Great Scotch whisky is a revelation. It’s also fleeting. There’s a price barrier for entry — as most of the really good stuff is over $100 in the U.S. — and it’s not always widely available. Sometimes you have to know a good whiskey store or a great whiskey bar to get your hands on the best stuff. That’s certainly going to be the case with the world’s best whiskey, according to the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
This year’s crown was bestowed on a Tomatin Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 36 Years Old, a very rare whiskey. That means that the pour survived three double-blind taste tests where it was unanimously awarded all golds to achieve “Double Gold” status by the first round of judges. Then it was voted the best overall Scotch whisky in another double-blind taste test. And then it was voted best whiskey period in yet another double-blind taste test.
I was part of all of those tastings as a judge in San Francisco this year. I also had the pleasure of trying this bottle again over the weekend at the gala where the top awards were announced and presented. Point being, I know this whisky very well by now. Because of that, I’m breaking down the whole thing with my tasting notes below. This isn’t a cheap bottle of booze and you really want to be sure before you commit. Let me help you there with my personal take on the world’s best whiskey of 2023. Let’s dive in!
- The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2022, Ranked
- The Best Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskies Under $100, Ranked
- The Absolute Best Scotch Whisky Between $60-$70, Ranked
- Single Malt Whiskeys From Around The World, Blind Tasted And Ranked
- We Blind Tasted Single Malt Whiskies From All Over The World To Find A Champion
Tomatin Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 36 Years Old
ABV: 45.1 %
Average Price: $1,535
The Whisky:
This is 100% malted barley malt whisky that spends a lot of time in the warehouse. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of a minimum of 36-year-old barrels — both ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. Those barrels are vatted and allowed to rest before the whisky went in the bottle with a touch of water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a deep sense of apple and cherry trees in full bloom on the nose with a hint of mango skins, white peaches, and mulled wine spices that leads toward dark plum jam over buttery scones with a hint of brandy butter lurking in the background.
Palate: The palate is immediately lush and silken with a sense of pear pudding and mincemeat pies next to fire-roasted almonds, dried apples, and raw honeycomb with a light lavender vibe.
Finish: The spices rear their head on the finish with a mild eggnog and spiced Christmas nutcake feel that leads to figs and prunes with a hint of pear pie and soft vanilla rounding out the end.
Bottom Line:
This is simply delicious malt. It’s so deep and enticing while delivering an absolutely quintessential unpeated single malt experience.
Adding a little water really brings out the creaminess of the vanilla and fruits with a soft brioche and creamy vanilla underbelly. There are also more savory herbs and spiced florals present as the pour continues to bloom in the glass. It’s a wonderful slow-sipping whisky that’s worth taking some serious time with.
Where To Find It:
High-end liquor stores and whiskey bars will have this. There’ll be a rush on bottles now because of this award — best whiskey in the world is not easily ignored. But you should be able to snag a bottle at a really good liquor store for a few more minutes. But don’t wait, it’ll be gone soon enough.
This is also a bottle that’ll be easier to get in the U.K. and prime markets in Europe. So maybe look out for it if you’re traveling that way this summer.