JOHNSTON, IOWA (September 10, 2025) — The 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition, a blind craft whiskey-judging competition supervised by the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), made its return for its fifth edition highlighting the finest spirts from across the US. The biannual annual event highlights the role of corn in crafting the best whiskeys in the world while also highlighting the farmers who grow and distill them.
This year, Cedar Ridge Distillery’s Double Barrel Bourbon Whiskey was judged Iowa’s best craft whiskey. The competition, sponsored in part by the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), drew entries from across the US with only those entries containing corn in their mash bill eligible to enter, and only entries from sponsored states eligible for Best-of-State.
“The Iowa Corn Promotion Board is proud to be a sponsor of the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition,” said Joe Roberts, ICPB President and farmer from Wright County, Iowa. “Our sponsorship allows us to help highlight the diversity of corn and the over 4,000 products it is used for. We would like to congratulate Cedar Ridge Distillery for this prestigious honor and encourage all Iowans to try their award-winning whiskey made from Iowa grown corn.”
Judges were chosen by ACSA for their expertise in craft whiskey. The day-long competition required that judges evaluate each spirit within its category (Bourbon, Rye, etc). Best-of-State trophies were awarded to those products that earned the highest scores in their respective states, regardless of category.
To learn more about the competition and ICPB’s sponsorship, visit iowacorn.org/iowa-corn-events/iowa-corn-sponsors-2025-heartland-whiskey-competition/.
The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products. For more information, visit iowacorn.org.
