Jim Murray, industry expert and author of the annual best-selling Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, has awarded three of his top accolades for the best whiskeys of the year to the New Orleans-based Sazerac company.

Scoring 97.5 out of 100, the brand’s 1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon, from the Barton 1792 distillery, took the top prize of World Whisky of the Year. The whiskey is described by Murray as being “melodious, mysterious, and slightly exotic.”

The 2020 release is noteworthy in that it’s the first time the book’s publisher has released a North American version, with a greater emphasis on American and Canadian producers compared to past editions.

“It’s as though Kentucky knew we were producing this first North American edition. But we had strictly kept it under wraps. If Kentucky was ever going to steal the show, this was the year to do it,” Murray said in a press release.

To confirm there was no preferential treatment shown, Murray followed up his book’s release with this statement: “Once I knew the top three were from the same company, I spent two extra days running through my top 10 [whiskeys] once more … and the results came out exactly the same!”

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2020 features tasting notes for nearly 5,000 whiskeys and is available for purchase online. The book will make its way to U.S. retailers in late October.