WHISKY MAGAZINE AWARDS 2023

 WINNERS OF THE WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS
ICONS OF WHISKY 2023

The Whisky Magazine Awards are designed to commend the best people, places and products in the world of whisky. The World Whiskies Awards (part of the World Drinks Awards) commend the best whiskies in the world while the Icons of Whisky Awards honour those who have worked tirelessly for the industry's growth. The World Whiskies Awards also names its World’s Best winners across the breadth of categories within whisky, decided on by an expert judging panel. The magazine is American and tends to be insular.

The World Whiskies Awards 2023 was announced by Whisky Magazine on 30 March 2023 in London. Here’s a list of some of the winners of the World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky 2023.

WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS 2023

World’s Best Blended Whisky
Breckenridge Distillery, High Proof Bourbon Whiskey, USA

World’s Best Blended Limited Release 
Ichiro’s Malt & Grain, Blended Japanese Whisky 2023, Japan

World’s Best Blended Malt
Taketsuru Pure Malt, Japan

World’s Best Bourbon
The Representative Small Batch Bourbon USA

World’s Best Canadian Blended Whisky
Gibson’s Finest Venerable, Canada

World’s Best American Whiskey
Storm King Distilling Co., Side Gig Whiskey, USA

World’s Best Corn Whisky
Upshot Red Corn Whiskey, Australia

World’s Best Finished Bourbon
Ironroot Republic Apotheosis, USA

World’s Best Flavoured Whisky
Tullamore D.E.W. Honey, Ireland

World’s Best Grain
Hwayo X. Premium, Korea

World’s Best New Make and Young Spirit
Niigata Kameda Newpot Peated, Japan

World’s Best Pot Still
Macaloney’s Island Distillery Kildara Signature Selection, Canada

World’s Best Rye
Millstone 100 Rye, Netherlands

World’s Best Single Barrel Bourbon
Tumblin’ Dice Single Barrel, USA

World’s Best Single Cask Single Grain
Rare Auld Grain Invergordon 32 Years Old, Scotland

World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt
Glen Scotia First Fill Bourbon Cask No .372, Scotland

World’s Best Single Cask Single Rye
Stauning Whisky Rye Maple Syrup Single Cask No. 517, Denmark

World’s Best Single Malt
M&H Elements Sherry Cask, Israel

World’s Best Small Batch Single Malt
JJ Corry Irish Whiskey The Flintlock No. 3, Ireland

 WORLD’S WHISKIES AWARDS DESIGN WINNERS 2023

World’s Best Design
Cù Bòcan 15 Years Old, UK

World’s Best Label Design
The Whistler Imperial Stout Cask Finish Batch 002, Ireland

 World’s Best Presentation
Lambay Irish Whiskey Lambay Single Malt 20 Years Old, Ireland

 World’s Best Travel Retail Exclusive
Jura Islanders’ Expression No.2, Scotland

 ICONS OF WHISKY AWARDS 2023

 Bartender of the Year Award
James Lin

Whisky Hotel Bar of the Year
Clive’s Classic Lounge

Supermarket of the Year
Waitrose

Online Retailer of the Year
Master of Malt

Single Outlet Retailer of the Year
McCallum and Sons Whisky Co.

Scotch Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year
Mark Thomson, William Grant & Sons

Master Distiller/Blender of the Year
Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker

Independent Bottler of the Year
Lost Lantern Spirits

Distiller of the Year
Heaven Hill Distillery

Visitor Attraction of the Year
Johnnie Walker Princes Street

Sustainable Distillery of the Year
Stauning Whisky

Single Estate
Lochlea Distillery

THE WORLD’S BEST SINGLE MALT WHISKY 
ACCORDING TO THE 2023 WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS

Hundreds of distillers and industry veterans in attendance that night patiently awaited the big reveal: World’s Best Single Malt. And many of them were ballroom floored. The grand prize went not to a producer from the major malt makers Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan or India. Instead, it was collected by M&H out of Tel Aviv. C’est vrai.

The distillery, formerly Milk & Honey, won the accolade for its Sherry Cask expression—non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% ABV. The man responsible for crafting it was head distiller Tomer Goren. 

What does this now-iconic liquid taste like? Initially released in mid-2020, M&H Sherry Cask is part of the brand’s Elements series which focuses on unique components of maturation. To wit, it is the first whisky ever to be aged in Kosher sherry casks from the Jerez region of Spain. In the hot and arid Middle Eastern climate, the application of this cooperage has imbued the underlying whisky with a thumping melody of red fruit, dark chocolate and, ultimately, tobacco. It’s a complicated symphony that lingers on the palate for far longer than you might suspect from a non-age-statement offering.

Though exactly how old this whisky has yet to be discovered, M&H only started laying down liquid back in 2014. So, at the absolute oldest it’s still under a decade. This sort of depth detected after relatively few years in the cask is a testament to the benefits of accelerated ageing experienced in this particular part of the world. Best of all, it is on American shelves for a retail price of $65 per bottle, but there is no guarantee that price will hold after the news of this past week.

DETAILS

WORLD'S BEST BLENDED WHISK(E)Y: BRECKENRIDGE HIGH PROOF BOURBON

Best AMERICAN Blended
Breckenridge Distillery
High Proof Bourbon Whiskey
United States

Best IRISH Blended
Red Locks Irish Whiskey
Blended Straight Irish Whiskey
Republic Of Ireland

Best SCOTCH Blended
Dewar's French Smooth 8 Years Old
Scotland

Best INTERNATIONAL Blended
Saburomaru Whisky 2022 The Sun
No Age Statement

Best GERMAN Blended
St. Kilian Distillers
Terence Hill The Hero Whisky Rauchig

Best JAPANESE Blended
Kirin Single Blended Japanese Whisky Fuji
No Age Statement

WORLD'S BEST BLENDED MALT

Taketsuru Pure Malt 43% ABV No Age Statement

Best JAPANESE Blended Malt
Company: The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd

Best INTERNATIONAL Blended Malt
Nikka Session No Age Statement 43% ABV
The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd, JAPAN

Best SCOTCH Blended Malt
Cambridge Circus, 32 Years Old Oloroso Sherry
Single & Single Whisky 47.3%
Walking Back The Cat Limited

Royal Salute 21 Years Old
The Malts Blend
Blended Malt, 700 ml ABV: 40%
Chivas Brothers, Pernod Ricard

BEST SCOTCH WHISKY BY REGION

Best SCOTCH Islands (Non-Islay) Single Malt 12 Years & Under
Tobermory 12 Years Old ABV 46.3% 700 ml
Distell International Holdings Limited

Best SCOTCH Lowlands Single Malt
21 Years & Over
Rosebank 31 Years Old ABV 48.1%
Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd.

Best SCOTCH Islay Single Malt
Ardbeg 25 Years Old ABV 46% 700 ml
The Glenmorangie Company

Best SCOTCH Highlands Single Malt
No Age Statement
Glenmorangie Signet ABV 46% 700 ml
The Glenmorangie Company

Best SCOTCH Speyside Single Malt
The Glenlivet Archive 21 Years Old ABV 43% 700 ml
Chivas Brothers
Pernod Ricard

Best SCOTCH Campbeltown Single Malt
Glen Scotia Double Cask No Age Statement
ABV 46% 700 ml
Glen Scotia Distillery

Best INDIAN Single Malt
Amrut Indian Single Malt No Age Statement ABV 62.8% 700ml
Peated Indian Single Malt Whisky
Amrut Distilleries

Privacy Policy