This is the best whisky in the world

Slàinte! The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) declares the Glen Scotia 25 YO as the Best in Show Whisky. Also known as the “Oscars of Booze”, the competition began in 2000. It is the second oldest in the world, after London’s International Wines and Spirits Competition (IWSC), and the largest in the United States. 

Generally, the SFWSC has a panel of 56 different judges from around the world, and the group meets for three days in San Francisco each spring to select that year’s winners. However, the pandemic lead to a change in 2021’s judging protocol, and the event took place over a three-week period, with 30 judges, all based in USA. 

The whisky entries for spirit judging jumped from 1,000 to 1,726 this year. The competition also awards Best in Category awards across 79 different classes of spirits. Even Scotch, American, Canadian, Japanese and Irish whiskies, are each broken down into their own categories. 

The winner
The 25 YO Glen Scotia is a complex and elegant whisky with a fruity and sweet character. It is matured in American oak barrels before being married in first-fill bourbon. It is then bottled at 48.8% with no added colour or chill-filtration. The smooth scotch comes with a luxe price tag of £400.

Glen Scotia, established in 1832, is one of three remaining distilleries on the Campbeltown peninsula, which is located southwest of Glasgow, Scotland. The town once proclaimed itself “the whisky capital of the world”, and at its peak, in the late 19th century, the surrounding region boasted 30 different distilleries, of which 21 were in Campbeltown. 

Iain McAlister, Glen Scotia’s Master Distiller says, “To receive such outstanding feedback and be recognised as ‘Best in Show’ at this prestigious competition is an honour, and a tremendous boost to the entire team here at Glen Scotia distillery.” Say cheers to the distiller’s other award-winning whiskies, such as their 10 YO malt, which received a double gold medal in the Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch up to 12 years category, and the Glen Scotia 15 YO got a gold medal in the 13 to 19 years bracket. Even the Glen Scotia Campbeltown Harbour picked up a silver medal in the no age statement class at the SFWSC.

With World Whisky Day coming up on May 15, this may be your chance to stock up on the best of the best.

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