The bourbon landscape just got a serious shake-up, and the source might surprise even seasoned whiskey drinkers. New Riff Distilling, a relatively young operation based out of Newport, Kentucky, has been named the producer of the World’s Best Bourbon at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards. The ceremony took place on February 12 in Louisville, and it put a spotlight on a distillery that has been quietly building momentum for years.
Image credit: New Riff
The bottle that earned the top honor was New Riff’s flagship expression, their Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. For those unfamiliar, the “bottled-in-bond” designation is one of the oldest quality standards in American spirits. It means the whiskey was produced at a single distillery during a single distilling season, aged for at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. It is a stamp of authenticity and craftsmanship that serious bourbon enthusiasts have long respected, and New Riff has built its entire identity around that standard…