This $20 Bourbon Just Won a Major Whiskey Trophy
Artfully Bourbon / October 10, 2026Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond earns a top honor at the 2026 International Spirits Challenge, proving that award-winning bourbon doesn't have to come with a premium price.
Some of the most talked-about bourbons cost $100, $200, or more. But one of the latest winners at the 2026 International Spirits Challenge is a bottle you can find on plenty of liquor store shelves for around $19.
Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond has won the Trophy for Straight Bourbon up to 5 Years Old. The 100-proof bourbon had already earned Double Gold during earlier judging, but the newly announced Trophy takes that recognition a step further.
What to know
- Product: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond
- Producer: Heaven Hill
- Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Age: At least 4 years
- Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
- Price: Approximately $19
- Award: 2026 ISC Trophy
- Category: Straight Bourbon up to 5 Years Old
- Previous award: 2026 ISC Double Gold
Heaven Hill produces Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond using its traditional bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley.
As a bottled-in-bond bourbon, it must meet specific federal requirements, including being distilled during a single distilling season at one distillery, aged at least four years in a federally supervised warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof.
The International Spirits Challenge evaluates spirits from around the world, with Trophy awards recognizing standout entries within specific categories. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond earned Double Gold earlier in the competition before receiving the Trophy in the newly announced results.
Why it matters
With so much attention on limited releases and expensive bottles, it's easy to overlook what sits on the shelf at your local liquor store.
Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond has been around for years, and at approximately $19, it offers something increasingly valuable in bourbon: a respectable age, 100 proof, and a price that makes it an easy purchase.
The ISC Trophy doesn't make it the best bourbon in the world. It won within a specific age category. But it's meaningful recognition for a whiskey that doesn't rely on scarcity or a premium price to get noticed.
The AB take
We spend a lot of time reviewing bottles that cost $100 or more, so it's always nice to see something at the other end of the shelf getting some attention. Does winning a Trophy mean Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond is suddenly better than bourbons costing five times as much? Of course not. And we've tasted plenty of award-winning whiskey that didn't exactly blow us away. But that's what makes bourbon interesting.
Price doesn't always tell you what's good, and awards don't always tell you what you'll like. For $19, this seems like a pretty good excuse to revisit a bottle that doesn't get nearly as much attention as the expensive stuff.
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