Virginia Distillery Stuns the 2023 New Orleans Bourbon Festival!

“The entire room was cheering, we couldn’t believe what was happening.” said Abby Riggleman, Silverback Distillery marketing director who filmed the award ceremony. “We brought over 20 staff from our two locations to the festival, and there wasn’t a dry eye from our Troop. We couldn’t stop smiling.”

New Orleans, LA. - For the first time in New Orleans Bourbon Festival history, one distillery took home 6 awards, including the coveted Best in Festival award. That it was an independent craft distillery based in Virginia might have shocked some onlookers, but anyone who knew Silverback Distillery wouldn’t have been! Christine “Hooch Mama” Riggleman and her daughter and co-master distiller, Lauren “Baby Hooch” Riggleman accepted the Best in Fest award on stage..

The fifth New Orleans Bourbon Festival featured exceptional bourbon & cuisine surrounded by the charm of the Big Easy. In 2018 Silverback took home “Best Bourbon Under 4 Years” with their Blackback Bourbon and “Best American Whiskey” for their Honey Rye. In 2019, they took home “Best Cask Strength” for Christine Riggleman Reserve and “Best Single Barrel Bourbon” for Christine Riggleman Reserve.

Winners at the New Orleans Bourbon Festival are determined by a double blind panel of industry experts and consumers. Christine Riggleman was honored by the multitude of awards from the festival:

“Winning these awards means so much to us, to craft distilleries and to represent Virginia and Pennsylvania. This recognition really shows that with quality and flavor, we can compete with the big names in the industry”

Silverback Distillery brought home 6 awards in total, including Best in Fest for the Alpha Series Bourbon.

Best in Fest - Alpha Series Bourbon- GOLD

Best Small Batch - Single Barrel Bourbon- SILVER

Best Single Barrel - Alpha Series Bourbon - GOLD

Best Cask Strength - Alpha Series Bourbon- GOLD

Best Further Finished - Alpha Series Wheat Rum Barrel Finished- GOLD

Best American Whiskey - Alpha Series Wheat Rum Barrel Finished- GOLD

Winning Products

The Alpha Series from Silverback features high proof, limited release whiskey offerings. Most Alpha series releases are single barrels or are further finished. Every Alpha series is unique, and has become a collectors item for our customers. Getting your hands on an Alpha Series isn’t easy, as the releases are not on any particular schedule, but are decided when there is an exceptional barrel or product we want to bring to our customers. The Alpha Series has enabled us to deliver the best of what we have to offer without the pressure of large releases.

Three of our products took home the six awards. Barrel #6 of the Alpha Series was bourbon bottled at cask strength, which was 128 proof, and the barrel was 8 years old. The Best American Whiskey and Best Further Finished winner is our Alpha Series Wheat Whiskey finished in our rum casks. Master Distiller, Lauren Riggleman describes this product as “a fresh baked molasses cookie.” Lastly, Silverback’s silver in the best small batch category was won by our Single barrel bourbon.