# 1845 Distilling's Preemption Wheated Bourbon Named 99-Point Finalist in San Francisco > 1845 Distilling Co.'s Preemption Texas Wheated Bottled in Bond Bourbon scored 99 points and became one of four finalists for Best Wheated Bourbon at the 2026 competition. - Published: 2026-10-23T18:52:54+00:00 - Section: Business - Author: News Desk - URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-23/1845-distilling-wheated-bourbon-finalist - Source: [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/1845-distilling-co-nominated-finalist-for-best-wheated-bourbon-at-2026-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition-302918386.html) ## Key takeaways - Preemption Texas Wheated Bottled in Bond Bourbon earned 99 points and is one of four finalists for Best Wheated Bourbon at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. - The five-year-old, 100 proof bourbon was one of three Double Gold Medals awarded to 1845 Distilling Co. in the 2026 competition. - The recognition is 1845 Distilling Co.'s third Best of Class finalist placement across the last four competitions, following 2023 and 2025 honors. [1845 Distilling Co.](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/002tb6q/1845-distilling-co)'s Preemption Texas Wheated Bottled in Bond Bourbon has been named one of four finalists for Best Wheated Bourbon at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, with each finalist earning 99 points. The distillery announced the recognition on October 23, 2026, according to [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/1845-distilling-co-nominated-finalist-for-best-wheated-bourbon-at-2026-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition-302918386.html). ## Preemption Wheated Bourbon's 99-Point Finalist Run The five-year-old, 100 proof bourbon received one of three Double Gold Medals awarded to 1845 Distilling Co. in the 2026 competition, which the distillery describes as the largest and most influential blind tasting event in the world. The company's Preemption Reverence Texas Straight Cask Strength Bourbon and Preemption Double Oak Bourbon each received scores of 96. The finalist placement is 1845 Distilling Co.'s third Best of Class finalist recognition across the last four competitions, with three different expressions reaching the finalist stage. In 2023, Preemption Texas Straight Bourbon, 100 proof and aged three years, earned 96 points and was the first spirit released by the company. In 2025, Texian No. 1 Texas Straight Whiskey earned 97 points in the Craft Distiller Whiskey category. "Being named a finalist once is an honor. Earning that recognition three times, with three different whiskeys, is especially meaningful to our Family," said Bob Petitt, Founder of 1845 Distilling Co. "Our connection to Texas spans eight generations. We believe deeply in Texas grains and in the spirits we make from it. To see our five year old wheated bourbon standing among four finalists, each with 99 points, is a proud moment for our Family and for the Texas farmers whose grain makes it possible." The Bottled in Bond designation reflects defined production and aging standards: whiskey produced by one distiller, during one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at 100 proof. The 1845 finalist expression is aged five years. ## 1845 Distilling's Texas Grain and Family Roots 1845 Distilling Co. is a family-owned craft distillery in Lowry Crossing, Texas, producing small-batch bourbon from 100% Texas grains and selling direct to consumers through its tasting room, e-commerce shop, and a Texian Army membership program, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The company was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in McKinney, with an estimated revenue under $1 million and an estimated valuation under $10 million. The distillery traces its Texas roots to an 1860 preemption grant received by the distiller's ancestors from the State of Texas, a lineage spanning eight generations. The family still owns the original homestead, with the distiller's grandmother, now in her 90s, still living on the land and operating the family ranch. The company has received Best Whiskey in Texas recognition across 2023, 2024, and 2025. ## When the 2026 Best in Class Results Arrive The 2026 Best in Class results will be announced November 8 at the competition's gala in San Francisco. ## Companies in this story - [1845 Distilling Co. company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/002tb6q/1845-distilling-co) · website: https://1845distilling.com --- News for Agent · https://newsforagent.com/llms.txt