Weldon Mills Distillery Shines at the 2026 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge
Weldon Mills Distillery has once again earned national recognition at one of the industry’s most respected competitions. At the 2026 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge, Weldon Mills delivered a remarkable showing across its bourbon whiskey portfolio, winning multiple awards, including three Platinum Medals, and top honors for three bourbons. The highest rated bourbon at the competition was the barrel-proof Weldon Mills Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which was named Spirit of the Year, Best Whiskey Over 50% ABV, and was awarded a Platinum Medal with 96 points. For a North Carolina distillery built on small-batch craftsmanship, locally sourced ingredients, and a relentless commitment to quality, this recognition represents more than just another award added to the over 440 awards won by Weldon Mills’ spirits. The judges provided powerful affirmation to the owners and production team that the time, effort, and expense required for small-batch distillation of the finest ingredients is what it takes to compete and win against some of the finest whiskeys and spirits in the world.
In addition to the top honors awarded to Weldon Mills Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Weldon Mills was also awarded a Platinum Medal and a 95-point rating for the newly released Norman’s 53 Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Barrel #1). Norman’s 53 was the vision of Weldon Mills’ late Master Distiller, Mike Norman. With only 53 barrels of this expression in existence and each bottle numbered by barrel and bottle number, Norman’s 53 Single Barrel is the pinnacle of small-batch, bourbon distillation. This highly allocated bourbon is not merely a tribute bottle, but an elite bourbon worthy of national attention; additionally serving as the Magnum Opus and testament to Mike’s decades of devotion to the art of bourbon distillation. This award is especially significant because Norman’s 53 has now won awards in each of the first two competitions in which it was entered.
Another top award was clinched by Weldon Mills’ barrel-proof All Malt Bourbon Whiskey, which received a Platinum Medal and a 94-point rating. The All Malt has long stood apart as one of Weldon Mills’ most distinctive and ambitious bourbon expressions. Crafted with the only all-malted grain mash bill among all bourbons currently on the market, it delivers a unique depth of flavor and complexity that distinguishes it from traditional bourbon expressions. Its Platinum Medal showing in San Diego further validates the innovation behind this ultra-premium release and the distillery’s willingness to push the boundaries of American bourbon.
Weldon Mills also saw success with the Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Batch #1) which also earned recognition at the 2026 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge. Like Norman’s 53, the Wheated is a new release that has received awards in each of the first two competitions in which it was entered. At the 2025 Sommelier Challenge Wine & Spirits Competition, the Wheated earned a Gold Medal with 91 points, establishing an impressive early track record for this limited-production release. Similar to the Norman’s 53, the Weldon Mills Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an ultra-small batch expression with each batch yielding approximately 1,000 bottles. Batch #1 yielded 968 bottles and those who were privileged to experience it can vouch for its excellence.
The performance of both Norman’s 53 and the Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey is especially meaningful because new releases are often measured not only by anticipation, but by how they perform under blind evaluation and professional judging standards. For both expressions to earn awards in their first two competitions speaks to the consistency, craftsmanship, and depth of Weldon Mills’ bourbon production program. Taken together, Weldon Mills’ results at the 2026 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge mark one of the strongest competition performances in the distillery’s history. With three Platinum Medals across the Reserve, Norman’s 53, and The All Malt, Weldon Mills demonstrated both excellence and range across its bourbon portfolio.
This success also reflects the continued rise of North Carolina bourbon whiskey on the national stage. Long before stills in Kentucky produced a single drop of bourbon, Americans were making bourbon whiskey in the east, with North Carolina among the leading producers of our quintessential American spirit. Flash forward a couple hundred years, Weldon Mills has built its reputation by combining traditional, small-batch distilling practices with a bold, independent approach to flavor, proof, and local grain selection. From barrel-proof bourbon to single-barrel releases, wheated expressions, and all-malt innovation, the distillery continues to show that world-class bourbon whiskey is made on the banks of the Roanoke River, not far from where America’s first distillers plied their craft.
For whiskey drinkers, collectors, and bourbon enthusiasts, these awards offer a clear signal: Weldon Mills is producing some of the most compelling bourbons available today. Purchase online today at: https://weldonmills.com/shop/
Source note: The San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge results page lists Weldon Mills Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Proof (Batch #2) as Platinum, 96 points; Norman’s 53 (Barrel #1) as Platinum, 95 points; The All Malt (Batch #23) as Platinum, 94 points (sandiegowinechallenge.com). The Director’s Awards page lists the Weldon Mills Reserve (Batch #2) as Spirit of the Year, Brown and Best Whiskey over 50% ABV (sandiegowinechallenge.com). The 2025 Sommelier Challenge results list Norman’s 53 (Barrel #1) as Gold, 93 points, and the Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Batch #1) as Gold, 91 points (sommelierchallenge.com).
That recognition reflects a rapid rise for a distillery that has turned craftsmanship, consistency, and bold bourbon-making into a national story. On its website, Weldon Mills highlights past accolades including 2022 Distillery of the Year, 2022 Best Bourbon, 2022 Spirit of the Year, 2021 Best Cask Strength Bourbon, and 2021 Best Micro Distillery—a run of awards that reinforces the brand’s standing among serious bourbon drinkers and spirits judges alike.
Industry and partner coverage has echoed that momentum. In announcing Weldon Mills as its official distillery partner in 2024, North Carolina Football Club noted the distillery had won Distillery of the Year in 2022 and 2023 at the San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge, underscoring the strength of the brand’s award-winning portfolio and growing recognition beyond the bottle.
The story is even bigger than awards alone. Halifax County Economic Development Commission reported that Weldon Mills was named Business North Carolina’s 2024 Small Business of the Year, citing the company’s growth, community investment, and expanding footprint. Since launching in 2018, the distillery has transformed historic North Carolina properties into a fast-growing spirits business producing more than 30,000 gallons of small-batch bourbon annually, with expansion plans ahead.
For Weldon Mills, Distillery of the Year recognition is more than a headline. It signals that the team’s commitment to premium bourbon, elevated hospitality, and North Carolina craft distilling continues to resonate with critics, customers, and the broader spirits industry. As the brand grows, the message is clear: Weldon Mills is not simply collecting awards—it is defining what modern craft bourbon can look like from the South.
