BCA Whiskey of the Year • 2026
BCA Blind Whiskey of the Year 2026: Final Rankings
After evaluating eight memorable club-associated whiskeys without knowing their identities, Bourbon Club of Arkansas members ranked Barrel King “Hello Darkness” as our top whiskey of the year.
Published March 5, 2026
Our 2026 Blind Whiskey Competition
The BCA Blind Whiskey of the Year 2026 competition brought together eight standout barrels, private selections and collaborative releases associated with the Bourbon Club of Arkansas.
Our members tasted and ranked the whiskeys blind, allowing the liquid in each glass—not its label, reputation or bottle design—to determine the results.
Gary Penna shared the final rankings after the tasting. The results identified our members’ overall favorite and helped determine which BCA selections would represent the club in the 2026 ASCOT Awards.
Competition Snapshot
Flavor First. Labels Hidden.
Eight club-associated whiskeys evaluated
Blind tasting conducted by BCA members
Barrel King “Hello Darkness” ranked No. 1
Four BCA selections chosen for ASCOT submission
Watch the 2026 Rankings Announcement
Gary Penna presents the complete BCA Blind Whiskey of the Year rankings and explains which club selections were chosen to move forward to the ASCOT Awards.
BCA Blind Whiskey of the Year Final Rankings
The following eight whiskeys earned their positions based on the final combined results of our internal blind evaluation.
No. 1 • 2026 Winner
Barrel King – “Hello Darkness”
No. 2
Elijah Craig – “The Darkside”
No. 3
Elijah Craig – “The Light Side”
No. 4
Elliott Brothers Reserve
The Club’s No. 1 Selection
“Hello Darkness” Takes the Top Spot
Barrel King “Hello Darkness” earned the highest overall ranking in our internal competition, making it the Bourbon Club of Arkansas members’ Blind Whiskey of the Year for 2026.
Although it finished first, the whiskey was not submitted to the ASCOT Awards as a BCA entry. Barrel King planned to enter the blend independently in a separate competition category.
“The ranking was determined by what was in the glass—not what was printed on the bottle.”
That blind format gives every participating barrel and blend the same opportunity to stand out on aroma, flavor, balance and finish.
