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Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The World's Best Scotch—According To The 2025 International Whisky Competition
Aultmore Oloroso Sherry Cask GTR 25 Years Old officially crowned the best whisky in the world Earlier this month we reported on the best bourbon from this year's International Whisky Competition. To better understand what makes these awards so significant, check out what we wrote here. Of course, as its name implies, IWC evaluates much more than just American juice. Indeed, it dishes out medals across all major global categories of our beloved brown spirit. When it comes to Scotch, the top-scoring entry for 2025 was an absolute shocker. Though not for the reasons you might suspect… Aultmore 25 Years Old 1st Fill Oloroso Finish earned the highest marks with an impressive showing of 95.10 points. It's a belter of a dram, dispensing a harmonious medley of fresh fig aromas, a spiced pineapple palate and a lingering thread of brioche smothered in Mānuka honey. No surprises that it garnered monumental praise from the expert sippers within the IWC tasting panel. The stunning thing here is that this marks the second year in a row that Aultmore 25 has taken home the top prize in the Scotch category. It would be an enviable feat for any brand, to be sure. But the achievement is even more remarkable when you consider that Aultmore remains a fairly esoteric label here in the US. If drinkers were more fully aware of its pedigree, they would probably be less inclined to sleep on its success. The 130-year-old distillery in the heart of Speyside is owned today by John Dewar and Sons (and its parent company, Bacardi). That means much of the 2.1 million liters per year pumping out of its pot stills is reserved for the enduringly popular Blended Scotch line. It also means that Dewar's master blender, Stephanie Macleod is the one in charge of overseeing production here. And she's nothing short of a legend in the industry. In fact, the IWC has named her 'Master Blender of the Year,' a total of six times–more than anyone else in the competition's 15-year history. Casual Scotch drinkers are well acquainted with her work in bringing Dewar's to market. But connoisseurs also ought to be well-versed in the single malts she crafts for Aberfeldy, Craigellachie and Royal Brackla. All of those whiskies enjoy wider distribution than Aultmore. At best, the only expression you're going to see of it on American shelves is a 12-year-old liquid defined by its dank and verdant nose. It typically retails for upwards of $60 a bottle. More recently, Aultmore introduced its Cask Finish Collection. The award winning 25-year-old in question is part of this ongoing series. And considering its unprecedented string of success at IWC, we sure hope it augurs well for more of this malt to make its way Stateside. 'Aultmore is usually all about heralding its spirit and the wood, with little intervention," explains Macleod. "This collection takes a different approach, and shows Aultmore in a contrasting light, while still allowing the distillery's character to shine through.' To achieve such, Macleod and her team took whisky from refill hogsheads and barrels – which had patiently matured for over two decades – and then entered it into first-fill sherry casks to impart that lasting spiced honey note to each sip. It holds heft and yet simultaneously flaunts a spring-like florality that goes down effortlessly at 46% ABV. If only there weren't so much effort required in finding a bottle. A spokesperson for the brand says that a 50cl decanter retails for a suggested $500. And for now it's only available in global travel retail in the Asian-Pacific market. If you happen to be passing through an airport in that region anytime soon, keep your eyes peeled. Alternatively, you could always apply to be a judge at next year's International Whisky Competition. They seem to have no trouble getting ahold of this precious nectar. Stephanie Macleod (right) master blender for John Dewar and Sons—parent company of Aultmore ... More Distillery (Photo by)
Forbes
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The World's Best Bourbon—According To The 2025 International Whisky Competition
A. Smith Bowman 10 year old Cask Strength Bourbon (Batch 4) The results are in from the latest edition of the International Whisky Competition and the grand prize winner for bourbon is a bottling for the ages. But before we get into that, let's provide a brief bit of background on the judging itself--and why you should care about its findings. IWC was founded in 2010 by a pair of industry veterans in Chicago. It has been held every year since and has grown into what its organizers call the 'world's most-followed whisky only competition.' A big part of that following was amassed through the publication of the International Whisky Guide. Initially released in 2016, it read not unlike the Michelin guidebooks, which helped make that brand internationally synonymous with elevated cuisine. Judges sip blindly through hundreds of entries each year. To avoid palate fatigue they are presented with one whisky at a time, compiling in-depth notes at every step from sight, to nose, to finish. Ultimately these notes are reviewed and assessed by a tasting panel committee who awards a final score to each liquid out of 100. The 16th International Whisky Competition was held this year in Louisville, Kentucky. It's fitting since we are about to talk about the best bourbon honor. And yet the tasting panel this year conferred that distinction upon a brilliant, barrel-strength selection hailing from Virginia: A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength (Batch #4). Netting an impressive 97.01 points, it was also the highest rated American whiskey at IWC this year and was a mere .03 points away from being the top scoring whiskey across all categories. This particular series of barrel strength, 10-year-old spirit became a permanent part of the distillery's portfolio back in the summer of 2021. It instantly amassed a devoted following amongst bourbon enthusiasts. Indeed, it carries the trusted trifecta of a cult classic: full in flavor, high in proof and tight on allocation. The expression taking home the top prize at IWC this year was the 4th batch in the series, released earlier this year. Uncut and non-chill filtered, it hits the bottle at a hefty 139.7 proof (69.85% ABV). Despite all that heat, assertive aromas of dried cherry and vanilla eclipse any ethanol in the nose. The palate is presented with a creamy-textured affair, drenched with ginger spice, vanilla and cinnamon red hots. Nothing too out-of-the-ordinary here; all hallmarks of the category--albeit offered in high volume here. The true treasure of this dram, however, arrives as a parting gift in the finish. Brûléed stone fruit accompanies tanned leather in a slow, powerful parade. It is a belter, to be sure. Though that sturdiness is built upon sweat--not heat. So, ultimately each sip actually belies the utter strength of its intimidating ABV. None of this craft mastery should come as too much of a surprise. Despite its location, some 550 miles east of Bluegrass Country, the Bowman distillery is hardly an outlier for fans of bourbon. It offers a proud history stretching back to the very day after Prohibition ended. And since it is today owned by the very same family responsible for Buffalo Trace, it is seen as a sister distillery to that storied facility. This certainly affords the brand a pronounced halo effect. All this is to say, if you spy a bottle of A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength at or near its suggested $99 retail price, you shouldn't hesitate to bring it home. Follow along for more must-have bottles from the 2025 International Whisky Competition. The winning bottle of bourbon at 2025 IWC
