Described by scotch whisky legend, Jim McEwan, as “[t]he Olympics of whisky competitions”, the International Whisky Competition receives thousands of entrants every year, each hoping to win a coveted medal.
Launched in 2010 in Las Vegas, US, the International Whisky Competition is now one of the most followed whisky competitions in the world, with distillers around the globe wishing to clinch a title. It is held annually in May.
Jim McEwan’s Olympics analogy is bolstered by the International Whisky Competition’s award system, with gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded in each category. Each whisky is awarded points by a panel of judges. Category winners that score over 85 points are eligible for a medal.
As there are a large number of winners every year, I thought I would narrow my focus to age-statement scotch whiskies and explore the gold medal winner from each category.
So, let’s get started.
Best Single Malt Scotch Under 10 Years Old
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old – 91.93 points
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, creosote, tar, eucalyptus, antiseptic lozenges, aniseed, smoked bacon, savoury meats, cocoa, fudge.
BUY NOW: $42.99
Runners Up: Ardbeg 8 Year Old For Discussion – 91.43 points
Added to Ardbeg’s core range in 2020, the Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old is a young single malt that packs a powerful punch. As the distillery describes it: “a feisty young creature with a formidable taste”.
The whisky was matured in both ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 47.4% ABV.
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Ardbeg Distillery was founded in 1815 by the McDougall family. Despite a chequered history involving two periods of mothballing, Ardbeg has become an Islay institution. The distillery claims to produce the smokiest malt on Islay, a claim that Bruichladdich’s Octomore challenges. However, the peat smoke and sherry influence in the Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old strikes the perfect balance.
The single malt was awarded 91.93 points by the judges at the International Whisky Competition in 2023 and given gold in the category Best Single Malt Scotch Under 10 Years Old.
Best Single Malt Scotch 10 Year Old
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Ardbeg Ten Year Old – 89.9 points
Tasting Notes: Peat, lemon and lime juice, pepper, cinnamon-spiced toffee, brine, buttermilk, banana, currants, cappuccino, toasted marshmallow, espresso, liquorice root, tarry smoke, toasted almonds, fresh pear
BUY NOW: $49.00
Runners Up: Laphroaig 10 Year Old – 89.2 points, Glenmorangie The Original 10 Year Old – 88.75 points
Ardbeg’s Ten Year Old, part of its core range, is matured in ex-bourbon casks. According to the distillery website, the whisky “does not flaunt the peat: rather it gives way to the natural sweetness of the malt to produce a whisky of perfect balance”.
Originally bottled and sold in the 1970s, the 10 year old disappeared from Ardbeg’s core range in the early 1990s. Following the acquisition by Glenmorangie plc in 1997, the 10 year old was back on shelves in 2000. In the same year, the Ardbeg Committee was founded.
The early 2000s proved to be something of a renaissance for Ardbeg, which is now one of the quintessential Islay distilleries.
Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Year Old
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Glenmorangie The Accord 12 Year Old 94.6 points
Tasting Notes: Raisins, dates, hazelnuts, milk chocolate, butterscotch, cassia, espresso, marmalade, malt
BUY NOW: $270
Runners Up: Royal Brackla OLOROSO 12 Year Old – 93.2 points, Aberlour 12 Year old – 92 points
The Glenmorangie The Accord 12 Year Old was released exclusively at Dubai Airport in 2019, before being launched across global travel retail in 2020. The bottle was part of a trio of releases including the Glenmorangie The Tribute 16 Year Old and the Glenmorangie The Elementa 14 Year Old.
Matured in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, the whisky was bottled at 12 years old.
Glenmorangie, located in the Highlands of Scotland just outside Tain, experienced success as a single malt far before the category became popular, having been bottled as a single malt in the 1920s.
Since then, the distillery has been growing and expanding. In 2004, the distillery was purchased by parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton under Glenmorangie plc.
The Glenmorangie The Accord 12 Year Old was awarded gold – with 94.6 points – in the category of Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Year Old at the International Whisky Competition.
Best Single Malt Scotch 13-14 Years Old
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old – 92.25 points
Tasting Notes: Mint chocolate, walnuts, rose, Turkish delight, Seville oranges, sandalwood, pepper, nutmeg
BUY NOW: $54.95
Runners Up: The Glenlivet 14 Year Old, Glenmorangie Elementa 14 Year Old – 90.03 points
The Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban is a liquid tribute to Glenmorangie’s characteristically tall stills, which give the whisky an initial light and floral character. Then, the maturation in bourbon casks and port casks deepens the whisky and gives it an extra layer of complexity.
The name of the whisky derives from the word “Quinta”, in Portugal, refers to a country estate in a wine-growing region. The Gaelic word “ruban” means “ruby”, referring to the rich and deeply-colored port that matured in Portugal before the empty casks were shipped to Scotland.
The Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old became a gold medal winner in the category of Best Single Malt Scotch 13-14 Years Old in 2023.
Best Single Malt Scotch 15 Year Old
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Benromach 15 Year Old – 92.53 points
Tasting Notes: Cracked pepper, charred oak, apples, dark chocolate, forest fruits, sherry, a touch of smoke.
BUY NOW: $77.23
Runners Up: The Glenlivet 15 Year Old – 88.93 points, Bowmore 15 Year Old – 86.15 points
The Benromach 15 Year Old first hit the shelves in the 1990s when the distillery was sold to the Urquhart family, of Gordon & Macphail fame.
Gordon & Macphail, which still owns the distillery today, have invested time and money into reviving the Benromach brand, complete with a packaging revamp in 2020.
The modern Benromach 15 Year Old was matured in first-fill bourbon and sherry casks before being bottled at 43% ABV. It was awarded 92.53 points at the International Whisky Competition.
Best Single Malt Scotch 16-17 Years Old
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Glenmorangie The Tribute 16 Year Old – 92.45 points
Tasting Notes: Vanilla, lemon posset, salted almonds, tobacco, peat smoke, zesty citrus fruits, fudge, lemon drizzle, tangy oak.
BUY NOW: $330.99
Runners Up: Aberlour 16 Year Old – 90.15 points, Aberfeldy Madeira Cask 16 Year Old – 90 points
Another in the trio of Glenmorangie travel retail exclusives is the Glenmorangie The Tribute 16 Year Old. Along with The Elementa and The Accord, it was released initially as a Dubai exclusive before being rolled out globally.
The 16 Year Old was matured in American ex-bourbon casks and is also lightly peated as a callback – or tribute – to the old Glenmorangie style, using a peat-fired kiln.
The Glenmorangie The Tribute achieved 92.45 points and a subsequent gold medal at the International Whisky Competition. The Aberlour 16 Year Old and the Aberfeldy Madeira Cask 16 Year Old placed 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Best Single Malt Scotch 18 Year Old
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Aberlour 18 Year Old – 92.13 points
Tasting Notes: Apricot, cream, blackcurrant jam, sweet oak, honey, crème brûlée.
BUY NOW: $156.99
Runners Up: The Glenlivet 18 Year Old – 90.43 points, Glenmorangie 18 Year Old Extremely Rare – 88.98 points
Aberlour Distillery, nestled in the heart of Speyside, is well-known for its sherried single malts alongside classic ex-bourbon. This 18 Year Old is no exception. The whisky was double cask finished in both Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks before being bottled at 43% ABV.
This expression has since disappeared from Aberlour’s core range, meaning that auction and retail are your best chances to get your hands on a bottle.
Now under the ownership of Chivas Brothers and Pernod Ricard, Aberlour Distillery is venturing further into high-age-statement releases and experimental cask finishes.
The Aberlour 18 Year Old clinched gold by 1.7 points from The Glenlivet 18 Year Old at the International Whisky Competition in 2023.
Best Single Malt Scotch 19-24 Years Old
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Caol Ila 1997 23 Year Old Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice – 95.9 points
Tasting Notes: Black pepper, mixed nuts, cocoa powder, citrus, almonds, red berries, bonfire embers.
BUY NOW: N/A
Runners Up: The Glenlivet 21 Year Old The Sample Room Collection – 92.58 points, Aberfeldy 21 Year Old Red Wine Cask St. Emillion – 92.15 points
Gordon & Macphail’s Connoisseurs Choice series is one of the most famous independent bottling exploits in the industry. Since the 1970s, Gordon & Macphail have been bottling impressive vintage, high-age-statement whiskies for the series.
This 23 Year Old whisky hails from Caol Ila Distillery. In a time when the demand for Islay whiskies is on the rise, G&M has continued to bottle rare and stunning whiskies from the island.
The Caol Ila 1997 23 Year Old Connoisseurs Choice was bottled on 2nd July 2021 and clinch gold in the 19-24 year old category at the International Whisky Competition.
Caol Ila Distillery has recently been the subject of great investment by the parent company, Diageo, complete with a new visitors’ center.
Best Single Malt Scotch 25 Year Old & Over
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Mortlach 1989 31 Year Old Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice – 97.1 points
Tasting Notes: Honey, almond, raisins, ginger, fruit loaf, cherries.
BUY NOW: N/A
Runners Up: The Glenlivet 25 Year Old The Sample Room Collection – 90.85 points, Ardbeg 25 Year Old – 90 points
Last, but certainly not least, we have the Mortlach 1989 31 Year Old Connoisseurs Choice. Joining over 2,000 bottlings completed by the company since Connoisseurs’s Choice’s founding in 1968, the Mortlach was bottled at 54.2% from a refill sherry hogshead.
Only 178 bottles were produced from the cask, adding exclusivity to an already sought-after single malt.
The Mortlach 1989 31 Year Old was also named Whisky of the Year at the International Whisky Competition, with a staggering score of 97.1 points.
Mortlach’s complex distillation regime and characterful, heavy spirit have long made the single malts from the distillery a target for blenders. As such, single malt bottlings from Mortlach have, historically, been very rare. However, official bottlings from Mortlach are now becoming more commonplace, with the distillery’s new Mortlach By Design initiative promising six unique products or experiences every year.
The International Whisky Competition 2024
The International Whisky Competition is held annually in May. For a breakdown of the 2024 winners, keep an eye on The Whiskey Wash.
For more tried and tested scotch whisky recommendations, check out the best whiskies of 2024 according to The Whisky Exchange.
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