American whiskey has scored a Whisky Bible hat-trick by being named as Jim Murray’s World Whisky of the Year for the third year running, with WL Weller 128.2 Proof taking top spot in the 2019 edition of the influential guide.
Speyside single malt Glen Grant Aged 18 Years was named ‘Second Finest Whisky in the World’ – making the top three for the third successive year – with Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 127.2 Proof in third place. The Weller and Handy whiskeys are both part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2017.
US whiskeys have now taken the Whisky Bible top spot for three years in a row, following victory last year for Colonel EH Taylor Four Grain Bourbon, and for Booker’s Rye in the 2017 guide.
WL Weller also made the Whisky Bible top five in 2016, and was placed third in 2017. Another Bourbon, Blanton’s Gold Edition Single Barrel, was named as 2019’s Single Cask Whisky of the Year.
It is now five years since a Scotch was named Whisky of the Year (Glenmorangie Ealanta, Whisky Bible 2014), with the top spot going to Japan, Canada and the US since then.
Murray praised the ‘unique brilliance’ of WL Weller, describing it as ‘the most delicious lesson in whiskey structure imaginable’.
Glen Grant Aged 18 Years was Scotch Whisky of the Year, with other awards going to: Redbreast Aged 12 Years Cask Strength (Irish Whiskey of the Year); Canadian Club Chronicles: Issue No 1 Water of Windsor Aged 41 Years (Canadian Whisky of the Year); Hakushu Paul Rusch (Japanese Whisky of the Year); The Norfolk Farmers Single Grain (European Whisky of the Year); Amrut Greedy Angels 8 Years Old (Asian Whisky of the Year); and Belgrove Peated Rye (Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year).
For the first time, this year’s Whisky Bible includes separate sections for English and Welsh whisky, and for Australian whisky.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
World Whisky of the Year: William Larue Weller 128.2 Proof
Second Finest Whisky in the World: Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition
Third Finest Whisky in the World: Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 127.2 Proof
Single Cask of the Year: Blanton’s Gold Edition Single Barrel
SCOTCH WHISKY
Scotch Whisky of the Year: Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition
Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks): Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition
Single Malt of the Year (Single Cask): The Last Drop Glenrothes 1969 Cask 16207
Scotch Blend of the Year: Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
Scotch Grain of the Year: Berry Bros & Rudd Cambus 26 Years Old
Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year: Collectivum XXVIII
Single Malt Scotch
No Age Statement: Laphroaig Lore
10 Years & Under (Multiple Casks): Laphroaig 10 Years Old
10 Years & Under (Single Cask): Berry Bros & Rudd Ardmore 9 Years Old
11-15 Years (Multiple Casks): Lagavulin 12 Year Old
11-15 Years (Single Cask): Cadenhead’s Rum Cask Mortlach 14 Years Old
16-21 Years (Multiple Casks): Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition
16-21 Years (Single Cask): Bowmore Aged 19 Years The Fèis Ile Collection
22-27 Years (Multiple Casks): Talisker 25 Years Old
22-27 Years (Single Cask): SMWS Glen Grant Cask 9.128 24 Year Old
28-34 Years (Multiple Casks): Convalmore 32 Year Old
28-34 Years (Single Cask): Gleann Mór Port Ellen Aged Over 33 Years
35-40 Years (Multiple Casks): Benromach 39 Year Old 1977 Vintage
35-40 Years (Single Cask): Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1979
41 Years & Over (Multiple Casks): Tomatin Warehouse 6 Collection 1972
41 Years & Over (Single Cask): The Last Drop Glenrothes 1969 Cask 16207
Blended Scotch
No Age Statement (Standard): Ballantine’s Finest
5-12 Years: Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Years Old
13-18 Years: Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
19-25 Years: Royal Salute 21 Years Old
26-50 Years: Royal Salute 32 Years Old Union of the Crowns
IRISH WHISKEY
Irish Whiskey of the Year: Redbreast Aged 12 Years Cask Strength
Irish Pot Still Whiskey of the Year: Redbreast Aged 12 Years Cask Strength
Irish Single Malt of the Year: Bushmills Distillery Reserve Aged 12 Years
Irish Blend of the Year: Bushmills Black Bush
Irish Single Cask of the Year: The Irishman Aged 17 Years
AMERICAN WHISKEY
Bourbon of the Year: William Larue Weller 128.2 Proof
Rye of the Year: Thomas H Handy Sazerac 127.2 Proof
US Micro Whisky of the Year: Garrison Brothers Balmorhea
US Micro Whisky of the Year (Runner-up): Balcones Peated Texas Single Malt
Bourbon
No Age Statement (Multiple Barrels): William Larue Weller 128.2 Proof
No Age Statement (Single Barrel): Blanton’s Gold Edition Single Barrel
Up to 10 Years: Eagle Rare 10 Years Old
11-15 Years: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15 Years Old
16-20 Years: Abraham Bowman Sweet XVI Bourbon
21 Years & Over: Orphan Barrel Rhetoric Aged 24 Years
Rye
No Age Statement: Thomas H Handy Sazerac 127.2 Proof
Up to 10 Years: Knob Creek Cask Strength
11 Years & Over: Sazerac 18 Years Old
CANADIAN WHISKY
Canadian Whisky of the Year: Canadian Club Chronicles: Issue No 1 Water of Windsor Aged 41 Years
JAPANESE WHISKY
Japanese Whisky of the Year: Hakushu Paul Rusch
EUROPEAN WHISKY
European Whisky of the Year (Multiple): Nestville Master Blender 8 Years Old
European Whisky of the Year (Single): The Norfolk Farmers Single Grain
WORLD WHISKIES
Asian Whisky of the Year: Amrut Greedy Angels 8 Years Old
Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year: Belgrove Peated Rye
