Boozist

Aldi whisky did not get named ‘Best in the World’ – sorry bargain boozers

Aldi Whisky

Aldi WhiskyI 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