Kentucky Senator Spirits, LLC announced Kentucky Senator Bourbon and Louisiana Senator Bourbon expressions have received multiple prestigious awards from two of the industry’s most respected competitions, further cementing the brands’ reputations for excellence in the American whiskey category. These honors reflect the commitment to quality and craftsmanship that co-founders Damon Thayer and Andre Regard have built into every bottle.
Jim Bunning Release – 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold, 96 Points
The Jim Bunning Release, Kentucky Senator Bourbon’s seventh small-batch expression, earned a Double Gold Medal and a score of 96 points at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the most prestigious spirits competitions in the world.
The Double Gold distinction is awarded only to spirits that receive a Gold Medal from every judge on the panel, representing the highest recognition the competition confers.
For an eight-and-a-half-year, 107-proof small-batch bourbon to earn unanimous Gold from an elite judging panel is a testament to the depth, complexity, and character that defines Kentucky Senator Bourbon.
John Edwards Release – 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Silver Medal and 2026 ASCOT Double Platinum Award
The John Edwards Release earned recognition at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, receiving a Silver Medal. This is a strong commendation from a panel of judges that evaluated hundreds of spirits across all categories, and a further confirmation that Kentucky Senator Bourbon consistently performs at the highest level of American whiskey craft.
Additionally, the John Edwards Release was named a 2026 ASCOT Double Platinum Award Winner. The ASCOT Awards (American Spirits Council of Tasters), founded by spirits expert Fred Minnick, represent one of the most rigorous evaluation processes in the domestic spirits industry. Spirits are judged blind on a 100-point scale, and a Double Platinum designation is reserved for spirits scoring between 95 and 100 points.
Kentucky Senator Bourbon is an award-winning small-batch Bourbon brand committed to crafting exceptional spirits with a side of American history. Each limited-edition release is named after a U.S. Senator and represents a blend of tradition, character and U.S. heritage; it is distilled and aged in Kentucky for at least six years (the same length as a U.S. Senate term), but often longer.
Founded by Andre Regard and Damon Thayer, Kentucky Senator Bourbon revives a historic brand once produced by Crigler and Crigler in Covington and later Double Springs Distillers in Bardstown.
The brand launched its first revival release in 2021 and has since become known for producing richly aged, 107-proof Bourbon expressions that connect past and present.