The big winners have been announced at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards. And there’s already a ton of buzz surrounding the results. For good reason. The highly respected competition debuted back in 2007 and since that time it has served as something of a kingmaker for now-legendary labels of liquid that were once considered obscure. We’re not just talking about best scotch here, either.
In 2012, WWA helped hoist Japanese whisky on the global map when it named Yamazaki 25 that year’s best single malt. 24 months later, Australian whisky was ready for its star turn when Sullivan’s Cove took the 2014 top prize back home to Tasmania.
This year that title was retained by the style’s most traditional home of Scotland. Yes, the winning entry–The GlenAllachie 12–is indeed a single malt scotch. Nevertheless, the champion is a bottling from a brand that remains relatively unknown…To many casual drinkers here in the US, that is. Veritable scotch enthusiasts have been well aware of its excellence since at least 2017, when industry icon Billy Walker (formerly of The Glendronach) assumed the reins of the Speyside-based distillery.
In the ensuing years, limited edition releases from the facility have been met by lengthy queues and growing demand. Many experts and connoisseurs we’ve spoken to in recent years haven’t been shy to label GlenAllachie–and its stock of superb, sherry-forward malts–as “the next Macallan.”
All this is to say, if you’ve been sleeping on this spirit it’s time to wake up. And the 12-year-old-label happens to be a great starting point on your journey of awakening. Comprising robust malt that was matured in a combination of PX as well as Oloroso sherry casks, the 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered offering is especially typical of the house style. The distinguished palates at the World Whiskies Awards had this to say when singling it out as the best in show:
“A nose of rich sultanas, flapjacks, and milk chocolate, alongside acetone notes. On the palate, dried apple, gourmet chutney, orange zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon emerge, complemented by vanilla custard. The finish is medium-long, oily, and slightly warm, making for a very enjoyable dram.”
A delicious assortment of tasting notes, to be sure. As an added cherry on top, however, this is a readily available release currently sitting on US shelves at around $72 a bottle. But then again, age statement Yamazaki was once similarly-priced before the World Whiskies Awards came along and changed the fate–and associated cost–of that brand forever.