The judging is over, and the results are in. Union Horse Distilling Co. dominated the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition with two of their whiskeys, Rivalist American Single Malt and Reunion Straight Rye. The family-owned Lenexa distillery, established in 2010, is known for its artisanal, small-batch-style spirits and “grain-to-glass” philosophy.
Rivalist was first released in August of last year and is the first American single malt available from Union Horse, which took over seven years to develop the recipe. It was awarded Double Gold and received top honors as a “Best in Show” whiskey finalist, ultimately winning “Best American Single Malt Whiskey.” The spirit is described as “beautifully complex yet elegantly simple and is distilled, like all other spirits at Union Horse, in a 500-gallon still affectionately known as “Chester Copperpot” (paying homage to The Goonies).
“We feel Rivalist is on the forefront of this new burgeoning American whiskey category,” says Damian Garcia, Union Horse Distilling Co.’s co-founder and director of sales and marketing. “It truly means a lot to us and the hard work we’ve put into perfecting this whiskey.” Union Horse also received Gold honors for their flagship whiskey, Reunion Straight Rye.