Nov. 6, 2014 – In what must be a huge blow to the national psyche, the Scots not only lost the title of best whisky in the world, they didn’t even make it into the top five.
The winner was Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 from Suntory, Japan’s oldest distillery founded in 1923.
The title was bestowed by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2015, which is in its 12th year of publication, and it is the first time a Japanese distillery landed the title. Described as “near indescribable genius” and “rich and fruity”, Yamazaki was awarded 97.5 points out of 100. More than 1,000 whiskies from around the world competed, including many from Scotland.
Yamazaki beat two American whiskies for top spot. Second place went to William Larue Weller bourbon, a previous second place winner, and Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old placed third. To add insult to injury, the best European whisky listed in the new edition is English!
The Japanese whisky has won many awards over the years, even in Scotland but what of the Scottish distilling industry? Is it a wake up call, as some claim? The Scotch Whisky Association shrugged it off saying its consistently high-quality products are sold in 200 markets around the world where they are enjoyed by millions of people. The industry accounts for a quarter of the U.K.’s food and drink exports and is a major employer.
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