May 5, 2021 (Manassas, VA) – Distiller’s Reserve, the Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey created by KO Distilling, has won a highly coveted Double Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Launched in 2020 to pay homage to the 400th anniversary of distilled spirits in the United States, Distiller’s Reserve is hand-crafted from local Virginia corn, wheat and malted barley in one distilling season, and aged for four years in charred new American Oak barrels.
For more than two decades, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition has been one of the world’s most respected and influential spirits competitions. The 2021 Competition attracted more than 3,000 new and established brands from around the world, who were evaluated by spirit experts in every category.
The competition is based on highly controlled blind tastings. Judges do not receive any information about the producer or price and determine the awards based on taste alone. Only those entries that receive a Gold medal from all the judges on a panel earn a Double Gold award.
“To have our first bottled-in-bond Bourbon be recognized with a Double Gold medal – and by such a notable competition – is an incredible honor,” said Bill Karlson, Co-Founder of KO Distilling. “We took great pride in crafting Distiller’s Reserve – and all of our spirits – and are thrilled that this product, which is Virginia made from grain to glass, has been honored on such a global stage. This is a win for our whole team, as well as for those who appreciate and support Virginia Spirits.”
KO Bottled-in-Bond Distiller’s Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Facts
- 4-Year-Old; 100 Proof
- Distilled by KO Distilling in one distilling season
- Hand-crafted from Virginia-grown grains:
- 70% corn, 20% wheat, and 10% malted barley
- Certified Kosher, Craft Distilled, and Virginia’s Finest
- SRP: $69.99 (750ml)
Tasting Notes
On the nose, KO Distiller’s Reserve begins with warm vanilla, layered over soft green oak. The vanilla quickly turns to caramel, accompanied by hints of baking spice and dried apricot. After more time and two or three drops of water, the caramel morphs into rich English Toffee with hints of toasted almonds and a dusting of dark cocoa. The overall aroma is soft and inviting with a richness expected in a Bourbon with a little more time in the barrel.
KO Distiller’s Reserve joins an ever-expanding portfolio which today includes three American-style gins and ten small batch American whiskeys:
- Battle Standard 142 Gin (Navy Strength) (57% ABV) (750ml $34.99)
- Battle Standard 142 Gin (Standard Strength) (45% ABV) (750ml $29.99)
- Battle Standard 142 Gin (Barrel Finished) (45% ABV) (750ml $36.09)
- Bare Knuckle American Whiskey — unaged (45% ABV) (750ml $23.99)
- Bare Knuckle Straight Wheat Whiskey – aged at least 2 years (45% ABV) (750ml $35.99)
- Bare Knuckle Straight Rye Whiskey – aged at least 2 years (45% ABV) (750ml $45.99)
- Bare Knuckle Straight Bourbon Whiskey – aged at least 2 years (45% ABV) (750ml $39.99)
Single Barrel — Hand selected by our head distiller for its unique and favorable characteristics.
- Bare Knuckle Straight Wheat Whiskey – aged at least 3 years (45% ABV) (750ml $38.99)
- Bare Knuckle Straight Rye Whiskey – aged at least 3 years (45% ABV) (750ml $65.99)
- Bare Knuckle Straight Bourbon Whiskey – aged at least 3 years (45% ABV) (750ml $49.99)
Cask Strength – Bottled as it comes out of the single barrel.
- Bare Knuckle Straight Wheat Whiskey – aged at least 3 years (~60% ABV) (750ml $49.99)
- Bare Knuckle Straight Rye Whiskey – aged at least 3 years (~60% ABV) (750ml $65.99)
- Bare Knuckle Straight Bourbon Whiskey – aged at least 3 years (~60% ABV) (750ml $55.99)
About KO Distilling
Founded by long-time friends and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy classmates Bill Karlson, “K,” and John O’Mara, “O,” KO Distilling is a craft producer of clear unaged spirits, including three gins and a white whiskey, and aged small-batch whiskeys. Produced in Manassas, Virginia, at a state-of-the-art distillery, KO spirits are currently available online, at retail outlets in Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland and Delaware, as well as at select U.S. Coast Guard Exchange stores.