The 12th annual North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition announced its 2026 results in July, and the three whiskeys at the top have little in common. First place went to a six year old bourbon from a Kentucky distillery that opened in 2018. The distillery was founded there in 2018 in a restored 1883 building, and its first release, Buckner’s 13, was named World’s Best Bourbon at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Augusta describes it as “aged an average of seven years,” while the competition lists it at six years. These details were confirmed to us by Christopher Davies, CEO of the North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition, as the whiskey had not yet appeared on Ampersand’s website or in retailer listings at the time of writing.