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Heartland Whiskey Competition
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  • awards
  • Competition Archive

2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition

2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition
Awards
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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.


This 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. 


All judging is conducted under the oversight of the American Craft Spirits Association.

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.

Take a look for yourself!

HEARTLAND WHISKEY COMPETITION PRESS RELEASE: MORNING AG CLIPS SPONSORSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition Announces Official Ag Media

Sponsor, Expands Top-Farmer Distiller Awards

 

We are very pleased to announce that the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition has

signed on Morning Ag Clips (MAC) as the official ag media sponsor. MAC is the premier

media distribution channel and content expert for all ag industry media.

 

MAC will provide the competition and its state corn association sponsors with enhanced visibility through its content distribution and digital advertising services. “We are very pleased that Morning Ag Clips has joined the Heartland Whiskey Competition team,” stated Scott Kirkpatrick, executive director of the Heartland Whiskey Competition. “They bring considerable expertise and media exposure opportunities that will help the competition tell its corn-driven story.”

 

2025 will mark the fifth installment of the biennial craft whiskey competition which is

sanctioned by the American Craft Spirits Association. The competition is sponsored by

state corn associations, encompassing more than 80 percent of all U.S. craft distillers.

 

The 2025 competition will expand the Top Farmer-Distiller to encompass three distinct

awards. The Top Farmer-Distiller trophy will be awarded to the entry with the top

average score over three bottles. This is arguably the most difficult award to win in the

entire competition.

 

In addition, two distinct awards will be given for single Farmer-Distiller bottles: one for

the top scoring bourbon; and another for the top scoring whiskey in all other non-

bourbon categories. All Farmer-Distiller entries come from distilleries whose owner(s)

operate a working farm. More than 30 percent of all 2023 competition entries were from farmer-distillers.

 

In a few days early bird enrollment will open for state corn associations to sponsor the

2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition. Look out for the early bird email and additional

news with important details.

ABOUT

The Heartland Whiskey Competition is a biennial, blind-tasting judging event that is sanctioned and supervised by the American Craft Spirits Association. The competition is sponsored by the promotion arms of participating state corn associations. Competition in several whiskey categories is open to craft distillers from all 50 U.S. states and territories. In addition to category competition (e.g., bourbon, moonshine, etc.), “Best of State” awards are given to those states with corn association sponsorship and a “Best of Show” award is given to the highest-scoring whiskey from the “Best of State” awardees. 


ACSA delineates specific entry criteria consistent with its stewardship of this and other spirits competitions. The one criterion unique to this competition is that all whiskey submissions must be made from some amount of corn grain.

Top Farmer-Distiller Award

In sponsored states, the 2023 competition introduced the Top Farmer-Distiller Award which was chosen from all categories. Entering the 2025 competition year, Top Farmer-Distiller has expanded to three awards.

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