The 4th annual Scottish Whisky Awards revealed the winners from its comprehensive competition that included the blind tasting of nearly 200 Scotch whiskies and the assessment of product from 61 Scottish distilleries and independent bottlers.

The ultimate award of the night, Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year, sponsored by Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers, was presented to Isle of Raasay Hebridean Distillers. Their award was presented in recognition of their efforts to create a new destination in Raasay and in their work producing a new and exciting range of Single Malt Scotch.  They also collected the award Tourism Destination of the Year which was sponsored by Dentons.

Graeme Dempster, Account Executive of Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers, commented;

 “Very many congratulations to Isle of Raasay Distillery and to all the whisky producers selected in the Scottish Whisky Awards.  We are delighted to support the event and provide our own contribution to celebrating and rewarding the Scotch whisky industry as they progress their ambitions at home and abroad.”

In the popular taste competition, the biggest winner of the night was The Glenmorangie Distillery who collected 7 medals in total including 4 Gold medals for their products The Elementa, The Accord, Cadboll Estate and their recently launched 1998 Grand Vintage Malt which won in the Single Malt Over 21 Years Old category.

Islay’s Ardbeg Distillery also collected 4 medals including a Gold Medal for their 19 year old, Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch 4.

New and emerging whisky distilleries also took their share of medals.  Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers won a Gold Medal in the Single Malt Non Age Statement Peated category for Mac-Talla Red Wine Barriques.   Ardgowan Distillery collected three awards including a Gold Medal for their Discovery No.4 Single Malt.  Finally, Raer Spirits collected a Gold Medal in the Blended Scotch category for Raer Olorosso Expression Whisky.  They narrowly beat Famous Grouse who collected the Silver Medal and Thomson Brothers collected Bronze in the same category for their Blended Scotch.

Chair of the Judging Panel, Professor Alan Wolstenholme, commented:

“Very many congratulations to all winners who were presented with their awards here tonight. The Scotch whisky industry has united on St Andrews Day once more with a goal to work together to promote and celebrate Scotch as the whisky of choice at home and across the world.”

The event also presented the Dr Jim Swan Award for Services to Scotch Whisky to Pip Hills in recognition of his trailblazing efforts to create The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.  The club is now the largest whisky club in the world with over 35,000 members. 

Receiving the award, Pip Hills said:

“Many thanks for this award.  After I compiled the Scotch Whisky Directory nearly twenty years ago, I thought I had done all I could about Scotch whisky and turned to other things.  I was delighted when I found that the folk who now run the Society are a great bunch of people and that they are doing the sort of things I was trying to do forty years ago. And for this, they have my most sincere thanks.”

Pip Hills was among 430 people who joined the St Andrews Day dinner and celebration which paired a three course Scottish meal with specially chosen Scotch Whisky supplied by Ardnamurchan Distillery, The Glasgow Distillery and North Star Spirits.    Loch Lomond Group supplied welcome drinks to guests and served a Spearhead cocktail and Glen Scotia Double Cask.

 

The Winners in Full:

 

Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year sponsored by Bruce Stevenson

Isle of Raasay Distillery

 

Dr Jim Swan Award for Services to Scotch Whisky

Pip Hills, Founder of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society

 

Sustainable Distillery of the Year sponsored by Michael Laird Architects

Ardnamurchan Distillery

 

Excellence in Branding sponsored by McLaren Packaging

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers

 

Independent Bottler of the Year sponsored by Rankin Brothers

Hannah Whisky Merchants

 

Tourism Destination of the Year sponsored by Dentons

Isle of Raasay Distillery

 

Taste Categories:

 

Single Malt Non Age Statement (Unpeated)

Gold Medal: Glenturret Distillery, The Glenturret Triple Wood

Silver Medal: The Glenmorangie, Glenmorangie Signet

Bronze Medal: The Glasgow Distillery, Glasgow 1770 Triple Distilled

 

Single Malt Non Age Statement (Peated) sponsored by Cara Technology

Gold Medal: Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, Mac-Talla Red Wine Barriques

Silver Medal: Ardbeg, Ardbeg Hypernova

Bronze Medal: Ardbeg, Ardbeg Uigeadail

 

Single Malt Under 12 Years Old sponsored by Winter & Co

Gold Medal: Ardgowan Distillery, Discovery No.4

Silver Medal: Isle of Arran Distillers, Arran Single Malt 10 Years Old

Bronze Medal: Ardbeg, Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Years Old

 

 

Single Malt 12 Years Old sponsored by Scott Group

Gold Medal: Glenmorangie, Glenmorangie The Accord

Silver Medal: Glenmorangie, Glenmorangie Lasanta

Bronze Medal: John Dewar & Sons, Royal Brackla Oloroso 12 Years Old

 

Single Malt 13 – 16 Years Old sponsored by Saverglass

Gold Medal: Glenmorangie, Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate

Silver Medal: Glenmorangie, Glenmorangie The Elementa

Bronze Medal: The Glenturret 15 Years Old, The Glenturret Distillery

 

Single Malt 17 – 20 Years Old sponsored by VCL Vintners

Gold Medal: Ardbeg, Ardbeg 19 Years Old Traigh Bhan Batch 4

Silver Medal: Glenmorangie, Glenmorangie 18 Years Old

Bronze Medal: Glen Scotia, Glen Scotia 18 Years Old

 

Single Malt 21 Years Old and Over sponsored by Sanderson Weatherhall

Gold Medal: Glenmorangie, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1998

Silver Medal: John Dewar & Sons, Royal Brackla Oloroso Palo Cortado & Pedro Ximenez 21 Years Old Scotch

Bronze Medal: John Dewar & Sons, Aultmore 21 Year Old Scotch Single Malt Speyside

 

Blended Malt sponsored by Estuary World 

Gold Medal: Ardgowan Distillery, Clydebuilt Sailmaker

Silver Medal: Glasgow Distillery, Malt Riot Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Bronze Medal: Edrington UK, Naked Malt

 

Blended Malt Aged

Gold Medal: North Star Spirits, Blended Malt for the Sherry Bomb Appreciation Society

Silver Medal: North Star Spirits, Ukraine Bottling

Bronze Medal: Dornoch Distillery, Thompson Brothers 8 Years Old

 

 

Blended Scotch sponsored by Angels Share Glass

Gold Medal: Raer Scotch Whisky, Raer Oloroso Expression Whisky

Silver Medal: Edrington UK, The Famous Grouse

Bronze Medal: Dornoch Distillery, Thompson Brothers Blended Scotch Whisky

 

Single Cask 12 Years Old and Under

Gold Medal: Ardgowan Distillery, Inverdarach Potstill Editions Aon

Silver Medal: North Star Spirits, Periodical Port Octave 7 Years Old

Bronze Medal: Hannah Whisky Merchants, Lady of the Glen Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old

 

Single Cask 13 Years and Over sponsored by In-Drinks

Gold Medal: Goldfinch Whisky Merchants, Paloma

Silver Medal: Chapter 7 Whisky, Monologue Glen Grant 1988

Bronze Medal: North Star Spirits, Dufftown Single Cask