The SF World Spirits Competition Selects The Top Irish Pot Still Whiskey

Forbes

20-05-2025

The finalists for World's Best Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Five Irish pot still whiskeys are finalists for the World's Best Irish Pot Still Whiskey at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Below are brief backgrounds and tasting notes for the five finalists.
Yellow Spot, part of the historic Spot Whiskey range, is one of the legendary brands of Irish whiskey. The brand is owned by Mitchell & Son Wine Merchants in Dublin and produced at the Midleton Distillery in Cork. This 12-year-old expression matures in ex-bourbon, sherry, and Malaga wine casks, offering a complex and layered profile.
The whiskey presents a rich and creamy nose, showcasing aromas of lemon cheesecake, butterscotch, cooked cereal/malt, butter, and cinnamon. The palate reveals a sweet and spicy character, enhanced by buttered toast, jammy and dried fruits, nutmeg, clove, and candied lemon zest. The finish is long, sweet, and complex, with lingering raisin notes and cooked cereal.
Redbreast is a legendary Irish whiskey brand and a perennial medalist in international spirit competitions. The 21-year-old expression is a premium whiskey from the Midleton Distillery. It's crafted from a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills, and matured in a combination of American ex-bourbon barrels and first-fill Spanish Oloroso sherry butts. The result is a rich and complex whiskey that many consider among the finest pot still whiskeys in the world.
The whiskey is rich and complex on the nose, showcasing a wide array of aromas, including fresh tropical fruits, nuts, and rich dried fruit. The palate reveals a pronounced Sherry influence, accompanied by vanilla, toasted oak, an assortment of fresh and dried fruits, nuts, and subtle wood spice notes. The finish is long and layered, featuring lingering spices, lemon curd, sugar cookies, and gingerbread notes.
The Redbreast whiskey range
This exceptional 27-year-old expression from Redbreast is matured in a combination of bourbon, sherry, and ruby port casks. Bottled at cask strength, it showcases the pinnacle of Redbreast's craftsmanship. A perennial gold medalist in international spirit competitions, it is one of the great Irish whiskeys.
Like its younger sibling, the whiskey has an incredibly broad aroma, encompassing fresh and dried tropical and orchard fruits, nuts, caramel or butterscotch, and vanilla.
The palate is smooth and creamy, showcasing Sherry/fruit cake, vanilla, toasted oak, nuts, and subtle spice notes. The finish is long and fruity, with lingering spice and seasoned oak notes.
Redbreast Cask Strength is a more flavorful, intense, and higher-proof version of the classic 12-year-old Redbreast. It matures in a combination of ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks.
The nose reveals tropical, orchard, and citrus fruits, particularly dried apricot and golden raisin, accompanied by a medley of spices and toasted wood. The palate is rich, flavorful, and creamy, showcasing succulent fresh and dried fruits, spices, vanilla, and a hint of oak. The finish is exceptionally long, with lingering notes of fruit, spice, toasted oak, and digestive biscuit/cooked cereal.
Boann Distillery's PX Cask Finish is a limited-edition single pot still Irish whiskey matured in Oloroso Sherry hogsheads and then finished in Pedro Ximénez casks from Malaga. Some of the PX casks are made from chestnut wood, imparting notes of nuts, bitter chocolate, and dried fruits to the whiskey.
Dried fruit, dark chocolate, and a hint of spice are featured on the nose. The palate exhibits PX Sherry notes of figs, dates, raisins, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, and seasoned oak. The finish is long and rich, with lingering notes of caramel, dark fruit, and sherry sweetness.
The SFWSC is among the world's most respected and influential spirits competitions. Founded in 2000, it brings together a panel of seasoned industry experts—including master distillers, spirits journalists, and bar professionals—to conduct blind tastings across various spirit categories.
Awards from the SFWSC are highly coveted, often serving as a benchmark for quality and craftsmanship in the global spirits industry. Its rigorous judging process and international prestige make it a valuable platform for emerging and established brands.
Redbreast, one of the leading Irish whiskey producers, dominates the Best 2025 SFWSC Irish Pot Still Whiskey finalists. The 27-year-old Redbreast is nothing less than legendary, having won top Irish whiskey honors at numerous international spirit competitions.
Together, these whiskeys showcase the remarkable breadth and sophistication of Irish pot still whiskeys. If you're a fan of Irish whiskey, these expressions should be part of your collection. If you are unfamiliar with Irish whiskey and wish to learn more, these finalists are a good place to start.