Rankin Sponsors Single Malt Category at the Whisky Magazine Awards 2022

The best and brightest in the world of whisky have been commended at the Rest of World round of the Whisky Magazine Awards 2022.

The Rest of World awards presented by Whisky Magazine were announced virtually in a broadcast streamed on the title’s Facebook page. Split into five regional rounds (America, Ireland, Scotland, India, Rest of World) leading to global titles, the Whisky Magazine Awards are designed to commend the very best people, places and products in the world of whisky.

From bartenders to brand ambassadors, retailers to visitor attraction managers, the Icons of Whisky awards honour those who have worked tirelessly to produce and promote whisky. Among this year’s winners were Dave Withers of Australia’s Archie Rose Distilling Co, who was crowned Master Distiller/Blender of the Year, and Lark Distilling Co, which was named Sustainable Distillery of the Year. The coveted title of Distiller of the Year went to Taiwan’s Kavalan Distillery.

These Rest of World winners will now go head-to-head against successful entrants from America, Scotland, Ireland, and India, for the chance to win the global title. The Icons of Whisky Global awards will be announced at a gala dinner in London on 24 March. Meanwhile, the World Whiskies Awards (part of the World Drinks Awards) named its category winners for Rest of World, chosen from hundreds of entries from distillers across the globe by an expert judging panel. This year’s winners include Teeling Whiskey 30 Years Old, which took the prize for Best Irish Single Malt 21 Years & Over, and Roe & Co Cask Strength was awarded Best Irish Grain 13 to 20 Years Old. The title of Best Australian Rye 12 Years & Under went to Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky, while Best Australian Blended Malt No Age Statement went to Lark Distilling Co. Symphony No.1.

All category winners will now be compared head-to-head by the World Whiskies Awards judging panel to determine the Country and Global titles for 2022, such as France’s Best Single Malt and World’s Best Single Malt.

On the Icons of Whisky results, Christopher Coates, editor of Whisky Magazine, said: “The global whisky industry has taken the challenges of the past few years in stride, and the strength of the entries we’ve received to our Icons awards for 2022 reflects this perfectly. It was no easy task for our panel to choose these Rest of World winners, but I believe we’ve been successful in highlighting some truly iconic whisky heroes.” “As always, we have been inspired by each and every one of our Icons nominees. Regardless of where in the world they are located or the part of the industry they work in, it is apparent that all are united by an unrivalled passion for whisky and a shared commitment to excellence in their respective fields.”

Watch the presentation in full here.

Headline Sponsor: Glencairn Crystal

Category Sponsors: Angel’s Share Glass, Berlin Packaging from Bruni Erben, The Glenturret, Kapag, Larkfire, McLaren Packaging, Rankin, UPS, WestRock, and Whisky Auctioneer.