Ultimate Beverage Challenge is delighted to announce the third ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE TOP 100 SPIRITS list. This roster of superlative brandies, whiskeys, gins, vodkas, tequilas, liqueurs, rums, baijius, mezcals, and shochus honors a century of the foremost entries from USC 2021.

 

Said award-winning USC Judging Chairman F. Paul Pacult, who made the final determination of the list, “Every spirit included on the USC TOP 100 list for 2021 scored an aggregate rating of at least 93-points throughout USC’s rigorous, weeks-long process of multistage judging this past May and June. Panels comprised of the world’s foremost spirits authors, educators, bartenders, journalists, and consultants cited these spirits as being benchmarks in their individual categories. The USC TOP 100 SPIRITS of 2021 is an astonishingly diverse and comprehensive list of blue chip spirits, hailing from all corners of the world. All of them are exemplary spirits of world-class quality.“

 

1. Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 99-points

2. Old Fitzgerald VVS 2020 16 Years Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Whiskey (United States) 98-points

3. Dartigalongue 1989 30 Years Old Bas Armagnac (France) 98-points

4. Redbreast Cask Strength 12 Years Old Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey (Ireland) 98-points

5. Christian Drouin Vintage 1991 Pays d’Auge Calvados (France) 98-points

6. Talisker 18 Years Old Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 98-points

7. Tanqueray London Dry Gin (Scotland) 98-points

8. Mortlach Distiller’s Dram 16 Years Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 98-points

9. Del Maguey Single Village Wild Papalome Mezcal (Mexico) 97-points

10. Glenturret Peat Smoke 10 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 98-points

11. Matsui Shuzo Sakura Single Cask Japanese Malt Whisky (Japan) 97-points

12. Storywood Speyside 7 Reposado Tequila (Mexico) 97-points

13. Weller Wheated Bourbon Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon (United States) 97-points

14. Calle 23 Blanco Tequila (Mexico) 97-points

15. Jean Fillioux Single Cask #212 Grande Champagne Cognac (France) 97-points

16. Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (United States) 97-points

17. Dewar’s Double Double 32 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 97-points

18. Social Hour Gin & Tonic Ready-to-Drink Cocktail (United States) 97-points

19. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask No. G8.16 Mature and Energetic 1989 31 Years Old Lowlands Single Grain Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 97-points

20. Jung & Wulff Guyana No. 2 Rum (Guyana) 97-points

21. Ocho Anejo Tequila (Mexico) 97-points

22. St. Elder Pamplemousse Pink Grapefruit Liqueur (United States) 97-points

23. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask No. 12.43 Desire Lines 1991 28 Years Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 97-points

24. Ferrand Dry Curacao (France) 97-points

25. Hangar One Straight Vodka (United States) 97-points

26. Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (United States) 97-points

27. Gordon’s Traveller’s Edition Gin (United Kingdom) 97-points

28. Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Years Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 97-points

29. Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Poblano Liqueur (Mexico) 96-points

30. Highland Park Viking Pride 18 Years Old Orkney Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 96-points

31. Ocho Plata Tequila (Mexico) 96-points

32. Top Tomato Spicy Tomato Cocktail Mix Mixer (United States) 96-points

33. Calle 23 Anejo Tequila (Mexico) 96-points

34. Citadelle Original Gin (France) 96-points

35. Alberta Premium Cask Strength Canadian Rye Whisky (Canada) 96-points

36. Amarula Cream Liqueur (South Africa) 96-points

37. Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka (United States) 96-points

38. Chateau de Laubade Cask Strength 1986 Bas Armagnac (France) 96-points

39. Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Years Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 96-points

40. La Quintinye Royal Rouge Vermouth (France) 96-points

41. Black Bourbon Society’s Maker’s Mark Private Selection Recipe 2 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (United States) 96-points

42. Nonino Amaro (Italy) 96-points

43. Merlet Creme de Cassis (France) 96-points

44. Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or Sauternes Rare Cask Finish Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 96-points

45. The Legendary Silkie Irish Blended Whiskey (Ireland) 96-points

46. Plantation O.F.T.D. Overproof Artisinal Rum (Caribbean) 96-points

47. Port Askaig 110 Proof Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 96-points

48. Cotswolds Sherry Cask Single Malt Whiskey (United Kingdom) 96-points

49. Gran Duque d’Alba Oro Brandy de Jerez (Spain) 96-points

50. Mount Gay 1703 Master Blender Collection Port Still Cask Expression Rum (Barbados) 96-points

51. Moutai BuLaoJiu Baijiu (China) 96-points

52. Waterford Dunmore Single Farm Origin Addition 1.2 Irish Single Malt Whiskey (Ireland) 96-points

53. Westland American Single Malt Whiskey (United States) 96-points

54. 1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon (United States) 95-points

55. Appleton Estate Black River Casks 15 Years Old Aged Rum (Jamaica) 95-points

56. Demonio de los Andes Italia Pisco (Peru) 95-points

57. Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (United States) 95-points

58. Royal Mash Vintage 2020 Vodka (United Kingdom) 95-points

59. RumHaven Caribbean Rum with Coconut Liqueur Rum (Canada) 95-points

60. Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A121 Kentucky Straight Bourbon (United States) 95-points

61. Camus XO Cognac (France) 95-points

62. Blue Spot Cask Strength 7 Years Old Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey (Ireland) 95-points

63. Cutwater Tequila Paloma Ready-to-Drink Cocktail (United States) 95-points

64. Christian Brothers Sacred Bond 4 Years Old American Brandy (United States) 95-points

65. Deep Eddy Lemon Flavored Vodka (United States) 95-points

66. Dewar’s 18 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 95-points

67. Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur (Australia) 95-points

68. Bainbridge Battle Point Two Islands Islay Cask Barrel Proof Organic Straight Wheat Whiskey (United States) 95-points

69. El Tesoro Extra Anejo Tequila (Mexico) 95-points

70. Mizu Saga Barley Shochu (Japan) 95-points

71. 6 O’clock Damson Gin (United Kingdom) 95-points

72. Asbach Freiheits-Brand 1989 European Brandy (Germany) 95-points

73. Yushan Superior Taiwan 12 Years Old Kaoliang Liquor (Taiwan) 95-points

74. Belvedere Single Estate Rye Lake Bartezek Vodka (Poland) 95-points

75. Canadian Club Chronicles The Speakeasy 43 Years Old Canadian Blended Whisky (Canada) 95-points

76. Chateau Montifaud VS Petite Champagne Cognac (France) 95-points

77. Gusto Historico – Juan Vazquez Tepextate/Tobala/ Cuixe/Madrecuixe Mezcal (Mexico) 95-points

78. Plantation 3 Stars White Rum (Caribbean) 95-points

79. Uncle Nearest 1820 Single Barrel 11 Years Old Tennessee Whiskey (United States) 95-points

80. Vago Espadin Emigdio Jarquin Mezcal (Mexico) 95-points

81. Oban 18 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 95-points

82. Purity 34 Craft Nordic Organic Old Tom Gin (Sweden) 95-points

83. Teeling Small Batch Irish Blended Whiskey (Ireland) 95-points

84. AMASS Faerie Fizz Hard Seltzer (United States) 94-points

85. Barrell Bourbon Batch 027 Cask Strength 5 Years Old Bourbon Whiskey (United States) 94-points

86. Bushmills 10 Years Old Irish Single Malt Whiskey (Ireland) 94-points

87. Foro Rosso Vermouth di Torino Vermouth (Italy) 94-points

88. Per Se Aperitivo (Portugal) 94-points

89. Heaven Hill 7 Years Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (United States) 94-points

90. 21 Seeds Valencia Orange Flavored Tequila (Mexico) 94-points

91. Courage & Conviction American Single Malt Whiskey (United States) 94-points

92. Mizu Green Tea Shochu (Japan) 94-points

93. Germain-Robin 7 Years Old California Alambic American Brandy (United States)

94-points

94. Barrell Rum Private Release B716 Finished in a Ruby Port Barrel Cask Strength Rum (Caribbean) 94-points

95. Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Canadian Rye Whisky (Canada) 94-points

96. La Quintinye Royal Extra Dry Vermouth (France) 94-points

97. Tom Bullock’s Burnt Orange Bourbon (United States) 94-points

98. GlenAllachie MacNair’s Lum Reek 12 Years Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 93-points

99. George Dickel Single Barrel 15 Years Old Tennessee Whiskey (United States) 94-points

100. Mammoth Distilling Infinity Whiskey (United States) 94-points