World Whiskies Awards 2025: GlenAllachie 12 Takes Top Honours as Global Winners Revealed

The whisky world has its new champions. The World Whiskies Awards 2025, presented by Whisky Magazine, have announced their winners following rigorous blind tastings by industry experts. This year’s results showcase both traditional excellence and the growing diversity of whisky production worldwide.

Scotland Reclaims the Crown

GlenAllachie 12 Years Old has claimed the coveted title of World’s Best Single Malt, marking a triumphant moment for sherry-led Speyside malts. Judges praised its rich layers of sultanas, flapjacks, milk chocolate, dried apple, orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla custard. It’s a whisky that exemplifies the craftsmanship Billy Walker and his team have brought to GlenAllachie since acquiring the distillery in 2017.

The win highlights how traditional Scottish whisky-making, when executed with precision and passion, continues to set the benchmark for quality while showing the enduring appeal of sherry maturation.

Global Excellence Across Categories

Beyond Speyside, the awards celebrated excellence from across the globe, with standout winners underlining whisky’s increasingly international identity:

• World’s Best Blended Whisky: Three Ships Bourbon Cask (South Africa) – a smooth Cape blend with smoked pineapple, caramel, and cornflake sweetness, confirming South Africa’s place on the world stage.

• World’s Best Bourbon: Old Fitzgerald 2024 VVS (United States) – a Kentucky wheated bourbon showcasing oak, cherry, and cocoa richness, part of the ongoing trend toward extra-aged, allocated releases.

Notable Category Winners

The competition recognised craftsmanship across multiple styles and regions:

• Best Blended Malt: Great Drams “Campbeltown” (Scotland)

• Best Blended Limited Release: Ichiro’s Malt & Grain 2025 (Japan)

• Best Pot Still: Redbreast 27 Year Old (Ireland)

• Best Rye: GrainHenge “Arrowwood” (Canada)

• Best Grain: Fercullen 15 Year Old (Ireland)

• Best Single Barrel Bourbon: Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel (United States)

• Best Tennessee Whiskey: Jack Daniel’s 12 Years Old, Batch 2# (United States)

• Best Wheat Whiskey: Thy Whisky “Heritage Wheat” (Denmark)

• Best Single Cask Single Grain: The Westfalian “2012 TW08” (Germany)

• Best Finished Bourbon: Wenzel Sherry (United States)

• Best New Make & Young Spirit: Ve De Di “Pale Ale Mash” (Vietnam)

  
  

Emerging Trends and Global Expansion

This year’s results underline several key trends. South Africa’s Three Ships and Denmark’s Thy Whisky highlight the growing credibility of non-traditional whisky nations. Vietnam’s innovative Ve De Di demonstrates how new markets are experimenting with mash bills and production techniques, while Germany’s Westfalian single grain reinforces Europe’s ability to deliver world-class spirits outside Scotland and Ireland.

What This Means for Whisky Enthusiasts

For whisky lovers, the awards remain a reliable guide in an increasingly crowded marketplace. GlenAllachie’s triumph confirms the enduring value of sherry-matured Speyside malts, while the international winners show there are exciting discoveries well beyond traditional whisky regions.

The World Whiskies Awards continue to serve as a benchmark of quality, celebrating both tradition and innovation while helping enthusiasts navigate the expanding global whisky landscape.