During a recent blind tasting, Lasso Motel 18-Year American Straight Whiskey was awarded the title of the best American whiskey at the 2025 Ascot Awards. This honor also included being named Best in Show Ultimate Winner, distinguishing it as the top entry recognized among all participating spirits.

Produced by Dallas-based Dynasty Spirits, Lasso Motel 18-Year whiskey has an online retail price starting at $129.99 for a 750 milliliter bottle. The whiskey is notably high-proof at 121, featuring a mash bill of 99% corn and 1% malted barley, and is aged in used bourbon barrels at the Midwest Grain Products Distillery in Indiana. The flavor profile is said to begin with rich notes of new oak and transition into buttery toffee and sweet sugar-maple, finishing with hints of dried apricot.

Bourbon and spirits expert Fred Minnick, founder of the Ascot Awards, remarked that the victory exemplifies a recent trend in the whiskey industry, where the best products are no longer confined to traditional bourbon or rye. Innovative blends, including straight whiskeys and unique finishes, have been on the rise, with Lasso Motel serving as a prominent representation of this evolution.

Other notable results from the Ascot Awards included:

• Bourbon of the Year: Old Soul Bourbon Tintype #1
• Rye of the Year: Pinhook Vertical Series Rye, 9 Year
• Scotch of the Year: Ardbeg Eureka!
• Irish Whiskey of the Year: Redbreast 18 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
• American Single Malt of the Year: The QuintEssential Special Release, Wine Club
• Agave Spirit of the Year: Santa Almagia Tobala Joven
• Rum of the Year: Rolling Fork 16 Year Trinidad Single Cask
• Gin of the Year: Farmer’s Reserve Strength Gin
• Vodka of the Year: Belvedere 10
• Brandy of the Year: Wayward Cask 25 Year Calvados Pays D’Auge
• Liqueur of the Year: Faretti Biscotti

Approximately 1,000 samples participated in this year’s competition, where they underwent blind tasting assessments based on various criteria such as appearance, aroma, taste, and finish. The top scorers moved on to a championship round, leading to live-streamed selections of the champions.

The ASCOT Awards were first established in 2021 by Minnick, who is an accomplished author with plans to release a new book next year titled Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man’s Life.