The most demanding palates gave their verdict and chose the best whiskey Scotch made from pure malt. The Scotch Whisky Masters revealed the results of the 2024 tasting and chose the “Royal Brackla”with 92 degrees of alcohol, from a 212-year-old distillery.
The annual competition results from a blind tasting of whiskies, which includes a panel of experts made up of some of the UK’s most trusted palates.
The judges ruled in the recent version of the presentation that 30 expressions of the “water of life”, as this noble drink is known in the ancient Gaelic language, occupy the highest honor of “Master”, which covers all subtypes of whisky: blended, blended malt, blended grain, single grain and single malt.
The best whiskey in the world
The winner of the competition is a single malt, i.e. the purest and noblest variety of the drink. The winner “Royal Brackla” is from a 212-year-old distillery. It won two “Master” medals for its single malts from the Highlands (the lands of northern Scotland) aged between 19 and 30 years.
This is a 21-year-old whiskey, finished in a combination of casks of odorous, cut stick and Pedro Ximénez with 92 degrees of alcohol, with notes of cinnamon, cocoa and maple syrup
The other medal winner is the 25 Year Old, which is finished exclusively in casks of PX and is bottled at the same alcohol content, but offers greater depth, with rich, robust dark fruits. Think dried figs, raisins and leather.
Although it is exported in relatively limited quantities, you should have no problem finding it. Royal Brackla on the shelves of IsUnited States at a price close to US$600 per bottle.
Its older brother, however, is much harder to come by in this market. It is the most recent addition to the distillery’s core portfolio and, for now, is primarily aimed at the British market, where it is sold for 1,025 pounds sterling (approximately 1,281.25 dollars).
Other big winners at the 2024 Scotch Whisky Masters include The GlenAllachiewho won a Master’s for his expression Meikle Toir Sherry with peat smoke; Kilchomanwhich dominated the category of Islay no age declaration; and the parent organisation of Royal Brackla, John Dewar & Sons. In addition to the awards won by Royal Brackla, the Scotch whisky company owned by Bacarditook Masters for the Oloroso Sherry Cask 12 years old Aultmore and by a 13-year-old expression from the malt maker of Speyside, Craigellachie.
American consumers, meanwhile, should not be surprised by the wide range of masterful entries, especially in the single malt categories. According to the latest data from the Distilled Spirits Council, the Scotch whisky market in the United States is more robust than ever. In 2023, rising demand drove a 140% increase in super-premium single malt sales.
The only thing surprising to us is that Royal Brackla isn’t a more recognizable name among Scotch whisky drinkers in the United States. The distillery’s signature style is rich and fruity, in part due to its long fermentation times. These elements are often accentuated by the generous use of sherry casks. Ultimately, it’s the kind of flavor profile that many aficionados love. If you haven’t been paying attention to Royal Brackla, let these results serve as a wake-up call.
With information from Forbes
Source: Ambito
