Multi-award-winning Highland distillery, Tomatin, crowned best whisky in the world

Tomatin’s 36 Year Old single malt has been named ‘Best in Show’ in the whisky category at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) 2023, officially making it one of the best whiskies in the world.

The SFWSC is a prestigious international contest, where leading figures from the industry come together to judge spirits from the finest producers in the world.

‘Best in Show’ is the highest honour of the event, where one whisky is crowned out of thousands of entries after winning in its category which Tomatin’s 36 Year Old was awarded for ‘Best Single Malt Scotch’.

Judges praised the distillery for its continued dedication to its craft and superior skills in cask maturation with esteemed whisky journalist and SFWSC judge, Joseph V Micallef, saying “without a doubt, this is one of the world’s greatest Scotch whiskies”.

It is the second time the 36 Year Old has been awarded the accolade after previously being recognised in 2017.

Released in 2015, with 1,200 bottles released globally every year, Tomatin’s 36 Year Old is a whisky of incredible complexity. Matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, this smooth and creamy dram offers a mixture of aromas including baked fruits and leather balsam, toffee, walnut, and crystallised ginger.

Bottled at 45.1% ABV cask strength, natural colour and non-chill filtered, it is priced at £1,200 and comes displayed in a premium wooden box with a numbered certificate for each custodian.  

Tomatin’s recognition in the industry and amongst consumers continues to grow globally. In 2022, the distillery was awarded ‘Scotch Whisky Producer of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Spirits Producer of the Year’ at the International Wine & Spirit Competition. Last month, Tomatin revealed it has received 10 accolades at the initial SFWSC judging, with the 36 Year Old also taking home a Double Gold award.

Graham Eunson, Master Distiller at Tomatin Distillery, said:

“This is a truly fantastic milestone for the Tomatin Distillery, especially for everyone in our team who works so hard to produce, promote and honour the finest Highland Scotch, day in and day out. 

“Our 36 Year Old single malt is a really special dram. A marriage of casks, a refill hogshead and an Oloroso sherry butt, gives us a remarkably smooth yet complex whisky that keeps you intrigued with lively top notes of peach, apricot, honeydew melon and mango which bring vibrancy to this rich and warming expression.

“We know how many eyes of the world are on the results from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition every year, so it’s a real pleasure to be honoured with this recognition which we hope encourages many more people to explore the magic of Tomatin and the Scottish Highlands which we are lucky to call home.”

 Stephen Bremner, Managing Director at Tomatin Distillery, added:

“This is a phenomenal win for us and a real testament to the hard work of every member of the Tomatin team involved in the production of our 36 Year Old. To be recognised by such a prestigious organisation at this international level and out of so many other fantastic brands is a huge accomplishment for the business.”

Tomatin’s origins date back to the 15th century, with the first formal distillery established in 1897. Passing through generations of craftspeople working at Tomatin, many for their entire lives, the distillery is embedded in the community. Today Tomatin is renowned for its collection of smooth and elegant whiskies.  

Available globally, the Tomatin 36 Year Old can be purchased from https://tomatin.com/our-whisky/prestige/36-year-old/.