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2021 Scottish Whisky Awards announces winners including Distillery of the Year

December 11, 2021 By Dow Scoggins

2021 Scottish Whisky AwardsThe winners in the national awards program for Scotch whisky have been announced following a St Andrews day dinner and celebration held in Glasgow last night.

The 3rd annual Scottish Whisky Awards revealed the winners from its comprehensive competition that included the blind tasting of 200 Scotch whiskies and the assessment of 58 distilleries and whisky producers.

The ultimate award of the night, Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year, sponsored by Bruce Stephenson Insurance Brokers, was presented to Glen Scotia Distillery in Campbeltown. Part of the Loch Lomond Group, the distillery won praise for its commitment to the community, excellent product development and high-quality standards achieved in a challenging year. They also collected a Gold Medal and a Silver Medal in two taste categories.

Over 300 people joined in the St Andrews Day dinner and celebration which paired a three course Scottish meal paired with Scotch Whisky supplied by Johnnie Walker, Glen Garioch and Glen Scotia distilleries.

Chair of the Judging Panel, Professor Alan Wolstenholme, commented,

“Congratulations to all the winners in this year’s Scottish Whisky Awards. We have very much enjoyed reviewing the work of the Scotch whisky industry which has shown real innovation, resilience, and dedicated support for local communities. All of the efforts in judging, tasting, researching, reading, and debating are worth it as we all work together to increase the promotion of Scotch whisky as the number one whisky of choice in the world.”

The event also presented the first ever Dr. Jim Swan Award for Services to Scotch Whisky. The award was presented to Sheila Burtles, a sensory expert who was the first ever female scientist to advise the Scotch Whisky industry on flavor. Her most famous achievement is as co-inventor of the first ever Whisky Flavor Wheel, created in 1979. Aged 92, Ms. Burtles accepted the award at a private presentation at home with her award presented by Charlie Maclean the renowned whisky expert and judge in the Scottish Whisky Awards. He commented.

“It is with the greatest possible pleasure that I have been asked to present this award. I first met Sheila in 1992 when I was invited to a course which she was giving on sensory skills and without a word of a lie this course changed my life. She really is an unsung hero of the Scotch whisky industry. She deserves immense credit for making the link between chemistry and the language we use to describe flavor and for being the first to display it in a wheel. This idea was taken up very rapidly taken up all over the world. She really is a wonderful person and deserves every recognition.”

Working with Dr. Jim Swan, Burtles created the Scotch Whisky Flavor Wheel which was quickly adopted in brewing and in the US by the wine industry. Since then, it has also been developed in many new modern versions over decades by authors, academics, and major whisky brands worldwide.

Receiving the award, Sheila Burtles said,

“This is really unbelievable. I can only thank everybody who remembers me and for this award. I was so fortunate to be able to work with Jim Swan. I was a very lucky girl in the job I did, and I met wonderful people throughout Scotland. I suppose I must admit that I was a wee bit of a pioneer in the whisky industry when I dared to turn up alone among several men. I really feel very lucky, and it has been a splendid journey.”

Among the big winners in the evening were Glenmorangie who won 2 gold award medals for Glenmorangie The Signet and The Accord, their 12 year old Single Malt. North Star Spirits were celebrated for their haul of awards as Independent Bottler of the Year and also for collecting three Gold Medals for their Spica 40 Year Old Blend, Supersonic Mach 4 Blended Malt and for their 11 year old Bunnahabhain Single Malt Single Cask bottling.

The awards were sponsored for a third year by Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers. Graeme Dempster, Account Manager, commented;

“Very many congratulations to all the winners in the Scottish Whisky Awards. It has been a hugely rewarding positive experience taking part in the competition this year and we wish all the medalists and winners every success in the months and years ahead.”

The winners in full:

Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year sponsored by Bruce Stevenson
WINNER: Glen Scotia Distillery

Product Launch of the Year sponsored by Saverglass
WINNER: Ardnamurchan Distillery

Independent Bottler of the Year
WINNER: North Star Spirits

Newcomer of the Year sponsored by Rankin & Sons
WINNER: Isle of Raasay Distillery

Judges Awards of Merit
Ardnahoe Distillery for Tourism and Community Contribution
Tomatin Distillery for Community Contribution
Kingsbarns Distillery for Tourism
Glenmorangie Distillery for Sustainability

TASTE CATEGORIES

Single Malt No Age Statement sponsored by Berlin Packaging UK
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Glenmorangie Signet, The Glenmorangie Distillery.
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Glen Scotia Double Cask, Glen Scotia Distillery.
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Glasgow 1770 The Original, Glasgow Distillery.

Single Malt No Age Statement (Peated)
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Glasgow 1770 Peated; Glasgow Distillery
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dha Islay; Bunnahabhain Distillery
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: CHAOS #2; North Star Spirits

Single Malt Under 12 Year Old
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Laphroaig 10 Year Old; Laphroaig Distillery
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Deveron 10 Year Old; Macduff Distillery
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Benromach Cask Strength Vintage 2009 Batch 4; Benromach Distillery

Single Malt 12 Year Old sponsored by Winter UK
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Glenmorangie The Accord 12 Year Old; The Glenmorangie Distillery
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 Year Old; The Glenmorangie Distillery
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old; Bunnahabhain Distillery

Single Malt 13 – 16 Year Old sponsored by Cooper Software
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Glen Scotia 15 Year Old; Glen Scotia Distillery
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Aberfeldy Madeira Cask 16 Year Old; Aberfeldy Distillery
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Glenmorangie Cognac Cask Finish 13 Year Old; The Glenmorangie Distillery

Single Malt 17 – 20 Year Old
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Glen Garioch 17 Year Old The Renaissance 3rd Chapter; Glen Garioch Distillery
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Deanston 18 Year Old; Deanston Distillery
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Glen Garioch 1999 Wine Cask Matured; Glen Garioch Distillery

Single Malt Over 21 Year Old sponsored by Sanderson Weatherall
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Royal Brackla Oloroso Palo Cortado & Perdo Ximenezv 21 Year Old; Royal Brackla Distillery
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Aultmore 21 Year Old; Aultmore Distillery
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old; Bunnahabhain Distillery

Single Cask 12 Year Old and Under
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Bunnahabhain 11 Year Old (Series 012); North Star Spirits
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Glen Garioch Hand filled Minnesota 2012 American Trilogy First fill cask 1355; Glen Garioch Distillery
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Bruichladdich Lochindaal 10 Year Old (Series 014); North Star Spirits

Single Cask 13 Year Old and Over
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Auchentoshan Distillery Cask – 1997 Oloroso; Auchentoshan Distillery
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: The Loch Fyne Bunnahabhain 14 Year Old; The Loch Fyne
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Blair Athol 14 Year Old (Series 014); North Star Spirits

Blended Scotch Whisky
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Black Bottle; Distell International
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Black Bottle Double Cask; Distell International
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Clansman Blended Scotch; Loch Lomond Group

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Supersonic Mach 4; North Star Spirits
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Ardgowan Distillery Clydebuilt Series Shipwright; Ardgowan Distillery Company
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Supersonic Mach 2; North Star Spirits

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Aged
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Artful Dodger Whisky Collective (Burnside) 1989 30 Year Old; Artful Dodger Whisky Collective
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: The Vatting Series – 6yo Peatside (PX + Bourbon Finish); Murray McDavid
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: The Vatting Series – 11yo The Speysiders (Ximenez-Spinola PX Finish); Murray McDavid

Blended Scotch Whisky – Aged
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Spica; North Star Spirits
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Artful Dodger Whisky Collective 1978 41 Year Old; Artful Dodger Whisky Collective
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Black Bottle 10 Year Old; Distell International

Single Grain Scotch Whisky
GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Spearhead Single Grain Scotch Whisky; Loch Lomond Group
SILVER MEDAL AWARD: Loch Lomond Single Grain; Loch Lomond Distillery
BRONZE MEDAL AWARD: Select Grain Series 13yo North British (Murca Tawny Port Finish); Murray McDavid

 

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