The Scotch Whisky Masters for 2025 were announced earlier this month, here’s every whisky that was awarded the top accolade.
The annual competition - chaired by The Spirits Business and a panel of leading spirits specialists - took place earlier this summer, where judges met in London to blind taste samples of Scotch whiskies, before awarding master, gold and silver medals.
A total of 35 whiskies gained a master medal - the highest accolade - while one was given the master and taste master, making it the overall top Scotch and named Scotch Whisky Taste Master 2025.
The master medals ranged from Speyside single malts to island drams and blended whiskies, showing the quality that’s available in all of the whisky categories.
It was Scapa 21 year old, which has been described as a “pure island dram” that took home the Scotch Whisky Taste Master for 2025. This whisky, which was entered into the ultra-premium (£100+) category, was described by judges as: “Very nutty on the nose, some cherry and then some salinity and smoke.”
Scapa 10 and 16 year old whiskies won gold in their respective categories. In the blended categories, Brave New Spirits Royal Cabinet 20 Years was awarded a master, as was Buchanan’s Special Reserve 18 Years Old; Ballantine’s 30 Years Old; Royal Salute 30 Years Old Key to the Kingdom and Chivas Regal Ultis XX Aged 20 Years.
Elixir Distillers took home three master medals for their blends, including Elements of Islay Sherry Cask; Elements of Islay Fireside and Elements of Islay Campfire.
The full list of Whisky Masters 2025 Master medal winning whiskies are:
Blended – Aged Between 19 and 30 years
Brave New Spirits Royal Cabinet 20 Years
Blended – Super-Premium
Buchanan’s Special Reserve 18 Years Old
Blended – Ultra Premium
Ballantine’s 30 Years Old
Royal Salute 30 Years Old Key to the Kingdom
Chivas Regal Ultis XX Aged 20 Years
Blended Malt – Ultra-Premium
Elixir Distillers Elements of Islay Sherry Cask
Single Grain – Single Cask
Brave New Spirits Cask Masters North British
Single Malt: Speyside – Aged up to 12 Years
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 72.124 – Soak up the Sun with a Glass of Sherry
The GlenAllachie Distillers Meikle Toir The Sherry One
Single Malt: Speyside – Aged between 13 and 18 Years
Angus Dundee Distillers Old Ballantruan 15 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Diageo The Singleton Glen Ord Warm Reunion 16 Year Old
Single Malt: Speyside – Super-Premium
Chivas Brothers The Glenlivet 15 Years Old French Oak
Single Malt: Speyside – Ultra-Premium
Chivas Brothers Aberlour 16 Years Old Double Cask Matured
Chivas Brothers Aberlour 18 Years Old Double Sherry Cask Finish
Chivas Brothers The Glenlivet 21 Years Old Sample Room Collection
Chivas Brothers Longmorn 18 Years Old
Chivas Brothers Longmorn 22 Years Old
Single Malt: Speyside – Single Cask
Brave New Spirits WhiskyHeroes The Might Of The Moor Auchroisk
Single Malt: Highlands & Islands – Aged Between 13 and 18 Years
Elixir Distillers Port Askaig 15 Years Old
The Glenturret Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 15 Years Old
Single Malt: Highlands & Islands – Aged Between 19 and 30 Years
One Cask at a Time – Highland Park 27
Single Malt: Highlands & Islands – Premium
Isle of Arran Distillers Arran Single Malt Sherry Cask ‘The Bodega’
Single Malt: Highlands & Islands – Ultra-Premium
Chivas Brothers Scapa 21 Years Old
Single Malt: Highlands & Islands – Special Edition
Brave New Spirits Cask Masters Caol Ila
Single Malt: Islay – No Age Statement
Kilchoman Distillery Kilchoman Batch Strength
Single Malt: Islay – Aged up to 12 Years
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 53.491 – Gastronomic Beachcombing
Single Malt: Islay – Aged Between 13 and 18 Years
Bruichladdich Distillery Port Charlotte 18 Years Old 2025 Edition
Single Malt: Islay – Single Cask
Brave New Spirits WhiskyHeroes ‘The Unpronounceable’ Staoisha
Single Malt: Lowlands – Super-Premium
Eden Mill St Andrews Eden Mill St Andrews Sherry Cask
Eden Mill St Andrews Eden Mill St Andrews Bourbon Cask
InchDairnie Whisky KinGlassie Fife Single Malt Scotch Whisky Raw Aged 8 Years
InchDairnie Whisky KinGlassie Fife Single Malt Scotch Whisky Double Matured Aged 8 Years
Rye
InchDairnie Whisky RyeLaw Scottish Rye Whisky Vintage 2018
See the full list on the Spirits Business website.
