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Add Whisky Monkeys as a Google favoriteIf you're on the hunt for a top-notch whisky, you'll want to continue reading. The best whiskies in the world have just been announced at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2025. Each one of these whiskies promises to bring liquid gold right into your home.
- What is the IWSC 2025?
The IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition) is one of the most prestigious competitions in the drinks industry. The Trophy category is reserved for the absolute cream of the crop. - What is the best whisky under 20 years old in 2025?
The Loch Lomond 18 Year Old single malt whisky. - What is the best whisky over 20 years old?
The A'glac Charrann 27 Years Old by Chivas.
Each year, thousands of beverages are judged based on their quality. The International Wine and Spirits Competition is one of the key spirits competitions worldwide. The whiskies that triumph here are undeniably the best of the best.
In this article, we line up the winners of 2025. If you're looking for a new bottle to try, you'll want to keep an eye on these labels.
What are the best whiskies of 2025?
| Category | Winner | Distillery / Producer | Origin |
| Blended Scotch Whisky Trophy | Double Double 38 YO Blended Malt | John Dewars & Sons | Scotland |
| Single Malt Scotch under 20-year-old Trophy | Loch Lomond 18 YO | Loch Lomond Distillery | Highland, Scotland |
| Single Malt Scotch over 20-year-old Trophy | A'glac Charrann 27 YO | Chivas Brothers | Speyside, Scotland |
| American Whiskey Trophy | Vertical Series 9 YO Rye | Pinhook | Indiana, USA |
| Bourbon Trophy | Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Frank August | Kentucky, USA |
| Irish Whiskey Trophy | The Full Irish Blended Whiskey | Blackwater Distillery | Ireland |
| Worldwide Whiskey Trophy | Unicorn Korean Single Malt | Ki One Whisky Distillery | South Korea |
Korean Whisky from Ki One on the Rise
Among the 2025 winners, there are several noteworthy Scotch heavyweights like Loch Lomond and Dewars, but surprisingly a Korean whisky also takes a prize home. The best world whisky this year is claimed by Ki One Distillery.
The distillery is fairly young but has increasingly caught the limelight with their distinct bottles. They recently released two special editions in collaboration with an artist.
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LATEST COMMENTS
- Thank you for the compliment. I really appreciate it.M0nkey31-08-2026
- I enjoyed reading the different approaches to building a whisky collection. Whether you collect by region, style, or limited releases, discovering new brands keeps the hobby interesting. Soorahi is another premium whisky worth considering for collectors looking to explore the evolving world of quality whiskies.dinesh04-08-2026
- There is no distillery equipment there and also no licences to produce or sell alcohol.TRC19-12-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your response and for sharing the video. Unfortunately, the evidence you referred to consists only of two people talking about the whisky, without any explanation or identification. We have not spoken to the individuals in the video ourselves, nor can we verify who they are. We describe it as a Chinese whisky because it is released by a Chinese distillery. As you mentioned, the distillery has chosen to label the product as “pure malt” instead of “Chinese whisky.” Based on that, we do not believe they are doing anything illegal.M0nkey16-11-2025
- So - you have the proof......where's your write up?Yvonne16-11-2025
- You are absolutely right. Luckily that doesn't matter for the taste of the whisky. Have you tried it yet?M0nkey05-11-2025
- Guess what? Finland is not part of Scandinavia.Gray105-11-2025
- Throw in the towel? You mean restructure to compete and win in a challenging industry environment.WestwardFounder21-10-2025
- There is nothing legally to prevent the English whisky GI from coming into force, it complies with all the relevant laws and the single malt definition follows the precedent of Welsh whisky and US whiskyChefBear15-10-2025
- Three emails sent (two with videos, linked to a Google Drive Share). 1. The original video. 2. The video with subtitles as it was shared on YouTube 3. Screen grab of the YouTube channel where the video was blocked due to Pernod Ricard lobbying. The story was covered on Drinks Intel at the time - link here - https://drinks-intel.com/subscriber-news/pernod-ricards-the-chuan-pure-malt-whisky-not-sourced-solely-from-china-global-drinks-intel-exclusive/Yvonne10-10-2025