Bourbon whiskey has never been short of big names, old barrels, or bottles with serious reputations. What makes the American Whiskey Masters 2026 particularly interesting is that the judges did not simply reward the biggest age statements. The result is a wonderfully mixed five: some are experimental, some have spent years in oak, and others are bottles you may already know. Here are the 5 best bourbon whiskeys in 2026, from Ampersand Aureus whiskey, Eagle Rare 17 Year Old 2025 whiskey, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond whiskey to Buffalo Trace whiskey. These are the 5 Master-winning bourbon whiskeys from the American Whiskey Masters 2026 competition.
The Master-winning lineup of Bourbon whiskeys includes everything from a relatively young bourbon whiskey finished in Spanish orange-wine casks to an 18-year-old Eagle Rare whiskey, alongside a wheated bourbon and two familiar names as per the Spirits Business. We list these whiskeys across categories.
The Ampersand Aureus whiskey is the unexpected star of the lineup. The roughly 5-year-old sourced bourbon is finished in Vino de Naranja casks, previously used for Spanish orange wine. It is an unusual move for a relatively young bourbon, and clearly one that worked: Aureus picked up both a Master and Taste Master award to emerge as the overall winner at the American Whiskey Masters 2026.
Award: Master + Taste Master
ABV: 60.9%.
Then there is the Eagle Rare 17 Year Old 2025 whiskey, which takes the opposite approach. Part of Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection, the 2025 release was aged for 18 years and four months. The judging notes bring together dark tobacco, cherry, leather, and pepper, followed by caramel and vanilla.
Award: Master
ABV: 50.5%.
The W.L. Weller Full Proof whiskey changes things up with its recipe. It is a wheated bourbon whiskey, meaning wheat replaces rye in the mash bill, giving the whiskey a different style from the other bottles here. It is also bottled at a substantial 114 proof.
Award: Master
ABV: 57%.
The Early Times Bottled-in-Bond whiskey is the reminder that a Master medal does not have to come with an elaborate backstory. Its Bottled-in-Bond expression is matured for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof. The highlight is the dried fruit, honey, caramel and spice notes.
Award: Master
ABV: 50%.
The Buffalo Trace whiskey rounds out the list with the most familiar name here. Its profile brings together vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, spice, and oak, making it an approachable contrast to the more unusual expressions above. It also earned a Master medal at this year's competition.
Award: Master
ABV: 45%.
The 2026 results are interesting precisely because they refuse to follow one formula. Aureus Bourbon whiskey brings experimentation, Eagle Rare brings age, Weller brings wheat, Early Times brings value and Buffalo Trace whiskey brings familiarity. Five very different spirits, one very convincing lesson: there is more than one way to make a great bourbon.