The World’s Best Blended Scotch Whisky According To The NY World Spirits Competition

Three blended Scotch whiskies made the New York World Spirits Competition (NYWSC) World’s Best Blended Scotch Whisky final round. The NYWSC is a prestigious event in the spirits industry, known for its rigorous judging process and high standards. The finalists featured a range of producers, from a legacy brand to a rising craft producer to a new upstart. Below is a brief background and tasting notes on the World’s Best Blended Scotch Whisky finalists.

The Sassenach, Blended Scotch Whisky, 40% ABV, 750 ml.

The World’s Best Blended Scotch Whisky is The Sassenach, a premium whisky created by Scottish actor Sam Heughan, renowned for his role as Jamie Fraser in the television series “Outlander.” The whisky, launched in 2020, draws inspiration from Scotland’s picturesque Highland landscapes and history. It’s produced at the Loch Lomond Distillery. The brand is known for its commitment to quality and its unique approach to whisky making.

The blend comprises carefully selected single malts aged between 9 and 20 years and a 21-year-old bourbon barrel-aged organic, single grain whisky. The final product is finished in Madeira casks, adding richness and a layered, nuanced complexity to the flavor profile.

The whisky has a rich, gold hue, not unlike the color of the many gold medals it has won. The nose features a combination of stone and tropical fruits, especially pineapple, peaches, and coconut, with hints of citrus, caramel, and cinnamon spice.

It’s smooth and creamy on the palate, with a mouth-coating texture and distinctive weight. It features flavors of honey, Crème Brulé, mixed nuts, and a touch of assorted wood spices.

The finish is smooth and sweet, with lingering fruit and spice notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the whisky as exhibiting:

Hints of citrus, spice, and a subtle touch of vanilla with notes of honey, caramel, and spice, balanced with a hint of fruit and a refreshing finish.

D’YAVOL, Inception Blended Malt Scotch, 47.1% ABV, 750 ml.

D’YAVOL, a luxury spirits brand cofounded by Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, along with Bunty Singh and Leti Blagoeva, was the Best in Class Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and also was selected as the Best Overall Scotch. The brand aims “to blend authenticity and craftsmanship with a modern, edgy design, offering premium beverages that appeal to discerning consumers.”

INCEPTION is a blended malt Scotch whisky meticulously crafted from eight single malts sourced from Scotland’s Speyside, Highland, Lowland, and Island regions. It does not include grain whisky in the blend. Half the malt whiskies are matured in first-fill Tawny Port and Madeira casks, contributing to the whisky’s complex flavor profile. D’YAVOL INCEPTION is non-chill filtered, preserving its natural character and depth.

The whisky has a dark gold amber hue, reflecting the influence of the Tawny Port and Madeira casks used in maturation.

The nose offers a complex array of cold peat smoke, floral aromas, sweet honey notes, and aromas of dried fruits, caramel, and vanilla.

It’s smooth and viscous on the palate, with a noticeable mouth weight. It exhibits a range of complex flavors, including cooked cereal/malt, dark chocolate, and hints of spice, balanced by a persistent, lingering smokiness.

The finish is long, sweet, and complex, with lingering notes of sweet dried fruit and a touch of peat smoke.

THE NYWSC Judging Panel described the D’YAVOL INCEPTION as exhibiting:

Dark chocolate, dried fruit, and oak spice, subtle hints of smoked wood, followed by toffee, ripe plums, spiced vanilla notes, a gentle smokiness, a touch of earthy sweetness, and subtle spice.

The Singleton, Garden of Abundance Deep Forest Riches Blended Malt Scotch, 44.8% ABV, 750 ml. is the other finalist for Best Blended Scotch Whisky.

The Singleton is an iconic brand of single malt Scotch whisky produced by Diageo, the world’s largest Scotch whisky producer. Established in 1895, The Singleton encompasses three distilleries: Dufftown, Glen Ord, and Glendullan, each contributing unique regional characteristics to the brand’s portfolio.

Initially, these distilleries catered to different markets—Glen Ord for Asia, Glendullan for the US, and Dufftown for Europe. Over time, The Singleton has expanded its reach, offering a diverse range of expressions globally. The Glendullan distillery produces the Garden of Abundance expression.

The Singleton introduced the Gardens of Abundance collection, a series inspired by nature’s bounty, in 2024. This collection features four distinct expressions: Radiant Spring Garden, Golden Autumn Orchard, Exotic Spice Grove, and Deep Forest Riches. It’s exclusively available at travel retail,. Each variant showcases unique cask maturations and flavor profiles, reflecting the brand’s commitment to innovation and craftsmanship.

Deep Forest Riches, a standout in The Singleton’s Gardens of Abundance collection, is renowned for its complex maturation process and rich flavor profile. This expression undergoes a four-cask maturation, beginning in European oak and finishing in a combination of ex-Marsala wine, ex-Palo Cortado Sherry, and ex-Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks. The resulting whisky presents an intricate and layered tasting experience, sure to pique the interest of any whisky enthusiast.

The whisky has a dark amber hue, reflecting the influence of the assorted casks in maturation. The nose exhibits aromas of dried fruits, particularly raisins and dates, dark chocolate, sweet honey, and a subtle assortment of wood spices.

It’s sweet, smooth, and satiny on the palate, with noticeable mouth weights and an oily, viscous texture. It exhibits the pronounced influence of the assorted fortified wine casks, featuring fig jam, dates, raisins, and hints of prune, along with spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

The finish is long and sweet, with lingering dark, dried fruit notes and a gentle spiciness.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the whisky as;

Incredibly complex, featuring an assortment of dark dried honeyed fruits, vanilla, earthy undertones and spice notes.

The 2024 New York World Spirits Competition highlighted several blended whiskies, including two incredibly complex and layered whiskies that are little known in the US. The Singleton Gardens of Abundance collection is only available at Travel Retail, while the D’YAVOL INCEPTION is currently rolling out to US retailers. Both are exceptional whiskies and well worth seeking out. The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky is much better known and readily available at retail but no less outstanding. It, too, belongs in every home whisky collection.

See the New York World Spirits Competition website for a complete list of all of the Scotch whisky medalists.

Cheers