I have never tried the Aldi whisky that many are claiming won “Best in the World” and costs a mere $17. I can still state with 100% accuracy though that it was not declared “Best in the World.”
Yes, an Aldi whisky won a gold medal in a competition, two in fact. But this isn’t the Olympics. Gold doesn’t equal best. It’s not even the top honor. The highest award in the Scotch Whisky Masters is Master, and 20 brands were awarded Master.
Here’s a very short list of why the Aldi whisky isn’t the Best in the World:
- Only Scotch whisky was judged
- 93 different whiskies were awarded Gold
- Entrants had to be available in Asia
The Spirits Business reports that there were an, “impressive number of entrants,” but fails to mention what that number is. That makes me think it might not have been all that impressive. There is also no way of knowing which brands opted not to enter. I can think of quite a few amazing whiskies that aren’t on the list.
I’m sure the Aldi whisky is good, and it’s probably a steal at $17. That doesn’t make it the “Best in the World” or even one of the best. Sadly you’ll never find out for yourself because it’s not available in the US.
Here’s the full list of Scotch Whisky Masters awards:
Distillery | Brand | Medal |
Aldi Stores | Highland Black 8 Year Old Scotch Whisky | Gold |
Aldi Stores | Hogwash Blended Malt Whisky | Silver |
Aldi Stores | Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt | Silver |
Aldi Stores | Glen Marnoch Islay Single Malt | Gold |
Aldi Stores | Glen Marnoch Speyside Single Malt | Silver |
Amber Glen | Amber Glen | Silver |
Angus Dundee Distillers | Glencadam 10 Year Old | Silver |
Angus Dundee Distillers | Glencadam 18 Year Old | Silver |
Angus Dundee Distillers | Old Ballantruan 15 Year Old | Master |
Angus Dundee Distillers | Tomintoul Five Decades | Gold |
Atom Brands | Blended Whisky #3 23 Year Old | Gold |
Atom Brands | Blended Whisky #1 50 Year Old – Batch 7 | Master |
Atom Brands | The Lost Distilleries Blend – Batch 10 | Master |
Atom Brands | Blended Malt #2 – Batch 2 | Gold |
Atom Brands | Blended Malt #3 19 Year Old Master | Master |
Atom Brands | Blended Malt #1 23 Year Old Master | Gold |
Atom Brands | Port Dundas 25 Year Old | Master |
Atom Brands | Cambus 27 Year Old | Gold |
Atom Brands | Cameronbridge 24 Year Old – Batch 1 Gold | Gold |
Atom Brands | Caledonian 33 Year Old | Gold |
Atom Brands | Ledaig 18 Year Old | Gold |
Atom Brands | Aberfeldy 21 Year Old Silver | Silver |
Atom Brands | Williamson 6 Year Old | Gold |
Atom Brands | Port Charlotte 13 Year Old | Gold |
Atom Brands | Islay #2 25 Year Old | Silver |
Atom Brands | Auchentoshan 25 Year Old | Gold |
Atom Brands | Secret Distillery #1 9 Year Old | Silver |
Atom Brands | Mortlach 22 Year Old | Gold |
Atom Brands | Miltonduff 28 Year Old | Silver |
Atom Brands | Tamdhu 28 Year Old | Silver |
Bardinet | Sir Edward’s Finest | Gold |
Bardinet | Sir Edward’s Smoky | Gold |
Beam Suntory | Bowmore 15 Year Old | Gold |
Ben Nevis Distillery | Macdonald’s Glencoe 8 Years Old Blended Malt | Gold |
Ben Nevis Distillery | Mcdonald’s Traditional Ben Nevis Malt Whisky | Gold |
Berry Bros & Rudd | Blue Hanger, 11th Release | Gold |
Bladnoch | Bladnoch Adela 15 Year Old Single Malt | Silver |
Bladnoch Distillery | Bladnoch Samsara Single Malt | Gold |
C.Gars | Stalla Dhu – Ben Nevis Cask Strength 1999 | Silver |
C.Gars | Stalla Dhu Islay | Gold |
Campari Group | Glen Grant 10 Year Old | Silver |
Charles Edge London | Scots Gold 12 Year Old | Gold |
Charles Edge London | Scots Gold Red Label | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | Ballantine’s Hard Fired | Master |
Chivas Brothers | Ballantine’s Limited | Master |
Chivas Brothers | Chivas Regal Ultis | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | Chivas Regal Extra | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | Chivas Regal 12 Year Old | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | Ballantine’s 12 Year Old | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | Ballantine’s 17 Year Old | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | Chivas Regal 18 Year Old | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | Ballantine’s 30 Year Old | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | Chivas Regal Mizunara | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve Small Batch | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | Longmorn The Distiller’s Choice | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | Aberlour A’Bunadh | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | The Glenlivet The Master Distiller’s Reserve | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Solera Vatted | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | Scapa Glansa | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | Scapa Skiren | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | The Glenlivet 12 Year Old | Master |
Chivas Brothers | Aberlour 12 Year Old Double Cask Matured | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | Ballantine’s Miltonduff | Gold |
Chivas Brothers | Ballantine’s Glenburgie | Silver |
Chivas Brothers | The Glenlivet 15 Year Old | Silver |
Compass Box | Great King Street Artist’s Blend | Gold |
Compass Box | Great King Street Glasgow Blend | Gold |
Compass Box | Hedonism | Master |
Compass Box | Oak Cross | Master |
Compass Box | The Spice Tree | Gold |
Compass Box | The Peat Monster | Silver |
Diageo | J&B | Gold |
Diageo | Johnnie Walker Double Black | Gold |
Diageo | Johnnie Walker Blue Label | Gold |
Diageo | Johnnie Walker Red Label | Silver |
Diageo | Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years | Gold |
Diageo | Johnnie Walker Black Label | Silver |
Distell | Black Bottle | Gold |
Distell | Scottish Leader Original | Silver |
Distell | Scottish Leader Supreme | Silver |
Distell | Scottish Leader Signature | Silver |
Distell | Scottish Leader 12 Year Old | Silver |
Distell | Deanston Virgin Oak | Gold |
Distell | Ledaig 10 Year Old | Gold |
Distell | Deanston 12 Year Old | Gold |
Distell | Deanston 2008 Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured | Master |
Distell | Bunnahabhain CruachMhòna | Master |
Distell | Bunnahabhain Stiùireadair | Gold |
Distell | Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dha | Gold |
Distell | Bunnahabhain Eirigh Na Greine | Gold |
Distell | Bunnahabhain Eirigh An Cladach | Gold |
Distell | Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old | Gold |
Distell | Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old | Gold |
Distell | Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old | Master |
Distells | Deanston 15 Year Old Organic | Silver |
Douglas Laing & Co | Rock Oyster 18 Years Old | Master |
Douglas Laing & Co | Scallywag 13 Years Old | Gold |
Douglas Laing & Co | Old Particular Cameronbridge 26 Year Old | Silver |
Edrington | Highland Park Dragon Legend | Silver |
Edrington | Highland Park 12 yea Old Viking Honour | Gold |
Edrington | Highland Park 18 Year Old Viking Pride | Gold |
Edrington | Highland Park The Light | Silver |
Elixir Distillers | Elements of Islay Peat Full Proof | Gold |
Elixir Distillers | Elements of Islay Peat (Pure Islay) | Gold |
Elixir Distillers | Port Askaig 8 Year Old | Master |
Elixir Distillers | Port Askaig 100° Proof | Gold |
Glasgow Distillery Co | Prometheus 28 Year Old Speyside Single Malt | Silver |
Ian Macleod Distillers | Glengoyne 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt | Gold |
Ian Macleod Distillers | Glengoyne 10 Years Old Highland Single Malt | Silver |
Ian Macleod Distillers | Glengoyne Cask Strength (Batch 5) | Gold |
Ian Macleod Distillers | Tamdhu Batch Strength 003 Speyside Single Malt | Silver |
Ian Macleod Distillers | Tamdhu 10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt | Silver |
International Beverage Holdings | Old Pulteney 12 Year Old | Silver |
International Beverage Holdings | Balblair 2005 Vintage | Silver |
International Beverage Holdings | Balblair 2000 Vintage | Gold |
International Beverage Holdings | Old Pulteney 25 Year Old | Master |
International Beverage Holdings | Balblair 1991 Vintage | Master |
International Beverage Holdings | Speyburn Bradan Orach | Silver |
International Beverage Holdings | Speyburn 10 Year Old | Silver |
International Beverage Holdings | Speyburn 15 Year Old | Gold |
J & G Grant | Glenfarclas 21 Year Old | Gold |
J & G Grant | Glenfarclas 15 Year Old | Gold |
J & G Grant | Glenfarclas 105 | Gold |
John Dewar & Sons | Dewar’s White Label | Gold |
John Dewar & Sons | Dewar’s 12 Year Old The Ancestor | Silver |
John Dewar & Sons | Dewar’s 15 Year Old The Monarch | Gold |
John Dewar & Sons | Dewar’s 18 Year Old The Vintage | Gold |
John Dewar & Sons | Aberfeldy 12 Year Old | Silver |
John Dewar & Sons | Aberfeldy 16 Year Old | Silver |
Kilchoman | Kilchoman Sanaig | Silver |
Kilchoman | Kilchoman Loch Gorm | Silver |
Kilchoman | Kilchoman Port Cask Matured | Gold |
Kilchoman | Kilchoman Machir Bay | Silver |
La Martiniquaise | Label 5 Gold Heritage | Gold |
La Martiniquaise | Label 5 Classic Black | Gold |
La Martiniquaise | Label 5 Premium Black | Gold |
La Martiniquaise | Glen Turner Heritage | Gold |
La Martiniquaise | Glen Turner 12 Year Old | Gold |
Lidl UK | Abrachan Triple Oak Blended Malt Scotch Whisky | Silver |
Lidl UK | Ben Bracken Speyside Single Malt | Gold |
Loch Lomond Group | Loch Lomond Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky | Gold |
Loch Lomond Group | Loch Lomond Signature Deluxe Blended Scotch | Silver |
Loch Lomond Group | Glen Scotia 18 Year Old | Gold |
Loch Lomond Group | Glen Scotia 25 Year Old | Silver |
Loch Lomond Group | Inchmurrin Madeira Wood Finish Single Malt | Silver |
Loch Lomond Group | Loch Lomond Island Collection – Inchmoan 12 Year Old | Gold |
Loch Lomond Group | Loch Lomond Island Collection – Inchmoan Vintage 1992 | Master |
Loch Lomond Group | Loch Lomond Original Single Malt | Silver |
MacDuff International | Islay Mist Deluxe Blended Scotch Whisky | Gold |
Pure Scot | Pure Scot Virgin Oak 43 | Gold |
Syndicate 58/6 | Syndicate 58/6 12 Years Old | Silver |
Terroirs Distillers | Muirhead’s Blue Seal | Gold |
Terroirs Distillers | Highland Queen Blend Sherry Finish | Gold |
Terroirs Distillers | Highland Queen | Silver |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | Exotic Cargo Batch #1 | Master |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 12 | Gold |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 4.238 | Silver |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 3.305 | Master |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 29.232 | Gold |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 53.242 | Silver |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 50.96 | Gold |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 76.137 | Gold |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 115.6 | Gold |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 2.105 | Gold |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | Exotic Cargo Batch #2 | Gold |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society | 93.81 | Gold |
Wemyss Malts | Peat Chimney | Gold |
Wemyss Malts | Nectar Grove | Gold |
William Grant & Sons | Glenfiddich Experimental Series Project XX | Silver |
William Grant & Sons | Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask Finish | Silver |
William Grant & Sons | Glenfiddich 12 Year Old | Silver |
William Grant & Sons | Glenfiddich 15 Year Old | Silver |
William Grant & Sons | Glenfiddich 18 Year Old | Silver |
William Grant & Sons | Glenfiddich 21 Year Old | Gold |
William Grant & Sons | Glenfiddich Winter Storm | Gold |
Woolf Sung | Glenturret 23 Year Old PX Octave | Gold |
Woolf Sung | Clynelish 20 Year Old | Silver |