Best Of Class Scotch Finalists SFWSC 2022

This Lowlands distillery is the first Australian-owned Scotch distillery. Midnight Peat is finished in smoky, spicy ex-peated whisky casks, Midnight Peat is designed by acclaimed Master Distiller, Nick Savage in collaboration with Australian cocktail bartenders. It starts off with rich campfire smoke aromas, tastes like toffee apples, honey, and custard, and finishes with a spicy, sweet mouthfeel and a tingly, smoky finish.

Produced a the Loch Lomond Distillery, this blend of Highland malt and grain whiskies has a soft fruit and vanilla character with a hint of peat. Clansman is approachable and easy to drink, good for sipping neat or mixing into classic Scotch cocktails.

Pronounced ‘Oog-a-dal’, it’s a special vatting that marries Ardbeg’s traditional rich, deep, smoky notes with luscious, raisiny tones of old ex-sherry casks. Full flavored and rich with a deep mouth-coating texture, the taste is an intriguing balance between sweet, spicy, and deep smoky flavors.

Each cask is hand-selected from their reserve cellar, chosen for its rare characteristics, exceptional maturity, and the flavors it can provide. Bottled in the traditional way straight from the cask and without filtration, its subtle wood and vanilla flavor is enhanced by a full-bodied spicy fruit aroma, cinnamon and fruit notes on the palate, and mildly smoky aftertaste.

Lindores’ MCDXCIV (1494) is matured in a selection of courbon barrels, wine barriques, and sherry butts for a unique and nuanced flavor profile. Distilled from Kingdom of Fife barley through their distinctive ‘sister’ spirit stills and distillery bottled, this Scotch is floral and fruity on the nose with tropical fruit and citrus notes on the palate and a long, sweet finish.

Port Charlotte 10 Year Old was conceived, distilled, matured, and bottled on Islay alone. This young team has deep-rooted values and an ambition to make the ultimate “Islay” Islay whisky, showcasing where they are from. It’s peaty, smoky, and slightly fruity on the nose, sweet on the palate with stone and tropical fruit notes and carries a long, sweet finish. 

Glengarry 12 Years Old Single Malt Whisky is light, floral, and a bit grassy. It is aged in three types of casks — bourbon, refill and re-charred — for a period of 12 years. On the palate, find peach, pear, and apricot with caramel, finishing with a touch of spice.

Matured in a high proportion of first-fill sherry seasoned European and American oak casks, this superb single malt presents a sophisticated medley of ripe cherries and tropical fruits, freshly harvested honeycomb, and candied orange peel. The aromatic peat smoke holds a whisper of Orkney’s salty seaspray.

Aged in oak casks for at least 16 years, this much sought-after single malt has the massive peat-smoke flavor that’s typical of southern Islay, while also offering richness and a dryness that turns it into a truly interesting dram. Dry peat smoke fills the palate with a gentle but strong sweetness, followed by sea and salt with touches of wood.

Loch Lomond 14 Year Old delivers a delightful fruit-driven character, crafted using a combination of spirits from the distillery’s innovative and unique straight neck pot stills and more traditional swan neck stills. Matured in American oak with a finishing period in French Limousin oak casks. On the palate are notes of spiced apple and vanilla fudge, some tropical fruit, and a gentle hint of smoke on the sweet, creamy finish.

A richly sumptuous single malt, interwoven with mellow smoke and a masterful curation of oak. Crafted from a combination of unpeated and peated spirit then four cask matured for at least twenty five years in sherry casks, bourbon barrels, virgin oak casks, and Madeira Island wine casks. During long maturation Benriach’s sweet Speyside smoke mellows and integrates with the fruit, malt and oak. After twenty-five years, rich layering develops into caramelized smoke, further enhanced through multi-layered cask maturation. The whisky is then expertly married together to create a sumptuous single malt, layered with baked fruit, honey malt, and toasted oak spice with a long, rich, caramelized smoke finish.

The first annual batch release of Benromach’s 40 Years Old, has just over 1,000 bottles available worldwide. Bottled at a cask strength of 57.1%, this rare single malt whisky was laid down in 1981 before spending four decades maturing in the finest first-fill Oloroso sherry casks. The result is an exquisite single malt with rich ginger aromas and flavors of Seville oranges, red apples, and demerara sugar. It finishes with and subtle oak and citrus zest.

Ardbeg’s 25 Years Old is crafted from raw ingredients woven together to create a whisky distinguished by its exceptional balance, beauty, and prestige. The vibrant, hot, peppery mouthfeel leads into a burst of sherbet lemon, hints of carbolic soap and tar, creamy toffee, aniseed, and chili pepper. A long, mellow, lingering finish with lots of cream, fudge, and delicate antiseptic notes.

Smokehead Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky is intensely rich yet subtly sweet. With immense smoke and notes of sea salt and spice, this whisky that stands out from the crowd with licorice and fruit notes and a long, sweet finish.

GreatDrams’ peated whisky from Islay is matured in first fill bourbon barrels and laden with beautifully balanced, classic Islay peated whisky notes and a creamy, creme brûlée like quality on the nose. On the palate, soothing vanilla and citrus fruits along with cinnamon and warming spice notes.

Johnnie Walker’s only Scotch blended entirely with single malts. their Green Label boasts malts from the four corners of Scotland, aged for at least 15 years. It captures the distinct flavors of each landscape in perfect balance to create a whisky that’s in harmony with nature. Green Label is slightly earthy and peaty with pronounced cereal notes. along with licorice notes, dried fruit and a long finish.

Made with a blend of the finest single malts in the Highlands, Blackhound is fruity and balanced, with hints of vanilla and stone fruit on the nose. It’s creamy and smooth on the plate withtropical fruit notes and hints of licorice.