The World’s Best Single Malt Scotch, According To The 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Even though the origin of whisky is shrouded in mystery—best guesses place its birth around 1,000 AD—one thing is for certain: We are living in the golden age of whisky. Across the globe, distillers are turning out amazing bottles that continue to redefine a spirit that only seems to be getting more popular.

But this abundance of riches leads to a problem for drinkers. Where do you turn if you are looking for the pinnacle of whisky? While many point towards the booming American bourbon scene or the thriving Japanese whisky market as the apex of whisky distilling, nowhere does a better job than Scotland.

As one of the birthplaces of whisky, Ireland is the other; its distillers draw on centuries of experience to produce excellent scotches that continue to turn heads. Nowhere is that mastery more evident than in a well-crafted single malt scotch. Hailing from Scotland’s rugged Highland region, usually, these scotches are often produced by small family-owned distilleries, and each one is a work of art.

Made from whisky distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process from a mash of malted barley, it must age for a minimum of three years in oak casks. They present unique and distinctive regional flavors. Due to their limited production runs and often extended time aging, they have become the mythical unicorn of the whisky world, with certain bottles selling for prices that hit six figures.

To help you search for the best bottles available on the market today, we turned to the venerable San Francisco World Spirits Competition. As one of the foremost spirit competitions in the world, its blind taste judging panel highlights the best bottles on the planet each year. They just released their list of finalists for their coveted Best in Class Scotch Awards; the winner will be announced in October. Here are all the bottles that made the cut in the Single-Malt Scotch categories; the blended scotch finalists were covered earlier.

Single Malt Scotch – No Age Statement

Old Pulteney Huddart

The Huddart expression pays homage to Old Pulteney’s maritime legacy of aging its whiskies on the shores of north-eastern Scotland. It offers a smooth, smokey profile with notes of vanilla and honey.

Smokehead Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Hailing from the Isle of Islay, an area renowned for its scotch, this is a bold and dynamic single malt. The judges described its tasting notes as “rich and fruity.”

Arran Single Malt Sherry Cask Finish

Bottled at a potent 55.8% alc, this scotch spent time aging in sherry casks, resulting in a full-bodied whisky with flavors of dried fruits, nuts, and spices.

Glenglassaugh Sandend

A genuinely memorable single malt that has won many accolades, Glenglassaugh Sandend pays homage to its roots. A beach near the distillery inspired it. It has been aged in bourbon, sherry, and manzanilla casks to create a scotch with bright tropical flavors.

Loch Lomond Classic

The Loch Lomond Classic is ideal for someone getting into single malts. It’s quite affordable yet presents a complex array of flavors, with fresh fruits and vanilla blending with a hint of smoke.

Single Malt Scotch – Up to 12 Years

Aberlour 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This smooth scotch is from Speyside and presents fruity and gingerbread notes on the nose. It is followed by notes of apple and chocolate on the palate and ends with a sweet lingering finish.

Arran Single Malt 10 Years Old

Hailing from the Isle of Arran off the west coast of Scotland, this mellow scotch has floral aromas on the nose, followed by dried prunes, sherry, and dark fruits on the palate.

Port Askaig Aged 8 Years

As one of the newer distillers in the single malt space, Port Askaig, founded in 2009, has been turning heads with its releases. Their Aged 8 Years Single Malt is a smokey scotch with tropical notes on the nose and palate, followed by a sweet yet smokey finish.

Benromach 10 Years Old

Founded in 1898, Benromach is a traditional Speyside distillery that focuses on making single malt whisky with true character. Their 10-Year Old is a powerful and creamy scotch with dark fruits and sherry on the nose and palate, followed by a long and oaky finish.

Tobermory 12 Year Old

Tobermory, from the windswept Isle of Mull, can trace its roots back to the eighteenth century and has made a name for itself in the last few years. Their 12-Year-Old is a well-balanced scotch with malty aromas followed by floral and dried fruit notes on the palate.

Single Malt Scotch – 13 to 19 Years

The GlenDronach Allardice 18 Year Old

For almost 200 years, drinkers have been blessed with exceptional bottles of single malt scotch from The Glendronach. Their Allardice 18-Year-Old is a well-balanced scotch with good oak integration, malt and fruit on the nose and palate, and a flavorful and sweet finish.

Longmorn 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This limited-release bottling offers a rich Speyside scotch with notes of toffee, apricots, and dried fruit on the nose and palate, followed by a sweet, chocolatey finish.

TOMATIN 18 Year Old

Hailing from north Scotland, the Tomatin 18-Year-Old is an aromatic scotch with floral and dried fruit notes on the nose. Sweet malt, light smoke, and peppery on the palate follow, with a sweet yet slightly drying long finish.

Aberlour 2010 Vintage Double Cask

This single-cask edition scotch from Aberlour is chock full of flavors. It’s an elegant scotch with notes of apple, vanilla, and plum on the nose, followed by berries, oak, and caramel on the palate, and ending with a creamy lingering finish.

Highland Park 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch

Born on remote Orkney, an archipelago off the northeast coast of Scotland surrounded by the frigid North Sea, this scotch is a distinctive sipper. Each taste offers notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and tropical fruits on the nose, followed by light smoke on the palate and a smooth, flavorful finish.

Single Malt Scotch – 20 Years and Older

The GlenDronach Parliament 21 Year Old

Named after a parliament of rooks nesting near the GlenDronach distillery for almost 200 years, this scotch has aged at least twenty-one years in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The final liquid is rich and has “notes of smoked pipe and tobacco,” the judges said.

TOMATIN 45 YEAR OLD

A rare and highly sought-after bottle, prices start at $8,500, this single malt scotch would perfectly fit into any whisky connoisseur’s collection. Just 250 bottles were produced, and the judges said it had “notes of fresh smoke and would pair nicely with a cigar.”

Tomintoul Distillery 21 Years Old

For years, the Tomintoul Distillery 21 Years Old single malt has been racking up awards at an affordable price, usually around $300. It’s a complex scotch with notes of fresh citrus that expertly blend in with a sweet toffee flavor and a spicy finish.

Glenfiddich 23 Year Old Grand Cru

One of the more legendary distillers in the whiskey world, Glenfiddich has been turning out memorable liquid for over a century. Their 23-Year-Old Grand Cru is aged in American and European oak casks before finishing in French cuvée casks. That results in a scotch with an ideal balance of fruitiness, oak, and subtle sweetness.

Talisker 45 Year Old

Talisker’s 45-Year-Old is a rare gem that shines a light on the skills and excellence the distillers at this Isle of Skye distillery consistently display in their bottlings. It beautifully balances both the smokiness and fruitiness Talisker is known for worldwide.