The SFWSC New Category Award recognizes the highest-scoring qualifying new product in each category — evaluated entirely blind. To be eligible, a product must have been released within the past 48 months or represent a meaningful new expression from an existing brand, and must score a minimum of 96 in standard blind judging. In the 2026 competition, the Best New Rye Whiskey went to Dillon's Small Batch Distillers — Rye 1 Whisky.

Dillon's is a small, hands-on operation out of Beamsville, Ontario, distilling everything in copper pot stills at a true human scale. Rye 1 is built from a mashbill of 100% Ontario-grown rye grain and aged in local Ontario oak, making it a genuinely grain-to-glass expression — mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged entirely on-site. It's a rare thing in a category dominated by sourced whiskey, and a meaningful new entry into a rye revival that's been gathering momentum well beyond the United States.

The full 2026 SFWSC Best of Class results, and all category winners, will be celebrated at the Top Shelf 2026 Awards Gala, November 8 in San Francisco, the home of the competition. In the meantime, you can explore the full list of medalists here.