The last clutch of regional winners in the 2022 Whisky Magazine Awards have been revealed ahead of the global awards ceremony in London next month.
The Rest of World regional winners in the World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky were announced in a virtual ceremony on 17 February.
It follows the announcement of the Scotland and Ireland regional results at in-person events in Edinburgh and Dublin last year, and of the American regional winners via a virtual presentation earlier in February.
Among this year's winners in the Rest of World Icons of Whisky were Dave Withers of Australia's Archie Rose Distilling Co., who was crowned Master Distiller/Master 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.
The Icons of Whisky Global awards will be announced at a gala dinner in London on 24 March.
Meanwhile, Rest of World category winners in the World Whiskies Awards (part of the World Drinks Awards) included Teeling Whiskey 30 Years Old (named Best Irish Single Malt 21 Years & Over) and Lark Distilling Co. Symphony No. 1 (named Best Australian Blended Malt No Age Statement).
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."
Anita Ujszaszi, awards director, commented on the World Whiskies Awards:
"We must extend a heartfelt thanks to our judges, who all met online in dedicated tasting sessions to share their expertise and evaluate each sample individually. It’s been an incredible experience.
"We’ve been particularly impressed by submissions from some of the world’s newest distillers, many of which have been embracing innovative techniques to produce exceptional whiskies."
18 February 2022 - Bethany Whymark