INTERNATIONAL WHISKY COMPETITION

 2022 International Whisky Competition

Official Results

The 13th Edition of the International Whisky Competition took place in the beautiful mountain town of Estes Park, Colorado. Only one Gold, one Silver, and one Bronze medal were awarded per category (unless tied), in keeping with their stated policy. Whiskies rated below 85 points do not feature in this list.

Whisky of the Year: Aberlour A’bunadh - Batch #70 – (95.8 points)

Distillery of the Year: Ardbeg Distillery – 92.59 Avg/Points

TOP 15 WHISKIES OF 2022

1.    Aberlour A'Bundah - Batch #70 – 95.8 Pts (Speyside, Scotland)

2.    Ardbeg Ardcore – 94.9 Pts (Islay, Scotland)

3.    Dewar's Double Double 32 Year Old – 94.4 Pts (Scotland)

4.    Dewar's Double Double 36 Year Old –  94.3 Pts (Scotland)

5.    Ardbeg Corravreckan –  93.8 Pts (Islay, Scotland)

6.    Ardbeg Uigeadail –  93.6 Pts (Islay, Scotland)

7.    Dewar's Double Double 27 Year Old –  93.55 Pts (Scotland)

8.    W.L. Weller Special Reserve –  93.48 Pts (Kentucky, USA)

9.    Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – 93.43 Pts (Taiwan)

10.  Starward Unexpeated –  93.4 Pts (Australia)

11.  MORRIS Australian Single Malt Whisky Muscat Barrel – 92.9 Pts (Australia)

12.   Glenmorangie Lasanta - 12 Year Old – 92.8 Pts (Highland, Scotland) in a tie with

12.   Ardbeg For Discussion - 8 Year Old – 92.8 Pts (Islay, Scotland)

14.   Kavalan Solist Madeira Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – 92.7 Pts (Taiwan)

15.   Glenmorangie Signet – 92.65 Pts (Highland, Scotland)

SCOTLAND

Best Single Malt Scotch

1st Place: Aberlour A'Bundah – 95.8 Pts

2nd Place: Ardbeg Ardcore  – 94.9 Pts

3rd Place:  Ardbeg Corravreckan – 93.8 Pts

Best New Scotch Release

1st Place: Ardbeg Ardcore – 94.9 Pts

2nd Place: Dewar’s Double Double - 36 Year Old – 94.3 Pts

3rd Place: Ardbeg For Discussion - 8 Year Old – 92.8 Pts

Best Single Malt Scotch NAS (No Age Statement)

1st Place: Aberlour A'Bundah – 95.8 Pts

2nd Place:  Ardbeg Ardcore – 94.9 Pts

3rd Place:  Ardbeg Corravreckan – 93.8 Pts

Best Single Malt Scotch 10 Year Old and Under

1st Place: Ardbeg For Discussion - 8 Year Old – 92.8 Pts

2nd Place: Ardbeg Wee Beastie - 5 Year Old – 92.3 Pts

3rd Place: Glenmorangie The Original - 10 Year Old – 91.6 Pts

Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Year Old

1st Place: Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 Year Old – 92.8 Pts

2nd Place: Glenmorangie The Accord 12 Year Old – 91.7 Pts

3rd Place: Aberlour 12 – 90.9 Pts

Best Single Malt Scotch 13-14 Year Old

1st Place: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old – 92.2 Pts

2nd Place: Ardbeg Fermutation 13 Year Old – 90.8 Pts

3rd Place: Glenmorangie Elementa 14 Year Old – 89.7 Pts

Best Single Malt Scotch 15 Year Old

1st Place: Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate Batch 2 - 15 Year Old – 91 Pts

2nd Place: The Glenlivet 15 Year Old – 87.7 Pts

3rd Place: Bowmore 15 Year Old – 87.5 pts

Best Single Malt Scotch 16-17 Year Old

1st Place: Glenmorangie The Tribute 16 Year Old – 90.9 Pts

2nd Place: Aberlour 16 – 88.9 Pts

3rd Place: Glenfarclas 17 Year Old – 87.5 Pts

Best Single Malt Scotch 18 Year Old

1st Place:  Aberlour 18 – 90.7 Pts

2nd Place: The Glenlivet 18 Year Old – 90.3 Pts

3rd Place: Glenmorangie 18 Year Old - Extremely Rare  – 89.8 Pts

Best Single Malt Scotch 19-25 Year Old

1st Place: Ardbeg 25 Year Old – 92.45 Pts

2nd Place: Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old (Batch 3) – 91.8 Pts

3rd Place: Glenmorangie 19 Year Old - Finest Reserve – 90 Pts

Best Peated Single Malt

1st Place: Ardbeg Ardcore – 94.9 Pts

2nd Place: Ardbeg Corravreckan – 93.8 Pts

3rd Place: Ardbeg Uigeadail – 93.6 Pts

Best Islay Single Malt

1st Place: Ardbeg Ardcore – 94.9 Pts

2nd Place: Ardbeg Corravreckan – 93.8 Pts

3rd Place: Ardbeg Uigeadail – 93.6 Pts

Best Highland Single Malt

1st Place: Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 Year Old – 92.8 Pts

2nd Place: Glenmorangie Signet – 92.7 Pts

3rd Place: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old – 92.2 Pts

Best Speyside Single Malt

1st Place: Aberlour A’Bunadh – 95.8 Pts

2nd Place: Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba - Batch 4 – 92.5 Pts

3rd Place: Aberlour Casg Annamh - Batch 5 – 91.4 Pts

Best Lowland Single Malt

1st Place: Glasgow 1770 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Peated – 89.1 Pts

Best Cask Strength Scotch

1st Place: Aberlour A’Bunadh– 95.8 Pts

2nd Place: Ardbeg Corryvreckan – 93.8 Pts

3rd Place: Ardbeg Uigeadail  – 93.6 Pts

Best Blended Scotch

1st Place: Dewar’s Double Double - 32 Year Old – 94.4 Pts

2nd Place: Dewar’s Double Double - 36 Year Old – 94.3 Pts

3rd Place: Dewar’s Double Double - 27 Year Old – 93.55 Pts

Best Blended Scotch 10 Year and Under

1st Place: Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth - 8 Year Old – 91.9 Pts

2nd Place: Dewar’s Portuguese Smooth - 8 Year Old– 91 Pts

3rd Place: Dewar’s Japanese Smooth - 8 Year Old – 90 Pts

Best Blended Scotch 12-15 Year Old

1st Place: Dewar’s 15 Year - Old The Monarch – 89.1 Pts

2nd Place: Dewar’s 12 Year - Old The Ancestor – 87.5 Pts

Best Blended Scotch 16-20 Year Old

1st Place: Dewar’s 18 Year Old  - The Vintage – 89.6 Pts

2nd Place: Chivas 18 Year Old – 88.2 Pts

Best Blended Scotch 21-24 Year Old

1st Place: Dewar’s Double Double - 21 Year Old – 91.43 Pts

Best Blended Scotch 25 Year Old And Over

1st Place: Dewar’s Double Double - 32 Year Old – 94.4 Pts

2nd Place: Dewar’s Double Double - 36 Year Old – 94.3 Pts

3rd Place: Dewar’s Double Double - 27 Year Old – 93.6 Pts

Best Blended Scotch - NAS

1st Place: Dewar’s White Label – 87.5 Pts

2nd Place: William Lawson's Blended Scotch Whisky – 86.7 Pts

3rd Place: Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky – 85.1 Pts

WORLD

Best World Whisky*

1st Place: Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – 93.43 Pts (Taiwan)

2nd Place: Starward Unexpeated – 93.4 Pts (Australia)

3rd Place: MORRIS Australian Single Malt Whisky Muscat Barrel – 92.9 Pts (Australia)

Best World Whisky - Cask Strength

1st Place: Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – 93.43 Pts (Taiwan)

2nd Place: Kavalan Solist Madeira Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – 92.7 Pts (Taiwan)

3rd Place: Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky – 92.3 Pts (Taiwan)

All countries are not represented in the above categories. Must score 85 Pts and above to be listed.

Best Indian Whisky

1st Place: Indri - Single Malt - The Three Wood – 89.2 Pts

2nd Place: Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky – 87.2 Pts

3rd Place: Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Whisky – 86.7 Pts

THE GOLDEN BARREL TROPHY

Designed in Switzerland and unveiled at Diageo Archive, the Golden Barrel Trophy represents the pinnacle of excellence in whisky making, showcasing two lions holding a whisky barrel. It is cast in bronze with 24K golden leaves on each side of the barrel. The Golden Barrel will be kept by the winner of the Whisky of the Year until next year’s competition and the name of each winner will be engraved in its marble base to commemorate the history of each annual Whisky of the Year. Basically, the Golden Barrel is to whisky what the World Cup is to football.

The winner this year was Aberlour Distillery.