With World Whisky Day coming up this weekend, it’s good timing for the annual and highly authoritative San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) to announce their 2021 winners – amongst them a ‘best in show’ whisky from Glen Scotia. The highly anticipated ‘Oscars of Booze,’ which has been around since 2000, has deemed the Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch as the most impressive whisky in the world right now, with the relatively obscure Campbelltown, Scotland distillery having a huge impact on judges and beating 1,275 other whiskies (and whiskeys – for distinctions sake) for the title.
The Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt is the product of American oak and first-fill bourbon casks, described by the distillery as having a palate of coastal air, red apple, and tangy orange peel, followed by vanilla syrup and caramel sweetness before finishing long with sea salt and spicy ginger notes. In Australia, a 700ml bottle is going for $499, although its already difficult to come across some stock as demand has skyrocketed.
In addition to being named the Best In Show whisky at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt has collected a number of top industry awards over the past few years, but as Master Distiller Iain McCallister says, the latest award is “one of the proudest moments for the distillery to date.”
Whisk(e)y was, of course, not the only thing showcased at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and Best In Show titles were also given out across brandy, liqueur, and unaged white spirits. The spirits award show even introduced a Best Seltzer category – won by Smirnoff’s Zero Sugar Black Cherry Seltzer – to nod to the growing trend, which has swelled so much in the past 12 months that its now difficult to pick out the best hard seltzer available.
A raft of other new categories were also added this year, speaking to the tremendous growth and diversity that continues to run the spirits industry. New categories included non-alcoholic spirits, Japanese whisky, low (under 20%) alcoholic spirits, pre-mixed cocktails, rye whiskey, shōchū, baijiu, and others.
Interestingly, Japanese whisky wasn’t actually a category before this year, and in 2021 the title was sought by 73 entrants. The winner was Matsui, a tiny whisky distillery in Kurayoshi, a small town in Tottori prefecture on the Sea of Japan. Their Pure Malt Whisky The Kurayoshi 18 year old was crowned Best Japanese Whisky.
A full list of all winners at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2021 can be found below.
Best In Show Winners
Best in Show Whisky: Glen Scotia, 25 YO Single Malt Scotch, Scotland
Best in Show Brandy: Tacama, Demonio, De Los Andes Acholado Pisco, Peru
Best in Show Liqueur: Choya Umeshu, Craft Fruit, Japan
Best in Show Unaged White Spirit: Mezcal Amarás Cupreata, Mexico
Best In Category Spirits
VODKA
Best Flavored Vodka: Rosa Vodka, USA
Best Vodka: Absolut, Original Vodka, Sweden
GIN
Best London Dry Gin; Best Gin: Henstone Distillery, London Dry Gin, UK
Best Navy Strength Gin: Tanglin, Black Powder Gin, Singapore
Best Regular Gin: Asbury Park Distilling, Gin, USA
Best Flavored Gin: Collective Arts Distilling, Lavender & Juniper Gin, Canada
Best Barrel-Aged Gin: Sorgin, Yellow Gin, France
Best Genever: Notaris, Bartender’s Choice Genever, The Netherlands
WHITE SPIRITS
Best Aquavit: OP Anderson, Original Aquavit, Sweden
Best Ouzo/Raki: Vittorio Spirits, Ou7o (Ouzo), Australia
Best Other White Spirit: Ola Brew, Okolehao, USA
Best Thai Rice Shōchū, Best Shōchū: Ikehara, Shirayuri, Japan
Best Sweet Potato Shōchū: Hombo Shuzo, Arawaza Sakurajima, Japan
Best Rice Shōchū: Mercian, Yatsushiro Shiranuigura Hakusui Kome Genteishu, Japan
Best Barley Shōchū: Nishiyoshida, Kintaro, Japan
Best Rice Aroma Baijiu: Cardinal Tien Junior College of Healthcare and Management, Rice Bran Baijiu, Taiwan
Best Light Aroma Baijiu: Chongqing Jiangji Distillery Co., Intimate Friend Hand-Craft Sorghum Liquor, China
Best Sauce Aroma Baijiu, Best Baijiu: Yidushaofang, Z Year of the Zodiac Memorial Baijiu, China
Best Strong Aroma Baijiu: Jinshengjiu, Qinghua 20 Baijiu, China
Best Soju: Jinmaek, Jinmaek53, Korea
TEQUILA & AGAVE BASED SPIRITS
Best Silver/Gold Tequila: Calle 23, Tequila Blanco Criollo, Mexico
Best Reposado Tequila: Cierto, Reserve Collection Reposado Tequila, Mexico
Best Añejo Tequila: El Tesoro, Añejo Tequila, Mexico
Best Extra Añejo Tequila: El Tesoro, Extra Añejo Tequila, Mexico
Best Sotol/Bacanora/Comiteca: Izo, Bacanora Silver, Mexico
Best Other Agave Spirit: Perra Suerte, Raicilla, Mexico
RUM
Best White Rum: Hidden Harbor, White Rum, USA
Best Flavored Rum: Ron Colón Salvadoreño, Coffee Infused Rum, El Salvador
Best Dark/Gold Rum: Zaya, Gran Reserva Rum, Trinidad & Tobago
Best Over-Proof Rum: Barrell, Private Release B617, USA
Best Extra-Aged Rum: Appleton Estate, 8 YO Rum, Jamaica
AMERICAN WHISKEY
Best Straight Bourbon: 1792, Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon, USA
Best Small Batch Bourbon – Up to 5 Years: Barrell, Private Release BA1C, USA
Best Small Batch Bourbon – 6 to 10 Years; Best Small Batch Bourbon: Parker’s Heritage Collection, 14th Edition Bourbon, USA
Best Small Batch Bourbon – 11 Years and Older: Blue Run, 14 YO Bourbon, USA
Best Small Batch Bourbon – 11 Years and Older; Best Single Bar: Blue Run, 13.5 Single Barrel Bourbon, USA
Best Single Barrel Bourbon – Up to 10 Years: Henry McKenna, Single Barrel, USA
Best Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon: Bardstown Bourbon Company, Chateau de la Baude Cask Finish, USA
Best Craft Distiller Whiskey: Canyon Diablo Spirits, John Shaw Single Malt Mesquite Smoked Whiskey, USA
Best Tennessee Whiskey: Uncle Nearest, 1820 Premium Single Barrel Whiskey, USA
Best Corn Whiskey: Stillhouse, Original Whiskey, USA
Best Rye Whiskey: WhistlePig, The Boss Hog VII-Magellan’s Atlantic, Canada
Best Wheat Whiskey: Bainbridge, Two Islands Islay Cask Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey, USA
Best Single Grain Whiskey: Bainbridge, Yama Mizunara Cask Single Grain Whiskey, USA
Best American Blended Whiskey: High Bank, Whiskey War Barrel Proof, USA
Best Flavored Whiskey: Ugly Dog, S’mores Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, USA
WORLD WHISKY
Best Canadian Whisky: Canadian Club, Chronicles 43 YO Whisky, Canada
Best Other Single Malt Whisky: King Car, Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky, Taiwan
Best Other Whisky: Three Ships, 5 YO Old Whisky, South Africa
Best Blended Irish Whiskey: Silkie, The Legendary Dark Irish Whiskey, Ireland
Best Single Malt Irish Whiskey; Best Irish Whiskey: Waterford, Hookhead Edition 1.1 Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Ireland
Best Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey: Midleton, Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Knockrath Forest, Ireland
Best Japanese Whisky: Matsui, Pure Malt Whisky The Kurayoshi 18 YO, Japan
SCOTCH WHISKY
Best Blended Scotch – No Age Statement: Compass Box, Glasgow Blended Scotch, Scotland
Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch – Up to 12 Years: Lagavulin, 8 YO Single Malt Scotch, Scotland
Best Blended Scotch – Up to 15 Years: Dewar’s, Caribbean Smooth Rum Cask, Scotland
Best Blended Scotch – 16 Years & Older; Best Blended Scotch: Dewar’s Double Double 27 Palo Cortado Sherry Cask, Scotland
Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch – 13 to 19 Years: Talisker, 18 YO Single Malt Scotch, Scotland
Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch – 20 Years and Older: Glen Scotia, 25 YO Single Malt Scotch, Scotland
Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch – No Age Statement: Highland Park, Cask Strength, Scotland
Best Independent Merchant Single Malt: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Cask 46.104 Turn Me Inside Out, UK
Best Blended Malt Scotch: MacNair’s, 21 YO Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch, Scotland
BRANDY
Best Cognac VSOP or Equivalent: Camus, VSOP Borderies Single Estate, France
Best Cognac XO or Equivalent: Camus, Cognac XO Borderies Family Reserve Single Estate, France
Best Cognac Extra-aged/Vintage: Gautier, Tradition Rare, France
Best Pisco: Tacama, Demonio, De Los Andes Acholado Pisco, Peru
Best Apple Brandy: Ocean Hill, Apple Brandy, USA
Best American Grape Brandy: Argonaut, Fat Thumb Brandy, USA
Best Italian Grape Brandy: Montenegro, Vecchia Romagna Tre Botti, Italy
Best Spanish Grape Brandy & Brandy de Jerez: Cardenal Mendoza, Brandy, Spain
Best Armagnac: Château de Laubade, Cask Strength Vintage 1986 Armagnac, France
OTHER
Best Hard Seltzer: Smirnoff, Zero Sugar Seltzer Black Cherry, USA
Best Fruit Liqueur: Choya Umeshu, Craft Fruit, Japan
Best Coffee Liqueur: The Edwards Potato Vodka Company, Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, UK
Best Herbal/Botanical Liqueur: Brucato Amaro, Chaparral, USA
Best Cream/Dairy Liqueur: Select Club, Pecan Praline Whisky & Cream Liqueur, Canada
Best Other Liqueur: Ancho Reyes, Verde Chile Poblano Liqueur, Mexico
Best Apéritif: Astobiza, Vermouth, Spain
Best Pre-Mixed Cocktail: Cutwater Spirits, Whiskey Mule, USA
Best Non-Alcoholic: Lyre’s, Italian Spritz, Australia
Want some more ideas on what to stock your shelf with? Check out the 14 best tequilas you need to own, the best Australian whiskies to add to your collection, and the best new whiskies to try in 2021.
