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The 2018 World Whisky Awards have taken place on March 22 2018 in London.
Pictures: from left: Damian Riley-smith, Lord Charles Maclean, Rob Allenson
For this 2018 edition, more than 1000 whisky samples were sent to a panel of worldwide experts who tasted them blindly in three rounds. The only information the judges had was the ABV (Alcohol by volume) and the category into which each sample would compete into.
The ceremony was chaired by Damian Reily-Smith, Managing Director (Paragraph), and co-chaired by Lord Charles MacLean, iconic Whiksy expert and writer, and Rob Allanson, Whisky Magazine Editor.
180 selected people attended the ceremony, most from the prestigious distilleries in the world, from all continents. It was a delightful evening, well organized by Paragraph, the owner of Whisky Magazine.
THE WINNERS:
2018 WORLD’S BEST SINGLE MALT, the most prestigious recognition:
This is a great recognition for Shinji Fukuyo, executive officer, chief blender and senior general manager at Suntory. He began his career in 1984 at the distillery, spent some years in Scotland to further develop his knowledge and skills. He acquired the prestigious title of Master Blender in 2009. The award he receives for his gem, Hakushu 25 YO, is crowning a career underlined by excellence. Congratulation to Mr Fukuyo and his Team!
TASTING NOTES OF THE PANEL OF JUDGES:
Hakushu 25 YO, 43% “Elegant and well balanced, has a good ripening feeling to it as the aromas develop, softly peaty, with a little citrus. pouring honey, vanilla, and stem ginger in syrup. Marzipan and praline, damson jam, lightly burnt gingerbread and cake spices from the wood.”
2018 WORLD’S BEST single malt single cask
A real earthquake! The prestigious award goes to Sullivan’s in Tasmania, an Island that is a state of Australia. Few people have heard about this island, but do you know it boasts 36 distilleries? Sullivan’s was the third to be established. Patrick Maguire, in the center, is the Master Distiller. Congratulation to P.Maguire and his team!
TASTING NOTES OF THE PANEL OF JUDGES:
Sullivan’s Cove, American Oak Single cask HH0351, 47.5% “Black liquorice and mint kick off the nose – Dutch school chalk sweets. Candied sweetness builds, with glacier mint becoming barley sugar. The confected sweetness continues into the palate, with Love Hearts and barley sugar pips backed up by hints of gummi bear fruit. Finish is velvetly smooth, mild but long lasting. Soft and silky.”
2018 WORLD’S BEST BLENDED MALT:
Another prize for a Japanese distillery: Tadashi Sakuma , Master Blender, third from left receives this prestigious award, for his Taketsuru 17 years old.
TASTING NOTES OF THE PANEL OF JUDGES:
Taketsuru 17 YO, 43% “Complex and full bodied with ripe apple, well balanced burned wood, lots of great sherry note with gentle fruit aromas such as strawberry and raspberry.A roast chestnut edge to it, well balanced with plenty of fruits and jammy notes. Impressive and vibrant.”
2018 WORLD’S BEST BLENDED LIMITED RELEASE:
The third Japanese whisky awarded tonight: Ichiro’s malt & grain, limited edition. The whisky is named after his prestigious owner, Ichiro Akuto, who recreated a distillery in 2004, following the steps of his grandfather. Yumi Yoshikawa, the Chichibu distillery brand Ambassador is proudly holding the reward.
TASTING NOTES OF THE PANEL OF JUDGES:
Ichiro’s malt, Malt and Grain Limited edition, 46% “A highly aromatic offering and a serious whisky. Plenty of oriental oak, rich grape, chewing gum, very well balanced. Lots of pickled plum notes, a seriously engaging whisky.”
2018 WORLD’S BEST BLENDED WHISKY:
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve saves the party for the Scotch whiskies this year. Its Master Blender, Jim Berveridge, is keeping the blending recipe secret, but we know at least that there is some Clynelish in it.
TASTING NOTES OF THE PANEL OF JUDGES:
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, 40% “A subtile start on the nose, with a polished and refined aroma. Flashes of fudge, milk chocolate, vanilla and apple. The palate is rich and sweetly fruity with flavors of milk chocolate, orange, cinnamon, vanilla and red apples. Very good with a simple fruity character. The finish is medium and elegant with cappuccino. A great fireside dram.
Some insights during side conversations:
With Shinji Fukuyo. He accepted one of his secret. The quality and purity of the water that comes to his distillery. For Mr Fukuyo, this helps greatly making the uniqueness of the Hakushu whiskies.
With Patrick Maguire. He uncovered some interesting fact about the distillery: the air is so dry that more water leaves the cask than alcohol, which makes the ABV of the spirit growing overtime!
With Tadashi Sakuma, from Nikka distillery. Mr Sakuma is used to world rewards: he has been recognized in 2015 at the International Spirit Challenge as the “Distiller of the year”.
With Ichiro Akuto and Yumi Yoshikawa from Chichibu distillery. The young distillery, first new Japanese distillery since 1973, located in the city of Chichibu, has already been recognized many times for the quality of its whiskies.
Dicussing with members of the judge panel.
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