2020 was a first for the World Whiskies Awards which were held behind closed doors today, due to concerns over the COVID-19.
The team at Paragraph Publishing, who run the awards, are hoping to re-instate the World Whiskies Awards dinner later in the year to celebrate those who picked up awards at today’s announcement.
This digital awards ceremony was the culmination of the World Whiskies Awards 2020, which pitted the best of each global category against each other in blind taste testing, to crown the ‘World’s Best’.
The winners that follow are the World’s Best in their category and will be followed by the World’s Best Irish entrant for that category also. E.g. World’s Best Single Malt, followed by World’s Best Irish Single Malt. If the category is not followed by an Irish equivalence, then Irish whiskeys could not enter that category.
Irish Icons of Whisky Winners:
Distiller of the Year: Irish Distillers
Brand Innovator of the Year: Irish Distillers
Irish Whiskey Brand Ambassador of the Year: Avril Hogan – Dingle Distillery
Visitor Centre Attraction Manager of the Year: Lisa Jameson – Teeling Whiskey Company
The Category Winners:
World’s Best Blended Whisky: Dewar’s Double Double 32 Years Old!
World’s Best Irish Blended Whiskey: Clonakilty Irish Whiskey – Single Batch Double Oak
World’s Best Blended Limited Edition Whisky: Chichibu distillery Japanese Blended Whisky Limited Edition 2020
World’s Best Irish Blended Limited Edition: Dundalgan Special Reserve Charred Cask Irish Whiskey
World’s Best Blended Malt Whisky: MacNair’s Whisky Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 21 Years Old
World’s Best Irish Blended Malt Whiskey: N/A (No Entrants)
World’s Best Bourbon: Ironroot Republic Distillery Harbinger
World’s Best Single Barrel Bourbon: Rebel Yell Bourbon Single Barrel 10 Years Old
World’s Best Canadian Blended Whisky: J.P. Wiser’s Alumni Whisky Series – Darryl Sittler
World’s Best Corn Whiskey: Spirit of Hven Distillery MerCurious
World’s Best Flavoured Whisky: Few Spirits with their Cold Cut Bourbon
World’s Best Irish Flavoured Whiskey: N/A (No Entrants)
World’s Best Grain Whisky: Fuji Single Grain 30 Years Old Small Batch
World’s Best Irish Grain Whiskey: No Contestants
World’s Best New Make: Victoria Caledonian Distillery Peated Mac na Braiche
World’s Best Irish New Make: Clonakilty Distillery New Make Single Pot Still
World’s Best Pot Still: Redbreast 21 Year Old
World’s Best Irish Pot Still: Redbreast 21 Year Old
World’s Best Rye Whiskey: Archie Rose Distilling Co. Rye Malt Whisky
World’s Best Irish Rye Whiskey: Kilbeggan Irish Rye Whiskey
World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt: Tamdhu Sandy McIntyre’s SC
World’s Best Irish Single Cask Single Malt: Teeling Whiskey Calvados Single Cask
World’s Best Single Malt: House of Suntory for their Hakushu Single Malt 25 Years Old
World’s Best Irish Single Malt: Teeling Whiskey 30 Year Old Vintage Reserve
World’s Best Tennessee Whiskey: Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey 1820 Single Barrel
World’s Best Wheat Whiskey: Bainbridge Organic Distillers Two Islands Hokkaido Cask
World’s Best Whisky Design: Jura Whisky 21 Years Old – Tide