SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION 2022

Scotch Finalists SFWSC 2022

                                                                                               IMAGE COURTESY THE TASTING ALLIANCE TEAM

Every year, just a few of the very best of each category go head-to-head for the judges at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) to determine the Best In Class for dozens of spirit categories. The finalists for Best Scotch of 2022, including Best Blended Scotch – No Age Statement, Best Blended Scotch – 16 Years and Older, Best Single Malt Scotch – No Age Statement, Best Single Malt Scotch – Up to 12 Years, Best Single Malt Scotch – 13 to 19 Years, Best Single Malt Scotch – 20 Years and Older.are listed below.

The world’s best spirits were judged in what was the penultimate round of judging and results announced for the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition on 18 May. As many as 100 Scotch whiskies won awards, with 70 brands winning double gold. Many more whiskies from other countries fared very well. Kavalan from Taiwan was outstanding. The final results will be announced mid June.

This competition is a total waste of time. Similar competitions are held in Singapore and New York. There were as many as 3,200 winners of awards, down to Silver. So what kind of contest is this, anyway, where you seemingly have to just pay the entry fee and bag an award? I have little interest in covering this farce in depth. Anyway, now that I have begun, lets just do the honours, shall we?

In the NAS category, Glen Scotia and Ardbeg Uigeadail topped the list. In the Single Malt up to 12 Years, Glengarry 40% ABV, Lindores 46% ABV and Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 YO Heavily Peated whisky bagged the honours. In the 13-19 YO class, Lagavulin 16, Highland Park 18 YO and Loch Lomond 14 YO 46% ABV topped the list.

In the 20 YO and over, Ardbeg 25, Ben Riach 25 and Benromach 40 YO were up there. The Indies had two toppers, Smokehead 43% ABV NAS and Great Drams, both from Islay.

The three that made it in the 12 YO Blended Scotch category were Old Parr 12, Flor and Barrowman's. In the older category, the race would be between Dewar's Double Double 32 YO, The Clansmen NAS and Midnight Peat NAS, all of which were in the 40% ABV class. Johnnie Walker Green label, Blackhound Highland NAS and the Naked Malt (the erstwhile Naked Grouse) would do battle in the Blended Malt field.

I might as well add the World Whisky Category. The World Whisky category was dominated by Kavalan, a perennial contender, which had two of the three finalists: Kavalan, Podium Single Malt Whisky, 46% ABV, 750 ml and Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky, 55.6% ABV, 750 ml.Starward, Fortis Single Malt Whisky, 50% ABV, 750 ml is the third finalist in the Best of Class, World Whisky category. The Starward Fortis was the top expression of more than a dozen Australian single malt whiskies that scored Double Gold at the 2022 SFWSC.Yes, everyone wins an award. I've left the Irish Whiskey and the Canadian Whisky segments out.

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