Following the IWSC 2024 Spirits Judging earlier this year, we are thrilled to reveal the winners of our spirits trophies.
Highlights
This year's judging saw 100 international judges gathering in London to taste over 4,000 spirits entries from around the world. Last week, members of our Spirits Judging Committee were tasked with retasting all our 2024 gold-winning spirits, selecting the very best as this year's trophy winners. The judging panel included: Dawn Davies MW,Olivier Ward, David T Smith, Shannon Tebay and Joel Harrison.
Scotch whisky is always one of the most eagerly anticipated categories at the IWSC and this year was no different. Four trophies were awarded to Scotch single malts: Tomatin Distillery Legacy Single Malt Scotch Whisky, East Asia Whisky Company 35 YO Manta Ray Genesis Bunnahabhain Distillery Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Cask 88 Imperial Distillery The Bothy 25 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Loch Lomond Whiskies 12 YO Inchmurrin Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Another trophy went to a blended Scotch - Diageo Johnnie Walker High Rye Blended Scotch Whisky.
Worldwide whiskey was a tough category to judge with many outstanding entries from across the world. Having assessed all top scoring whiskeys, our judges declared Coors Spirits Co. Five Trail Barrel Proof Batch 003 Blended American Whiskey the trophy winner amongst the worldwide whiskeys.
With many high-quality bourbon entries tasted by our judges in Kentucky, this category received its own well-deserved spotlight. Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. High Rye Bourbon Kentucky Straight Whiskey was regonised as the best bourbon of this year's judging.
Gin was the biggest category this year with over 760 medals, 50 of which were gold, highlighting just how impressive the quality was within the category. Two gin trophies were awarded this year, with Junipero’s Smoked Rosemary Gin regonised as the best flavoured gin, and Overproof Gin from Naught Distilling achieving the classic gin trophy 2024.
Having retasted many gold and gold outstanding award winning rums, our judges unanimously selected R L Seale Foursquare 14 YO Equipoise Rum as the rum trophy winner.
Initiale Vodka from Maison Solignac clinched the vodka trophy 2024¸an impressive feat considering Vodka had it’s "strongest year ever" at IWSC awards, according to Spirits Judging Committee member David T Smith.
Congratulations to all our spirits trophy winners on their brilliant performance.