Best Ultra-Aged Scotch Whisky, According To SF World Spirits Competition

Forbes

15-05-2025

The five top rated ultra-aged single malt Scotch whiskies
Five ultra-aged single malt Scotch whiskies are finalists in the 20 Years and Older category at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The SFWSC is among the world's largest and most prestigious whisky judging events. Whisky enthusiasts and the beverage industry closely follow its results. Below are brief backgrounds and tasting notes on the finalists. The Top Shelf 2025 Awards Gala, a highly anticipated whiskey industry event, will announce the winner on November 9 at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco.
Rosebank Distillery was established in Falkirk in Scotland's Lowlands in 1840. It became renowned for producing a light, floral, and elegant single malt due to its use of triple distillation and worm tub condensers—an unusual combination.
Often referred to as the 'King of the Lowlands,' Rosebank developed a cult following before being mothballed in 1993 by United Distillers/Diageo. The distillery was resurrected in 2017 after Ian Macleod Distillers acquired the site and trademarks. They undertook a meticulous restoration, preserving its whiskey's historic style and character. In 2023, Rosebank officially resumed production.
The nose features pronounced citrus notes, typical of Lowland distillers, vanilla, caramel, and candied almonds. The palate exhibits herbal chamomile notes and tropical and stone fruit flavors of cooked banana, peach, apricot, and red berries. The finish is long, smooth, sweet, and fruity with lingering herbal and seasoned oak notes.
This whisky is a continuation of Rosebank's legacy. Like its older sibling, it represents stock laid down before the distillery's closing in 1993. Although it shares a similar DNA, its aroma and flavor profile differ slightly from the 31-Year-Old expression.
The nose features pineapple, candied ginger, lemon, marzipan, white pepper, and café latte/mocha notes. It's velvety smooth on the palate, with herbal notes of thyme, cooked cereal/malt, butterscotch, tropical fruits, and assorted wood spices. The finish is long and fruity, with lingering lemon, honey, cooked cereal, and toasted walnut notes.
Glen Scotia Distillery, founded in 1832, is one of the few remaining distilleries in Campbeltown, once hailed as the "whisky capital of the world." Known for its maritime influence and distinctive oil-rich character, Glen Scotia has endured industry downturns and ownership changes while maintaining its landmark aroma and taste profile.
Today, the distillery produces a range of single malts that reflect Campbeltown's peated and unpeated styles. Since being revitalized under the ownership of Loch Lomond Group, Glen Scotia has gained critical acclaim and has been a perennial medalist at international spirit competitions.
The nose features Campbeltown's maritime terroir, red apple, candied orange peel, vanilla syrup, and caramel. It's sweet, smooth, and creamy on the palate, exhibiting an assortment of orchard and citrus fruit and wood spices of cinnamon, ginger, and clove. The finish is long, with lingering maritime and spicy ground ginger notes.
Tomintoul Distillery, established in 1964, is in the Speyside region of Scotland near Tomintoul—the highest village in the Highlands. Built to produce a light, smooth style of whisky, it uses water sourced from the Ballantruan spring and primarily crafts unpeated single malts. However, it also produces a peated line under the "Old Ballantruan" name.
Known as "The Gentle Dram," Tomintoul emphasizes balance and elegance in its whiskies. Today, it is owned by Angus Dundee Distillers and is widely respected for its approachable, fruit-forward expressions.
The nose features brown sugar, digestive biscuits, golden raisins, and toasted oak. Salted caramel, stone fruit, cured tobacco leaf, praline nuts, maple syrup, vanilla custard, and oak spices of cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and candied ginger are showcased on the palate. The finish is long with a nuanced complexity showcasing coffee cake, crème caramel, and burnt sugar notes.
Alexander Murray is a Florida-based specialty bottler. In addition to their proprietary range, they also develop custom blends for Costco, Total Wine & More, and others. This Highland single malt is bottled at cask strength and offers a rich and complex profile.
The whisky is sweet on the nose, featuring peach syrup, chocolate fudge, nougat, cooked cereal/malt, floral heather, and spicy orange peel. The palate exhibits pronounced orange fruit notes of orange oil and candied orange zest, herbal notes of dried spices, caramel, and vanilla. The finish is sweet with lingering seasoned oak and spicy notes.
These ultra-aged Scotch single malt whiskies, among the rarest ones available, offer a unique tasting experience. Less than 1% of Scotch whisky is aged 25 years or more, making these expressions exceptional. The Rosebank expressions, for example, represent the last remnant stock produced before the distillery shut down. Once that inventory is gone, it will be three decades before sufficiently aged stock is again available. All these single malts are worth tasting, and if you like one, buy it. You may not have another chance.