Reaching its fourth year, this competition has really set the benchmark for independent bottlers.The challenge was created to show off the best this sector has to offer.The independents are widely acknowledged as offering the whisky lover something different from their favourite distillery.Despite increasing pressure to find and buy casks, this year’s competition has shown that this sector of the market is offering some phenomenal whiskies for the connessiour.Each company was allowed to enter one whisky for each category, and it was then assessed by three members of the judging panel.The whiskies were tasted blind, only marked with a category number and ABV, by our dedicated panel of judges, who sampled the 167 whiskies spanning the six main production areas and marked out of 10.In each category a gold, silver and bronze medal has been awarded for the top scoring whiskies.In each section a point system was applied to the medal winners and the highest scoring was awarded the section trophy.A broad spread of companies won medals, and there were five different trophy winners across the six categories, reflecting the diversity and quality in the market place offered by these companies.This year we decided to honour the independent bottler who scored the most points across all categories with an Icon of Whisky, see page 6 for results.CAMPBELTOWN
INDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR
Ian Macleod Distillers
12 YEARS OLD & UNDER
Gold NC2 Springbank
Duncan Taylor and Co.
13-18 YEARS OLD
Gold 93.31 Glen Scotia 16 Years Old
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Silver Berry’s Own Selection
Glen Scotia 1992 Berry Bros. & Rudd
Silver Scott’s Selection Glen Scotia 1991
Speyside Distillers
19 YEARS PLUS
Gold Chieftain’s Springbank 37 Years Old
Ian Macleod DistillersHIGHLANDINDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR
SpecialityDrinks
12 YEARS OLD & UNDER
Gold Chieftain’s Dalmore Maderia Finish
Ian Macleod Distillers
Silver Smooth Gentleman Wemyss
Vintage Malts
Bronze 26.56 Clynelish
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
13-18 YEARS OLD
Gold Royal Brackla 15 Years Old
William Cadenhead
Silver Glencadam 16 Years Old
Dewar Rattray
Bronze 125.14 Glenmorangie 13 Years Old
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
19 YEARS PLUS
Gold Single Malts of Scotland Clynelish
35 Years Old SpecialityDrinks
Silver Berry’s Own Selection Blair Athol 1974
Berry Bros.& Rudd
Bronze Glenglassaugh 34 Years Old
Dewar RattrayISLANDS (NON ISLAY)INDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR
William Cadenhead
12 YEARS OLD & UNDER
Gold Chieftain’s Ledaig 10 Years Old
Ian Macleod Distillers
Silver 4.125 Highland Park 8 Years Old
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Bronze Cadenhead’s Ledaig 11 Years Old
William Cadenhead
13-18 YEARS OLD
Gold Cadenhead’s Tobermory
13 Years Old William Cadenhead
Silver Private Cellar Tobermory 1995
Speyside Distillers
Bronze Highland Park16 Years Old
Dewar Rattray
19 YEARS PLUS
Gold Cadenhead’s Highland Park
23 Years Old William Cadenhead
Silver Highland Park c2252 1986
Duncan Taylor and Co
Bronze Highland Park Cask Strength 1995
Gordon & MacPhailISLAY
INDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR
Vintage Malt Whisky Company
12 YEARS OLD & UNDER
Gold 33.68 Ardbeg 9 Years Old
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Silver NC2 Bowmore 1998
Duncan Taylor and Co.
Bronze Chieftain’s Bunnahabhain peated
10 Years Old Ian Macleod Distillers
13-18 YEARS OLD
Gold Bowmore 17 Years Old
Dewar Rattray
Silver Single Malts of Scotland Caol Ila
17 Years Old Speciality Drinks
Bronze Coopers Choice Caol Ila 1991
Vintage Malt Whisky Company
19 YEARS PLUS
Gold Finlaggan Old Reserve Single Islay Malt
Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Silver Elements of Islay Speciality Drinks
Bronze Caol Ila Cask Strength 1995
Gordon & MacPhailLOWLANDINDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR
Duncan Taylor and Co.
12 YEARS OLD & UNDER
Gold WhiskyGalore Auchentoshan 1999
Duncan Taylor and Co.
Silver 5.22 Auchentoshan
Scotch Malt Whisky Company
13-18 YEARS OLD
Gold Berry’s Own Selection Rosebank
1990 Berry Bros.& Rudd
Silver Private Cellar Bladnoch 1993
Speyside Distillers
Bronze Single Malts of Scotland Rosebank
16 Years Old Speciality Drinks
19 YEARS PLUS
Gold Rarest of the Rare Inverleven 1978
Duncan Taylor and Co.
Silver G3.1 Caledonian 29 Years Old
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Bronze Berry’sOwn Selection St.Magdalene
1982 Berry Bros.& RuddSPEYSIDEINDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR
Gordon & MacPhail
12 YEARS OLD & UNDER
Gold 39.65 Linkwood 11 Years Old
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Silver Berry’s Own Selection BenRiach
1996 BerryBros. & Rudd
Silver Milton Duff Cask Strength 1996
Gordon & MacPhail
13-18 YEARS OLD
Gold Mortlach 16 Years Old
Dewar Rattray
Silver Scott’s Selection Mortlach 1990
Speyside Distillers
Bronze Berry’s Own Selection Mortlach
1991 Berry Bros. & Rudd
19 YEARS PLUS
Gold Rare Vintage Glenburgie 1964
Gordon & MacPhail
Silver 76.58 Mortlach 23 Years Old
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Silver Caperdonich 26 Years Old
Dewar Rattray