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Whisky Exchange selects Whisky of the Year
Spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange has chosen two American whiskeys to be its prize expressions for 2025.
New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Bottled in Bond was named the retailer’s Whisky of the Year. It was selected during a blind tasting at The Whisky Exchange’s Great Portland Street shop.
Whiskies considered for the prize had to be priced under £80 (US$101) and be ongoing, commercially available releases.
The 2025 shortlist included: Glenglassaugh Portsoy, Glen Scotia Victoriana, Kilchoman Sanaig, Green Spot Leoville Barton Bordeaux Finish, and Glencadam 15 Year Old.
New Riff is bottled at 50% ABV and retails for £64.95 (US$82). It was praised for its ‘creamy, spicy profile and commitment to quality production’.
The expression is made from non-GMO grains and aged for four years in virgin American oak.
A second prize was given to the New Wave Whisky of the Year. Copperworks Release 046 American Single Malt Whiskey was selected as the winner during a blind tasting at the Whisky Show 2024.
This expression is bottled at 50% ABV and retails for £73.95 (US$94). It hails from Seattle’s Copperworks Distillery and is made with Genie barley sourced from a single Oregon farm, which underwent an extended fermentation process before being aged in new American oak casks.
Dawn Davies MW, head buyer at The Whisky Exchange, commented: “Blind tasting is always a great way to remove all preconceptions about liquid, and it was fantastic to see that two American whiskies – one Bourbon and one American single malt – took the crown this year.
“American whiskey is often seen by Scotch lovers as maybe not as exciting as Scottish single malts, but this lineup shows it can certainly hold its own on the world stage. Flavour, complexity, and downright drinkability won outright in these tastings.”
The Whisky Exchange also awarded a prize for Spirit of the Year 2025, which was given to Don Fulano Blanco Tequila.
Bottled at 40% ABV and retailing for £50.95 (US$65), the Tequila is made with 10-year-old Blue Weber agave, with a long fermentation and a blend of pot and column distillation.
It was praised for its notes of ‘tropical fruit, red pepper, flowers, and butterscotch’.
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