Nashville Premier Spirits Competition
The Nashville Whiskey Festival & Battle of the Spirits is thrilled to announce the first-ever Nashville Premier Spirits Competition!
Experience the excitement of the Nashville Premier Spirits Competition, a groundbreaking new feature of the Nashville Whiskey Festival & Battle of the Spirits! Join us on October 11th from 5:30pm-9:30pm at the Cambria Midtown’s The Rux Rooftop Bar & Restaurant to participate in Tennessee’s first-ever Spirits Competition, where a select panel of industry experts and 35 exclusive VIP ticket-holders will judge entries in whiskey, tequila, rum, gin, & more across various categories. With a meticulous double-blind tasting process that guarantees fairness and expertise, this competition is set to be a highlight of the festival. Don’t miss your chance to be a VIP judge and witness history in the making as the best of the best are crowned and celebrated at the Grand Tasting on October 12th. Head over to our ticket page and secure your VIP ticket now for an unforgettable weekend of discovery and celebration!
Who is Judging?: There will be two sets of judges, each with its own set of awards: a traditional panel of five hand-selected judges and “The People’s Choice” awards judged by 35 VIP festival attendees. For each of the 13 categories, there will be two awards: a judges’ award and a people’s choice award. This means a total of 26 awards will be given out at Saturday’s event.
Award-Winners: will receive marketing materials, such as a digital gold medal, certificate, etc. Winners will also be written about in our blog, posted on our social media pages (including both of our Instagram pages,) featured on both the Corkdorks website and the Nashville Whiskey Festival website, featured in our 2025 festival booklet with previous award winners, & more!
Process: All entries will be judged based on merit, not by comparing one entry to another. All entries will be given a numbered score, 1-100.
Each entry will go through a double-blind taste test where samples are tasted in pre-poured numbered glasses so that the judges are unaware of the bottle or its contents. Judges do not receive any information on producer or price point, ensuring each spirit is judged fairly, equally, and without any bias. Notes and scores will be carefully recorded and tallied to determine the winners in each category.
Judging Criteria: Each product will be evaluated based on appearance, aroma, taste, and finish. Our traditional panel of judges have extensive experience in the spirits industry, ensuring that each entry is assessed with the highest level of expertise and fairness.