biennial Heartland Whisky Competition which helps craft distilleries promote their products by virtue of the medals and trophies they receive. No other competition provides the unique opportunity to compete for “best of state” and other corn-based awards. Corn state sponsorship goes towards offsetting some of the judging, awards (trophies, medals, etc.) and marketing costs.
In 2025, the Top Farmer-Distiller program was expanded to three awards, including one for the top scoring farmer-distilled bourbon and another for the top scoring farmer-distilled whiskey in all other non-bourbon categories.
2025 HEARTLAND WHISKEY COMPETITION FARMER-DISTILLER WINNERS
TOP FARMER-DISTILLER:
Starlight Distillery, IN
FARMER-DISTILLER: BEST BOURBON:
(Tie) Bloody Butcher Bourbon - Pathfinder Farm Distillery, MD
(Tie) Queens Reserve - Wood Hat Spirits, MO
FARMER-DISTILLER: BEYOND BOURBON:
Maryland Bourbon Cream - Tobacco Barn Distillery, MD
OFFICIAL AG MEDIA SPONSOR: MORNING AG CLIPS
We are very pleased that Morning Ag Clips has signed on as the official agricultural media sponsor of this year's competition.
MAC is owned and run by a farmer whose media enterprise has been a welcome addition to the ag news landscape.
American Craft Spirits Association Announces 2025 Heartland Whiskey
Competition Awards
August 26, 2025 – In the fifth, biennial blind-judging event, whiskeys from “Heartland” states competed for Best-of-Show, Best-of-State, three Farmer-Distiller awards, in addition to traditional whiskey categories (e.g., Rye, Bourbon, etc.). The competition was open to craft whiskeys from all 50 states that incorporate corn in their mash bill (the mix of grains used to make whiskey).
The competition was generously sponsored by state corn marketing associations with judging taking place in mid-July. ACSA facilitated the judging process and its former Board President Chris Montana, owner of Du Nord Social Spirits in Minnesota, served as Judging Director–a role he has held for all five Heartland competitions. Judges were selected from the spirits industry by ACSA based on their expertise in craft whiskey.
Best-of-Show was awarded to 1845 Distilling Co. of Lowry Crossing, Texas, for its Texian No 01 Texas Straight Whiskey, which also earned the top score in the Straight Whiskey category.
“Several factors contribute to what is today a more challenging period for craft distillers which are often small, family-run businesses. Our member-distillers are grateful to the support of the state corn associations through five cycles of this important competition,” stated Margie A.S. Lehrman, CEO of ACSA. “We greatly appreciate their continued support and the fact they supply our members with the best corn product in the world.”
The 2025 competition saw significant growth in the number of participating states and
expansion of the farmer-distiller awards, which increased overall participation in that category. Only 20 whiskeys were awarded a gold medal, while 91 received silver, and 23 bronze.
“It is important to recognize that craft distillers have sustained their businesses through trying times and continue to improve an already excellent product,” said ICMC board member Paul Hodgen, a farmer from Roachdale, Indiana. “Corn growers throughout the Heartland, through their participating state corn associations, support these entrepreneurs, many of whom are working farmers and all of whom are our customers.”
The Farmer-Distiller Awards were announced August 19. Starlight Distillery in Borden, Indiana, claimed the prestigious Top Farmer-Distiller award, determined by the highest average score across three judged spirits from a single qualifying distillery.
The Farmer-Distiller: Best Bourbon resulted in a numerical tie when Queens Reserve, a product of Wood Hat Spirits in Florence, Missouri scored identically to Bloody Butcher Bourbon, which is produced by Pathfinder Farm Distillery in Boonsboro, Maryland. Both will receive trophies.
Farmer-Distiller: Beyond Bourbon goes to Tobacco Barn Distillery in Hollywood, Maryland, for its Maryland Bourbon Cream.
Scoring and Medal Criteria
The scoring of whiskeys, with judges hand-selected from the North American spirits
community, was based on a 100-point system with 10 main categories of consideration: Appearance (10 points), Aroma Intensity (10 points), Aroma Complexity (10 points), Palate Concentration (10 points), Palate Complexity (10 points), Body (10 points), Alcohol (10 points), Texture (10 points), Finish (10 points), and Pour for a Peer (10 points).
Whiskeys were then assigned a medal based on the average score determined by the following benchmarks: 70-79 = Bronze; 80-89 = Silver; 90-100 = Gold. Best-of-State was awarded to the whiskey with the top score among all judged whiskeys from that state.
Top Farmer-Distiller was awarded to the top average score across three spirits among all judged whiskeys submitted by Famer-Distillers. The top scoring whiskeys were judged a final time in consideration of Best-of-Show distinction.