At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024, 84 different spirits were awarded Platinum medals. Of those 84, 15 of those were age-statement single malt scotch whiskies.
Hailing from distilleries across Scotland, these single malt scotch whiskies beat out the competition to claim the highest honor at the competition, which was held in April of this year. Held by The Tasting Alliance, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition sees thousands of entries across multiple categories. Each spirit is meticulously tasted by a panel of expert judges and awarded medals accordingly.
Single Malt Scotch Whiskies At The SFWSC
Continuing my ongoing deep dive into whisky awards, I thought today we could focus on single malt scotch whiskies.
Given the prevalence of scotch across the world, it will come as no surprise that there were hundreds of entries to the competition. However, only 15 single malts were awarded Platinum medals. This article will be done in two parts, with the first nine single malts featured today, and the rest next week. So, keep an eye on the Awards Series page for the next installment.
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So, without further ado, here are nine Platinum medal-winning single malt scotch whiskies from the 2024 SFWSC.
Ardbeg 25 Year Old
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Smoked cream, peppermint, toffee, fennel, pine resin, herbal, sherbert lemon, carbolic soap, tar, aniseed, chilli pepper
BUY NOW: $899.99
The Ardbeg 25 Year Old is the oldest expression currently in Ardbeg’s core range. How long it will remain in the core range, though, is up for debate.
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According to the distillery website, the whisky is “bottled from incredibly rare casks filled during some of the Distillery’s darkest days,” referring to the turbulent period at Ardbeg from the early 80s to the late 1990s. Thankfully, in 1997, the distillery was purchased by Glenmorangie plc and has since gone from strength to strength. The Ardbeg Committee, a worldwide Ardbeg fan club, now has over 180,000 members, a testament to the popularity of this Islay single malt despite a rocky history.
The PPM (phenol parts per million) of the Ardbeg 25 Year Old is not stated on the Ardbeg Distillery website. However, the brand insists that “This supreme expression proves unequivocally that age cannot tame Ardbeg’s smoky power.”
Bottled at 46%, this smoky single malt is perfect for those who prefer a high-age single malt with a peaty kick.
Benriach The Thirty
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Stewed plum, baked orange, smoked walnut, cinnamon cocoa, dark fruit, manuka honey, chocolate rain, smoked honey
BUY NOW: $649.99
Benriach Distillery is part of the Brown-Forman family of single malts. With Master Blender Rachel Barrie at the helm, Benriach has made its mark on the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. There are two expressions on this list and one that I have bookmarked for next week.
Benriach The Thirty is a peated, four-cask matured expression, aged in a combination of sherry, bourbon, virgin oak, and port casks. This maturation schedule has resulted in multi-layered and complex single malts, which were carefully married together by Rachel Barrie. She says: “The Thirty has an incredible intensity of flavour but also exceptional refinement. The deepest, richest expression of Benriach on every level.”
The distillery has been under the control of Brown-Forman since 2016 when the company acquired the Benriach Distillery Company which also owned The Glendronach and Glenglassaugh. Rachel Barrie is now the Master Blender for all three distilleries.
Benriach The Twenty Five
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Smoked apricot, dark cherry chocolate, hazelnut toffee, barked fruit, toasted oak spice, orange, cinnamon spice, caramelised smoke
BUY NOW: $652.99
Benriach The Twenty Five also won a Platinum medal at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The whisky is created in a similar way to the 30 Year Old.
The whisky is a combination of both peated and unpeated spirit matured in four different casks: sherry, bourbon, virgin oak, and Madeira Island wine.
Of The Twenty Five, Barrie says: “At Twenty Five Years Benriach begins to take on an enhanced depth of character. Rich baked fruits, honeyed malt and a caramel smoke finish elevate the sumptuous, rich flavour of this four cask matured expression.”
Craigellachie 17 Year Old
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Vanilla, dried pineapple, cereal, spice, smoky liquorice
BUY NOW: $154.99
Craigellachie Distillery is under the Dewar’s sable alongside Aberfeldy and Royal Brackla. These distilleries are under the watchful eye of another female Master Blender, Stephanie Macleod.
The Craigellachie 17 Year Old undergoes an interesting maturation style. Firstly, the whisky is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before being vatted together. Then, 50% of this vatting is finished in first-fill sherry casks, with the rest finished in first-fill bourbon. The whisky is then married back together.
The result, according to the Craigellachie website, is an “unapologetic and distinct whisky, robust and muscular in flavour” bottled at 46% ABV. This description seems apt considering that Craigellachie has long been known for the notes of sulphur present in its single malts. These notes are embraced, with long fermentation accentuating the fruity nature of this Speyside single malt.
Glen Scotia 25 Year Old
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Coastal air, red apple, orange peel, vanilla syrup, caramel sweetness
BUY NOW: $479.95
Glen Scotia Distillery is one of the only remaining distilleries operating in what was once the whisky capital of the world: Campbeltown. Despite its small capacity, Glen Scotia has an extensive core range.
The 25 Year Old was added to the distillery’s core range in 2017, and previously won Best In Show Whisky at the SFWSC in 2021. According to the distillery website, the whisky emulates “traditional distillery character and the signature Campbeltown style.”
Billed as ‘Campbeltown’s liquid gold’, the 25 Year Old single malt is matured in American oak before being married in first-fill bourbon and bottled at 48.8% ABV.
Highland Park 18 Year Old
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Cherries, dark chocolate, toffee, marzipan, heather honey, aromatic peat smoke
BUY NOW: $144.99
Highland Park Distillery is located on Orkney, an island located off the north coast of Scotland. The location is notable for a very different kind of peat than can be found on Islay or on the mainland: a floral, heathery peat. This adds a very distinct character to Highland Park whisky
This Highland Park 18 Year Old is matured in a combination of first-fill sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks. Maturation by the sea imbues the whisky was notes of seaspray.
The 18 Year Old has long been highly-awarded and was even named ‘Best Spirit in the World’ by F. Paul Pacult.
Lagavulin 16 Year Old
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Peat smoke, sweetness, sherry, fruit, smoke, spice
BUY NOW: $79.97
Lagavulin whisky is well-known for being a firm favorite of American actor, Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation, The Last of Us). The Lagavulin 16 Year Old has been a fixture of the distillery’s core offerings for decades.
The Lagavulin 16 Year Old was introduced in the 1980s and added to Diageo’s Classic Malts range in 1988. This move thrust the distillery into the spotlight, and the 16 Year Old has won too many awards to count since its initial release.
Adding to its trophy shelf is a Platinum medal from the 2024 SFWSC.
The expression is peat-forward, and suited to those who like their whisky smoky. Lagavulin also recommends trying the dram with a dash of water to bring out more mellow flavors.
Loch Lomond Inchmoan 12 Year Old
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Wood, peat smoke, roasted coffee, green apple, clove, aniseed spice
BUY NOW: $99.99
Loch Lomond Distillery is something of a chameleon in the whisky world. The distillery produces single malt, single grain, and blended scotch whisky. In addition, the spirit can be peated or unpeated.
The Distillery also employs two different stills: straight neck and swan neck. The stills can have a varying effect on the profile of the spirit (i.e. light vs. full-bodied). As such, you never know what you will get next out of Loch Lomond Distillery.
Well, this 12 Year Old Single Malt has definitely impressed whisky fans. The expression is a smokier (lightly peated) version of Loch Lomond’s traditional style. It is matured in three different types of American oak casks and bottled at 46% ABV.
Mortlach 16 Year Old
Medal: Platinum
Tasting Notes: Black orchard fruits, earthiness, spice, apricot, honey
BUY NOW: $88.99
Another whisky under Diageo’s portfolio, Mortlach single malt has flown somewhat under the radar until recent years. The distillery boasts a particularly complex distillation regime, resulting in a complex and somewhat meaty spirit. For many decades, this heavy scotch was reserved for blends and the occasional indie bottling, and a 16 Year Old in 1992.
According to Malts.com, the new Mortlach 16 Year Old is inspired by a whisky of the same age that was released by the distillery in 1992. The whisky was matured exclusively in sherry casks, resulting in a fruity and full-bodied whisky.
In 2014, Diageo announced a new core range for Mortlach. Today, the range consists of a 12 year old, a 16 year old, and 18 year old, and a 20 year old.
More Medal-Winning Whiskies From the SFWSC 2024
As stated at the start of this article, there are six more Platinum medal-winning single malt scotch whiskies from this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. I will delve into those next week.
In the meantime, let us know if you have sampled any of the drams above. Which was your favorite? Which one is the best value? And which one would you buy?
If you are curious about medal winners from other categories, check out my other SFWSC articles here.
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