The World’s Best Scotch Whisky—According To The 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Awards

Rosebank 31 wins big at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, taking home the Best In Show for all whiskies entered.

Photo illustration: Brad Japhe

There is a strong case to be made for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition being the industry’s ultimate award event. Founded in 2000, it is the oldest and largest of its kind in the US. Each year, in its namesake city, it assembles more than 60 renowned beverage experts who convene for a blind tasting of thousands of liquids, representing every category of spirit from every corner of the globe. The resulting medals are more than mere accolade; they can change the very fortune of a brand.

This past weekend in Northern California, the SFWSC revealed its highest honors in an annual weekend-long event known as Top Shelf. The culmination of that gathering is a black-tie gala where Best In Show awards are doled out for every major style of liquid. Think of it as the “Oscars of Booze.” The highest prize is particularly coveted in the realm of whiskey. Not just because it’s such an esteemed category of liquor, but because of how fierce the field is–year in and year out. In 2025, the competition received literally thousands of entries pulled from six separate continents.

Standing tall atop them all this year was Rosebank 31–a unique, sensationally expressive single malt from the Lowland region of Scotland. It’s not just any ol’ producer that birthed it, either. The historic distillery responsible for the whisky is often regarded as the “King of the Lowlands.” There’s a lot to uncover about this operation and what makes it so special. But first, a little insight into why the judges in SF were so enamored with this exact offering…

The 31-year-old release, which matured in a combination of refill bourbon hogsheads and refill sherry butts, holds a bright, lemony nose alongside candied almond confection. According to their tasting results, its silky mouthfeel carries top notes of orchard fruit, which are threaded with hints of sugar, grape, and gooseberry. The medium-long finish delivers sweet peach and, ultimately, a delicate serving of herbaceous, umami-laden earth.

To my palate, the most compelling characteristic of Rosebank 31 is a dynamic contrast between the spryness of its nose and the unexpected unctuousness present in its 96.2-proof body.

At any rate, the honor arrives at an especially auspicious moment in Rosebank’s 185-year history. After shuttering in 1993, the Lowland landmark was finally reopened to visitors last year, following a four year overhaul by its new owners, Ian Macleod Distillers. When that family-owned company purchased the site and its trademark, in separate deals, it included precious barrels of stock from that bygone era.

They’ve now come to market as part of the Rosebank Legacy Trilogy. Along with the Best In Show winner, the series includes a 30-year and 32-year malt; the final releases drawn from the distillery’s remaining pre-1993 casks.

“Restoring Rosebank was a commitment to one of Scotland’s most admired whisky styles,” according to Leonard Russell, chairman and owner of Ian Macleod Distillers. “To see a whisky from its silent era named the world’s best is deeply meaningful. It honors those who crafted the original spirit and those who helped bring the distillery back to life.”

The reanimation was not an easy one. The company (which also owns Tamdhu and Glengoyne distilleries) spent a reported $105 million on bringing the site and associated visitors center back online. It involved replacing massive copper pot stills, which had been stolen from the grounds back in 2008. And since Rosebank famously triple distills its singe malt–as opposed to the double distilled scotch standard–this demanded acquiring 50% more hardware than normal.

The house style also incorporates the use of worm tub condensers. Now a relative rarity in scotch-making, it’s a less efficient production technique that results in a heavier, meatier malt. To retain its signature style, the folks at Ian Macleod opted to continue employing these relics in the stillhouse.

Will it work in maintaining the consistency of this legendary liquid? We won’t know for quite some time. Distillate only began re-entering cask here in June of 2023. It can’t even legally be labeled as scotch until at least midway through next year. And judging by the care and effort its owners have invested into maintaining the mark, they won’t be in any rush to get Rosebank 2.0 into bottle before its due time. Thankfully there’s still a supply of Rosebank 31 on the shelf to enjoy in the meanwhile. It’s currently retailing for around $2000 a bottle. Top prize at San Francisco World Spirits Competition might make that price-tag seem real quaint, real fast.