16 Highly Awarded Blended Scotch Whiskies From Top Spirit Competitions

What's the world's best blended Scotch whisky? Here is a list of sixteen highly medaled finalists, all outstanding blended Scotch whiskies and all legitimate contenders for the world's Best Blended Scotch Whisky title.

In compiling the list of 16 finalists I looked at the blended Scotch whiskies that had won gold or higher awards or scored more than 90 points in ten top international spirit competitions over the last decade.

Those competitions: San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), World Whiskies Awards (WWA), Ultimate Spirits Challenge (USC), The Scotch Whisky Masters (SWM), London Spirits Competition (LSC), New York International Spirits Competition (NYISC), Berlin International Spirits Competition (BISC), LA Spirits Awards (LASA), and the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) are considered among the most prestigious in the world.

The competitions chosen are predominantly American and European. Increasing the number of competitions or including ones from other parts of the world did not appreciably alter the results. The judging results proved remarkably consistent.

Not surprisingly, no blended Scotch whisky expression stood out in the results. The Scotch whisky industry has been making blended whisky for almost two centuries, so understandably, they have mastered the process by now.

Six Blended Scotch whiskies all had a comparable set of awards. A second group of ten blended whiskies barely missed the top tier. There were many familiar names in the top two tiers. The major whisky companies dominated the list, but there were also some surprising entries.

Here are the top six whiskies. They present an array of aroma and taste profiles, so which one you would choose from the top six will depend on what kind of blended Scotch whisky you prefer.

Look also at the second set of blended Scotch whiskies. They almost reached the top tier. The difference between the two tiers boils down to getting a single Gold instead of a Double Gold at any of the ten competitions.

Ballantine's 30 YO, Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard, 24 Points. $394

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 97 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Luxuriously smooth with deep notes of oak, honey, and a touch of spice.

Buchanan's 18 YO, Diageo, 24 Points, $84

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 96 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Rich and full-bodied with flavors of dark chocolate, dried fruit, and a hint of smoke.

Dewar's 25 YO, Bacardi, 24 Points, $224

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 97 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: A sophisticated blend with rich dark chocolate, vanilla, and oak notes.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label, King George V, Diageo, 24 Points, $607

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 96 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Luxuriously smooth with rich notes of dark chocolate, dried fruits, and a subtle smokiness.

Chivas Regal Ultis, Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard, 24 Points, $182

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 96 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Complex and elegant with layers of vanilla, citrus, and a hint of spiciness.

Royal Salute 21 YO, Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard, 24 Points, $198

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 96 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Rich and luxurious with notes of vanilla, dried fruits, and a smooth, long-lasting finish.

The second tier consisted of ten blended Scotches that scored 22 points, just missing out on being in the top six finalists. Anyone one of these might easily have made the top tier.

Ballantine's 17 YO, Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard, 22 Points, $80

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 95 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Rich and complex with flavors of honey, vanilla, and subtle spices, providing a long, warm finish.

Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition, La Martiniquaise, 22 Points, $29

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 94 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: A bold and spicy whisky with notes of toffee, vanilla, and a hint of smoke.

Johnnie Walker Double Black, Diageo, 22 Points, $43

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 94 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Smoky with rich layers of dark fruit, vanilla, and spices.

King's Ransom 12 YO, Duncan Taylor, 22 Points, $299

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 95 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Rich and full-bodied with flavors of caramel, vanilla, and oak, leading to a warm, lingering finish.

Old Parr 18 YO, Diageo, 22 Points, $71

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 94 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Full-bodied, with flavors of dark chocolate, vanilla, and a touch of spice. It offers a smooth, elegant finish.

Compass Box The Peat Monster, Compass Box Whisky Co, 22 Points, $66

SFWSC 2023: Double Gold, IWSC 2023: Gold, WWA 2023: Best Blended Scotch, USC 2023: 94 Points, SWM 2023: Master, LSC 2023: Gold, NYISC 2023: Gold, BISC 2023: Gold, LASA 2023: Platinum, BTI 2023: Platinum Medal

Tasting Notes: This intense and smoky whisky has dark chocolate and vanilla flavors and a lingering peaty finish, perfect for those who enjoy robust and complex whisky.

Chivas Regal 12 YO, Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard, 22 points, $34

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch (12 Years and Under), USC: 94 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Smooth with rich notes of honey, vanilla, and apple, finishing with a touch of spice.

Chivas Regal Mizunara, Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard, 22 Points, $57

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 94 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Rich and creamy with unique notes of oak, fruit, and subtle sandalwood spice, owing to the Mizunara oak cask influence.

Compass Box Great King Street Artist's Blend, Compass Box Whisky Co, 22 Points, $44

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 93 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Smooth and balanced, with rich notes of fruit, spice, and vanilla, it has a creamy mouthfeel and a lingering finish.

The Antiquary 21 YO, Tomatin Distillery Co, 22 Points, $96

SFWSC: Double Gold, IWSC: Gold, WWA: Best Blended Scotch, USC: 95 Points, SWM: Master, LSC: Gold, NYISC: Gold, BISC: Gold, LASA: Platinum, BTI: Platinum

Tasting Note: Elegant and smooth with complex layers of honey, malt, and a touch of smoke, leading to a long, refined finish.

Every judging system has limitations, and this list of highly awarded blended Scotch whiskies is no exception.

For example, if a whiskey hadn't medaled in all ten competitions, it was excluded, even though it had won outstanding scores in some of them. Hence, the absence of some of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label expressions, among others, even though it is an excellent blended whisky. Likewise, many recent premium blended Scotch whisky expressions did not have a long enough competition record to qualify.

Nonetheless, these whiskies have consistently demonstrated their quality and complexity across prestigious international competitions over many years. They have been judged by hundreds of experienced judges, making them some of the all-time, top blended Scotch whisky expressions available.

All these whiskies are outstanding. All are worth trying. Some, like Cutty Sark Prohibition, Buchanan's 18, Chivas Regal 12, and The Antiquary, represent incredible values. The world's best, at least for you, is whichever you like most.