A Scottish whisky has been named the ‘World’s Best Single Malt’.
Last week, the World Whiskies Awards took place in London. The awards celebrate the top distilleries and malts all over the world.
Taking home the coveted World’s Best Single Malt prize was The GlenAllachie in Scotland. The distillery, based in Aberlour, won the award for its Speyside Single Malt 12 Years Old.
The unpeated Speyside whisky is GlenAllachie’s flagship bottling, and was created on the distillery’s core philosophy that top-quality wood is the key to creating superlative whisky. The single malt was matured in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry, red wine, and virgin oak casks.
The Speyside Single Malt 12 Years Old features a complex and balanced flavour profile. It includes flavours of sweet spice, dark roasted coffee, stewed apples, and cocoa powder.
It marks the second time GlenAllachie has been awarded the World’s Best Single Malt trophy at the World Whiskies Awards. The Moray distillery previously took home the award in 2021, when it won for its 10-year-old Cask Strength Batch 4 single malt.
GlenAllachie was built in 1967 by Mackinlay McPherson, and primarily produced whisky for blends until it was acquired by industry veteran Billy Walker in 2017. Today, it is one of Scotland’s only independently owned and managed distilleries and distributes its core range of single malts to more than 50 countries.
GlenAllachie Master Distiller Billy Walker commented: “The whole GlenAllachie team are absolutely thrilled at this extraordinary endorsement of the 12-year-old: our flagship expression.
“When we took the reins at the distillery almost eight years ago, it was beyond our wildest dreams that a previously low-profile whisky would be crowned the world’s best single malt twice—especially within such a short timeframe.
“At The GlenAllachie, we’re all about offering quality whiskies at approachable prices, and so the fact it’s our signature bottling within our core range that has scooped this top accolade highlights this. This wonderful news will only further motivate our expert team to continue our pursuit of absolute perfection, not absolute consistency.
“Our whisky is in the best possible hands.”
Elsewhere in Scotland, GreatDrams took home the World’s Best Blended Malt award for its Campbeltown blended malt. It was singled out for its balance of peat, sweetness, and salinity, as well as for its expressive and well-integrated profile.
Other winners at the World Whiskies Awards 2025 include the High Coast distillery in Sweden and Stryker in the United States. The former won the World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt prize, while the Texas-based Stryker took home the World’s Best Small Batch Single Malt title.
World Whiskies Awards director Anita Ujszaszi stated: “It’s been another incredible year for the World Whiskies Awards. We’ve tasted some truly exceptional products and it’s been wonderful to hear from passionate whisky producers and industry professionals from all over the world.
“Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to all entrants. We can’t wait to see you next year!”
GlenAllachie’s Speyside Single Malt 12 Years Old is available to purchase for £53.45 from Master of Malt or £47.95 from Royal Mile Whiskies. The malt can also be bought for £59.99 directly from GlenAllachie.
See below for the list of global winners at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards. More information can be found on the World Whiskies Awards website.
World Whiskies Awards 2025 global winners
- World’s Best Design — Tenmile Distillery, Little Rest
- World’s Best Canadian Blended — Collingwood, Double Barreled
- World’s Best Flavoured Whisky — Cocoa Bomb, Chocolate
- World’s Best New Make & Young Spirit — Ve De Di, Pale Ale Mash
- World’s Best Corn — Ironroot Republic, Hubris Corn
- World’s Best Wheat — Thy Whisky, Heritage Wheat
- World’s Best Single Cask Single Grain — The Westfalian, 2012 TW08
- World’s Best Grain — Fercullen, 15
- World’s Best Single Cask Single Rye — Stauning, Smoked Rye Virgin Cask #1359
- World’s Best Rye — GrainHenge, Arrowwood
- World’s Best Pot Still — Redbreast, 27 Years Old
- World’s Best Blended Limited Release — Ichiro’s Malt & Grain, 2025 Blended Japanese Whisky
- World’s Best Blended Malt — GreatDrams, Campbeltown
- World’s Best Blended — Three Ships, Bourbon Cask
- World’s Best Small Batch Single Malt — Stryker, Ex Haak Madeira Cask Finished Single Malt
- World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt — High Coast, Distillery Exclusive 11
- World’s Best Single Malt — The GlenAllachie, Speyside Single Malt 12 Years Old