Epoch Rye Wins Best in Show at San Francisco Competition
Baltimore Spirits Company's six-year-old cask-strength rye earned top honors at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Cocktails
Baltimore Spirits Company's Epoch Maryland Straight Rye Whiskey 6 Year Old Cask Strength was named Best in Show Whisk(e)y at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The whiskey also took Best of Class Rye Whisk(e)y and earned 99 points and a Double Gold medal.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights a Baltimore-founded distillery's rye in a national spirits competition, drawing attention to Maryland's rye whiskey tradition. For Baltimore readers, it is a local brand earning top-level industry recognition.
The whiskey earned 99 points and a Double Gold medal in blind tastings judged by industry panels, with a suggested retail price of approximately $90. The extraction does not indicate how many entries competed in the category.
The players
Baltimore Spirits Company
Baltimore-based distillery founded in 2015 that produces the Epoch Maryland Straight Rye Whiskey line.
San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Annual spirits competition run by The Tasting Alliance that uses blind tastings by panels of industry professionals to award medals.
The details
The awards were announced at the 2026 Top Shelf Awards, held November 7 and 8 at Hotel Nikko San Francisco, which included master classes, tastings, and a black-tie gala. Judges evaluate spirits without seeing labels or knowing how other judges scored them.
Timeline
2015: Baltimore Spirits Company was founded.
November 7-8, 2026: The 2026 Top Shelf Awards were held at Hotel Nikko San Francisco.
Culture Shift
The award places a Baltimore-made rye within Maryland's centuries-old rye whiskey tradition, which predates Prohibition-era production in the state. It reflects renewed interest in regional American whiskey styles among craft distillers.
Baltimore whiskey fans can look for the Epoch six-year-old cask-strength rye at retail, with a suggested price of approximately $90. Its award-winning profile makes it a notable option for those building a home bar or exploring rye styles.
The takeaway
Award-winning spirits are often judged blind, so competition medals offer a useful signal when comparing bottles across price points. Readers exploring rye can use such recognitions as a starting guide.
Further reading
Explore more on Cocktails to see how rye whiskey is used in classic and modern drinks.
