Global premium spirits business and independent family distiller, William Grant & Sons, has just been named ‘Distiller of the Year’ and ‘Scotch Distiller of the Year’ by the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC).
In the individual expression honours, The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 YO won the Single Malt Scotch 15 Years Old and Under Trophy. The judges also recognised Glenfiddich 21YO, Glenfiddich 14 YO Bourbon Barrel Reserve, The Balvenie Thirty and Glenfiddich 40 YO with each receiving a ‘gold outstanding’ medal.
“This is sixth time William Grant & Sons has won this award. Year on year they impress with their range of products and the quality of their spirits. It’s a fantastic achievement. They have impeccably maintained the quality of their liquid and in some cases on brands well over a century old. More youthful brands such as Monkey Shoulder and House of Hazelwood are also helping to re-write the rules of the category and are justifiably held in the highest regard,” said a spokesperson for the IWSC.
Simon Hunt, CEO of William Grant & Sons, said: “This is an incredible achievement and is testament to the skill, expertise and dedication of our people. As a family run business we take great pride in taking a long term view and fostering a culture of innovation. We are absolutely delighted that this has been recognised by the IWSC.”
The company won 20 gold medals for Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, House of Hazelwood, Monkey Shoulder and Grant’s, winning 72 medals overall.
The IWSC is now in its 47th year and is one of the most authoritative, respected and influential spirits competitions in the world. The competition is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process and for this year’s competition it received entries from nearly 90 countries worldwide.
