Stranahan's Snowflake Redcloud Peak Crowned Best American Single Malt Whiskey at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
For the second year in a row, Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey takes top honors at the prestigious competition
DENVER, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stranahan's®, the nation's number one American single malt whiskey1, today announced that Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey: Snowflake Redcloud Peak was named "Best in Class American Single Malt Whiskey" at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), widely considered the world's most influential such competition. Last year, Stranahan's Original took home the award, making 2025 the second consecutive year that Stranahan's took home the top accolade, reaffirming the brand's status as the most awarded in the category2.
Snowflake is an annual winter release by Stranahan's that showcases an array of rare and worldly cask finishes harmonized in one bottle of American single malt. Since its initial release in 2011, Snowflake has earned global attention for its complexity, rarity and fan fervor for obtaining a bottle. No two snowflakes are alike in nature, and Stranahan's Snowflake releases follow suit, each year bringing an entirely new iteration. Owing to the scarcity of the barrels used to compose Snowflake, a limited number of bottles are produced and sold for one day only at the brand's Denver Distillery each December. Fans camp out for days leading up to each year's release to be among the first in line to get a bottle.
Stranahan's Snowflake Redcloud Peak was the second Snowflake developed by Head Blender Justin Aden. It is a truly international affair, with influences spanning Spain, Hungary and the American bourbon heartland. Masterfully married casks originally used in these locales create an extraordinary American single malt with a robust profile, luscious texture and vibrant berry-forward accents. At 94-proof, it offers notes of toffee, candied nectarine and smoked honey on the nose, prune, peach, praline, raspberries and maraschino on the palate with a saccharine and round finish.
The "Best in Class American Single Malt Whiskey" accolade comes on the heels of American single malt's designation as the first official whiskey category to be legally defined and protected by the U.S. government in 52 years.
"To be named Best American Single Malt by some of the most discerning palates in the industry is an extraordinary honor. This recognition affirms not only the work we do at Stranahan's, but also the promise and emerging presence of the American single malt category on the world stage," said Stranahan's Head Blender, Justin Aden. "I've had the privilege of building on Stranahan's singular recipe, perfected over more than 21 years, and exploring its potential through longer maturation and an expanded repertoire of cask finishes. Our Snowflake expressions invite bold exploration in the service of creating unique and wonderfully expressive whiskeys that can challenge the finest single malts from around the world."
Stranahan's Snowflake Redcloud Peak leads a year of remarkable wins for the brand. Recognized at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it was part of a portfolio sweep, with every Stranahan's core and limited-release whiskey earning Gold or Double Gold medals. This milestone adds to more than 100 awards the brand has collected in 2025 alone, solidifying its leadership in American single malt as the #1 most awarded. Other notable wins this year include:
- Best American Single Malt Whiskey by the Beverage Testing Institute - Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey: Mountain Angel 10 Year Old
- Best of Show at the Denver International Spirits Competition - Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey: Blue Peak
- 1st Place Best Single Malt 10 Year and Older Whiskey at the International Whiskey Competition - Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey: Mountain Angel 10 Year Old
- American Single Malt Whiskey of the Year at the Bartender Spirit Awards - Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey: Original
- Best American Single Malt Whiskey at the ADI Competition - Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey: Mountain Angel 10 Year Old
- Best Single Malt Whiskey at the 2025 Los Angeles Invitational Wine and Spirits Challenge - Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey: Mountain Angel 10 Year Old
Stranahan's is gearing up to launch its next Snowflake Release this year on December 6. Fans can sign up to learn more at https://stranahans.com/events/snowflake.
About Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey
Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey is the number-one and most-awarded American single malt. Founded more than 20 years ago as a category pioneer, its American single malt whiskey is composed of 100% malted barley and cut with Eldorado Spring water, aged in new American white oak barrels. From grain to glass, Stranahan's whiskey is distilled and bottled at its Colorado distillery, the state's first legal distillery since Prohibition. The brand opened Stranahan's Whiskey Lodge in Aspen in 2024, near where its founders met more than two decades ago and first made their whiskey. Lodge guests can enjoy innovative cocktails, elevated alpine-inspired bites, and pours of rare American single malt whiskey among majestic mountain views. Stranahan's expressions include Original, Blue Peak, Sherry Cask, Diamond Peak, Mountain Angel 10 Year Old, Mountain Angel 12 Year Old, Aspen Exclusive Calvados Cask, the ultra-limited-edition annual release, Snowflake, and a series of distillery and experimental exclusives. As one of the first American single malts, Stranahan's is committed to building recognition and admiration for the category globally. To learn more, visit Stranahans.com.
Stranahan's® Colorado Whiskey. 47% Alc./Vol. (94 proof). ©2025 Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, stranahans.com. Please drink Stranahan's® Colorado Whiskey responsibly.
1Nielsen Total x AOC + Liquor + Conv, Eq Vol, Nielsen 52 W/E 7.15.24; comparison to other ASM brands
2Claims based on 2020 – 2024 award results; third-party audit conducted by Avid Marketing Group.
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SOURCE Stranahan's American Single Malt Whiskey