American Distilling Institute's 2012 Artisan Spirits Awards Winners

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Spirits Tasting

In certain glossy magazine and high-end spirits competition circles, a vodka's photogenic front-page appeal is as important as what's inside the bottle in determining its award-winning value. But with the American Distilling Institute's annual Artisan American Spirits Awards, which were released last week, it's best not to judge those rather bland winner's circle photographs on the trade association's website. We mean that as a compliment.

This is the sort of awards list you scroll through when you want to find the most interesting artisan spirits for sipping, not just for bar shelf visual appeal - though if that's your thing, there's an "excellence in packaging" award here, too. But mostly you'll find moonshine and bourbon that hails from distilleries with names like Dark Corner or Ole Smoky, and rums that have been affectionately dubbed Three Sheets (from San Diego's Ballast Point, which took home several awards) and Cane and Abe ("Old Abe" was the name of a Civil War-era bald eagle mascot in Wisconsin).

The Man Booker Prize of moonshine, if you will. Get the list of this year's artisan American spirits winners after the jump.

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As American as Moonshine

American Distilling Institute's Sixth Annual Artisan American Spirits Awards

Bubble Cup Award -- Distillery of the Year
Peach Street Distillers

Excellence in Packaging
Huber's Starlight Distillery - Brandy

WHISKEY

Clear Whiskey
Silver Medal
• Copper Fox Distillery - Wasmund's Rye Spirit
• Deerhammer Distilling Company - Whitewater Whiskey
• Tennessee Distilling Company - Collier and McKeel Charcoal Mellowed White Dog
• Dark Horse Distillery - Long Shot White Whiskey

Bronze Medal
• High West Distillery - High West Silver Whiskey - OMG Pure Rye
• Finger Lakes Distillery - White Pike Whiskey

Corn Whiskey
Gold Medal, Best of Category
• Limestone Branch Distillery - T.J. Pottinger Moon*Shine

Silver Medal
• Asheville Distilling Company - Troy & Sons Moonshine
• Colorado Gold Distillery - Colorado's Own Corn Whiskey
• Dark Corner Distillery - Moonshine Corn Whiskey

Bronze Medal
• Balcones Distillery - Balcones True Blueings County Distillery - Kings County Moonshine
• Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery - Corn Whiskey
• Pinchgut Hollow Distillery - Corn Shine

Bourbon
Gold Medal, Best of Category
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Grainiac 9 Grain Bourbon

Silver Medal
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Nashville Bourbon
• Tuthilltown Spirits - Hudson Whiskey Four Grain Bourbon

Bronze Medal
• Kings County Distillery - Kings County Bourbon
• Tuthilltown Spirits - Hudson Baby Bourbon

Straight Bourbon
Silver Medal, Best of Category
• Colorado Gold Distillery - Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Silver Medal
• Ballast Point Spirits - Devil's Share Whiskey

Bronze Medal
• Peach Street Distillers - Colorado Straight Bourbon

Malt Whiskey
Gold Medal, Best of Category
• Golden Distillery - Samish Bay Single Malt Whiskey
Silver Medal
• Golden Distillery - Samish Bay Whiskey Reserve
• Rogue Ales & Spirits - Oregon Single Malt Whiskey

Bronze Medal
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Pils American Malt Whiskey
• New Holland Artisan Spirits - Double Down Barley
• Rogue Ales & Spirits - Dead Guy Whiskey

Straight Malt Whiskey
Gold Medal, Best of Category
• Ballast Point Spirits - Devil's Share Whiskey

Silver Medal
• Edgefield Distillery - Hogshead Whiskey
• New Holland Artisan Spirits - Zeppelin Bend

Rye Whiskey
Silver Medal, Best of Category
• Breuckelen Distilling - 77 Whiskey

Silver Medal
• 1512 Spirits - Aged Rye Whiskey
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - 100% Rye
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Ryemageddon

Non-Typical Whiskey
Gold Medal, Best of Category
• Balcones Distillery - '1' Texas Single Malt

Gold Medal
• 1512 Spirits - Signature Poitin

Silver Medal
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Oatmeal Stout Whiskey
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - PreProhibition American Malt Whiskey
• Florida Farm Distillers - Palm Ridge Reserve
• Koval Distillery - Lion's Pride, 47th Ward Whiskey
• Old Sugar Distillery - Queen Jennie Sorghum Whiskey
• Glacier Distilling Company - Wheatfish Whiskey

Bronze Medal
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Quinoa & Barley Whiskey
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Triticale & Barley Whiskey
• Koval Distillery - Lion's Pride Millet Whiskey
• Middle West Spirits - OYO Whiskey

Smoked Whiskey
Silver Medal, Best of Category
• Balcones Distillery - Brimstone
Silver Medal
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Oak Smoked Wheat Whiskey
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Cherrywood Smoke

Bronze Medal
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Triple Smoke
• Square One Brewery & Distillery - JJ Neukomm Malt whiskey

Hopped Whiskey
Gold Medal, Best of Category
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Citra Whiskey

Silver Medal
• Spirits of St. Louis - Hopskey

Bronze Medal
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Elderflower Bohemian Whiskey

Flavored Whiskey

Bronze Medal
• Corsair Artisan Distillery - Old Punk

Artisan Merchant Bottled Whiskey
Gold Medal, Best of Category
• Smooth Ambler Spirits Co - Old Scout Bourbon Whiskey

Gold Medal
• Bull Run Distillery - Temperance Trader Bourbon

Bronze Medal
• Great Lakes Distillery, LLC - Kinnickinnic Whiskey

Turn the page for brandy and rum winners.