Speyside single malt Glen Grant Aged 18 Years was named ‘Second Finest Whisky in the World’ – making the top three for the third successive year – with Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 127.2 Proof in third place. The Weller and Handy whiskeys are both part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2017.

US whiskeys have now taken the Whisky Bible top spot for three years in a row, following victory last year for Colonel EH Taylor Four Grain Bourbon, and for Booker’s Rye in the 2017 guide.

WL Weller also made the Whisky Bible top five in 2016, and was placed third in 2017. Another Bourbon, Blanton’s Gold Edition Single Barrel, was named as 2019’s Single Cask Whisky of the Year.

It is now five years since a Scotch was named Whisky of the Year (Glenmorangie Ealanta, Whisky Bible 2014), with the top spot going to Japan, Canada and the US since then.

Murray praised the ‘unique brilliance’ of WL Weller, describing it as ‘the most delicious lesson in whiskey structure imaginable’.

Glen Grant Aged 18 Years was Scotch Whisky of the Year, with other awards going to: Redbreast Aged 12 Years Cask Strength (Irish Whiskey of the Year); Canadian Club Chronicles: Issue No 1 Water of Windsor Aged 41 Years (Canadian Whisky of the Year); Hakushu Paul Rusch (Japanese Whisky of the Year); The Norfolk Farmers Single Grain (European Whisky of the Year); Amrut Greedy Angels 8 Years Old (Asian Whisky of the Year); and Belgrove Peated Rye (Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year).

For the first time, this year’s Whisky Bible includes separate sections for English and Welsh whisky, and for Australian whisky.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

World Whisky of the Year: William Larue Weller 128.2 Proof

Second Finest Whisky in the World: Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition

Third Finest Whisky in the World: Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 127.2 Proof

Single Cask of the Year: Blanton’s Gold Edition Single Barrel

SCOTCH WHISKY

Scotch Whisky of the Year: Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition

Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks): Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition

Single Malt of the Year (Single Cask): The Last Drop Glenrothes 1969 Cask 16207

Scotch Blend of the Year: Ballantine’s 17 Years Old

Scotch Grain of the Year: Berry Bros & Rudd Cambus 26 Years Old

Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year: Collectivum XXVIII

Single Malt Scotch

No Age Statement: Laphroaig Lore

10 Years & Under (Multiple Casks): Laphroaig 10 Years Old

10 Years & Under (Single Cask): Berry Bros & Rudd Ardmore 9 Years Old

11-15 Years (Multiple Casks): Lagavulin 12 Year Old

11-15 Years (Single Cask): Cadenhead’s Rum Cask Mortlach 14 Years Old

16-21 Years (Multiple Casks): Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition

16-21 Years (Single Cask): Bowmore Aged 19 Years The Fèis Ile Collection

22-27 Years (Multiple Casks): Talisker 25 Years Old

22-27 Years (Single Cask): SMWS Glen Grant Cask 9.128 24 Year Old

28-34 Years (Multiple Casks): Convalmore 32 Year Old

28-34 Years (Single Cask): Gleann Mór Port Ellen Aged Over 33 Years

35-40 Years (Multiple Casks): Benromach 39 Year Old 1977 Vintage

35-40 Years (Single Cask): Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1979

41 Years & Over (Multiple Casks): Tomatin Warehouse 6 Collection 1972

41 Years & Over (Single Cask): The Last Drop Glenrothes 1969 Cask 16207

Blended Scotch

No Age Statement (Standard): Ballantine’s Finest

5-12 Years: Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Years Old

13-18 Years: Ballantine’s 17 Years Old

19-25 Years: Royal Salute 21 Years Old

26-50 Years: Royal Salute 32 Years Old Union of the Crowns

IRISH WHISKEY

Irish Whiskey of the Year: Redbreast Aged 12 Years Cask Strength

Irish Pot Still Whiskey of the Year: Redbreast Aged 12 Years Cask Strength

Irish Single Malt of the Year: Bushmills Distillery Reserve Aged 12 Years

Irish Blend of the Year: Bushmills Black Bush

Irish Single Cask of the Year: The Irishman Aged 17 Years

AMERICAN WHISKEY

Bourbon of the Year: William Larue Weller 128.2 Proof

Rye of the Year: Thomas H Handy Sazerac 127.2 Proof

US Micro Whisky of the Year: Garrison Brothers Balmorhea

US Micro Whisky of the Year (Runner-up): Balcones Peated Texas Single Malt

Bourbon

No Age Statement (Multiple Barrels): William Larue Weller 128.2 Proof

No Age Statement (Single Barrel): Blanton’s Gold Edition Single Barrel

Up to 10 Years: Eagle Rare 10 Years Old

11-15 Years: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15 Years Old

16-20 Years: Abraham Bowman Sweet XVI Bourbon

21 Years & Over: Orphan Barrel Rhetoric Aged 24 Years

Rye

No Age Statement: Thomas H Handy Sazerac 127.2 Proof

Up to 10 Years: Knob Creek Cask Strength

11 Years & Over: Sazerac 18 Years Old

CANADIAN WHISKY

Canadian Whisky of the Year: Canadian Club Chronicles: Issue No 1 Water of Windsor Aged 41 Years

JAPANESE WHISKY

Japanese Whisky of the Year: Hakushu Paul Rusch

EUROPEAN WHISKY

European Whisky of the Year (Multiple): Nestville Master Blender 8 Years Old

European Whisky of the Year (Single): The Norfolk Farmers Single Grain

WORLD WHISKIES

Asian Whisky of the Year: Amrut Greedy Angels 8 Years Old

Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year: Belgrove Peated Rye