Tamdhu 21 year old whisky named ‘best Scotch in the world’ at global competition
The Speyside single malt has already won multiple awards this year.
Tamdhu 21 Year Old has been named Best Overall Scotch at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), the highest Scotch accolade at the oldest and largest blind-tasted spirits competition in the world.
The Speyside single malt received a unanimous Double Gold from the judging panel before going on to win Best Single Malt Scotch, and then the overall title.
It caps a standout year for the expression, which was also named Overall Winner at the 2026 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards and Best of the Best Single Malt Scotch of 2026 by Robb Report Best of the Best 2026 awards.
The oldest expression in the Tamdhu core collection, the 21 Year Old whisky is matured exclusively in hand-selected first fill and refill American and European oak Oloroso sherry casks, sourced directly from Jerez.
Two decades of maturation bring a balance of sweetness and dryness, with deep sherry oak richness. It is bottled at 47.5% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural in colour.
Official tasting notes include: “Wisps of sherried oak, chocolate, sultanas and warm cinnamon porridge open on the nose, followed by a Christmas cake palate of plump raisins, candied orange and gentle oak, and endless waves of oak and spice on the finish, finally giving way to sweet fruit.”
The packaging is as elegant as the whisky as the Tamdhu bottle is presented in a beautiful, Royal green cut-work gift case whose Spanish-Moorish design reflects the Southern Spanish sherry casks used in the maturation process.
Sandy McIntyre, distillery manager at Tamdhu, said: “This is an incredibly proud moment
for everyone at the distillery. Tamdhu 21 Year Old sums up everything we stand for: exceptional whisky from exceptional sherry casks.
“To see it named Best Overall Scotch at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in a blind tasting is a real testament to the team here in Speyside!”
When the Tamdhu 21 year old whisky launched, Gordon Dundas, global brand ambassador for Tamdhu and Ian Macleod Distillers’ whiskies, said: “This limited “coming of age” 21-year-old release, like all Tamdhu single malts, is fully matured in Oloroso sherry casks to deliver a flavour profile and entirely natural colour that makes this spirit elegant and distinctive.”
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