Covington’s Wenzel Distillery has earned national recognition after its Rectifier’s Rye Batch 3 was named Best American Rye Whiskey at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Rectifier’s Rye Batch 3, a nine-year-old rye bottled at 121.6 proof, competed against the world’s best American rye whiskeys for the top category award. The announcement was made at the SFWSC Awards Gala in San Francisco, where Wenzel’s rye whiskey was named the best in its category among hundreds of entries from both legendary distilleries and emerging craft producers.
“To be named Best American Rye Whiskey at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is beyond our wildest dreams,” co-founder of Wenzel Distillery, Austin Dunbar, said in a news release. “This recognition represents everything we believe in—the art of blending, the pursuit of perfection, and the resurrection of Covington’s distilling heritage.”
This latest accolade caps a strong year for Wenzel, which also earned a Double Gold medal for World’s Best Finished Bourbon and a Gold medal for its Barrel Proof Wheated Bourbon at the same competition.
Wenzel Distillery’s acclaimed Rectifier’s Rye Batch 3 can be purchased at their location at 412 Madison Avenue in Covington and in select stores across the region.