IWSC North American Whiskey & RTD Judging in Kentucky

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Now in its third year, the IWSC North American Whiskey & RTD Judging in Kentucky is going from strength to strength, and we are delighted to confirm our return to the region in 2026.

The IWSC North American Whiskey & RTD Judging in Kentucky will offer a unique opportunity for North American producers to put their drinks on the global stage and showcase them in front of internationally renowned industry experts – our judges, while taking advantage of the convenient local delivery. The judging will take place on 1-6 June 2026. Results will be announced on 12 June 2026.

Entry deadline:

  • 25 April 2026

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Why Enter

The IWSC Judging in Kentucky will offer its entrants unprecedented opportunities to build industry connections, get new listings and increase their brand awareness via extensive media campaigns held in the US and internationally.

  • We promote our winners globally, via year-round social media campaigns; weekly features in our consumer magazine Club Oenologique and on the IWSC website; as well as at international trade fairs and tastings. In 2026 we will be conducting a US focused PR campaign for this Global Judging event.
  • Award-winning whiskeys will be showcased at the UK's leading consumer event, The World Whisky Experience.
  • IWSC winners are regularly featured in key media, from Forbes to Time Out and many others. Our Kentucky Judging results will gain its own US and UK PR spotlights, maximizing the exposure for our North American winners.
  • We are one of the only competitions to reveal the names of the judges, connecting you to the key decision-makers.
  • The IWSC is also the only industry award body to share constructive feedback with the non-winners.
  • Producers entering the IWSC North American Whiskey & RTD Judging in Kentucky will benefit from convenient local delivery of their entries.

IWSC Bourbon Producer Trophy

In 2024 the IWSC introduced a dedicated Bourbon Producer Trophy, awarded to an outstanding producer from our Kentucky judging.

All entrants to the IWSC awards have an opportunity to qualify for our most prestigious accolades, our Producer Trophies.

Following completion of our Kentucky Judging, the IWSC review the results and will announce the shortlist of the best-performing bourbon producers.

Members of our Judging Committee will review the shortlist to decide the overall winner of the 2026 Bourbon Producer Trophy.

The winner will be announced at the IWSC’s Awards Celebration in November 2026.

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Key Information

Key dates

Entry deadline: 25 April 2026

IWSC North American Whiskey & RTD Judging in Kentucky: 1-6 June 2026

Results announcement: 12 June 2026

Entry fee

1 to 4 entries5 to 10 entries11 to 20 entries 21+ entries
US $425 per entryUS $395 per entryUS $325 per entryUS $310 per entry

Number of samples

Whiskey: Please send 2 x bottles of each entry.

RTD: Please send 4 x cans (or 1ltr in total) of each entry.

(Please note, if your spirit/RTD is awarded a gold medal, we may request additional samples to be sent to the UK for our Trophy judging and the IWSC Awards Celebration).

Delivery address:
Kentucky Eagle
Attn: Jim Gann and IWSC
2440 Innovation Drive
Lexington, KY 40511

Please make sure to include the IWSC in the delivery address.

Delivery timeframe: TBC

Delivery instructions from entries from Canada will be announced shortly.

If you have any further questions, please check our Kentucky FAQ or contact us.