Three Ships Whisky Earns Top Spot At 2025 World Whiskies Awards

The proudly South African whisky impressed the judges to such an extent that they awarded it the World’s Best title in the Blended Whisky category, outshining competition from Scotland, America, Japan, and Ireland, amongst others.

At the competition, whiskies from around the globe are rigorously blind-judged (without a label) by an independent panel of the world’s top whisky experts. The judging involves multiple assessments based on appearance, nose, taste, finish, balance, character and complexity to determine the best in the world.

The judges praised the Three Ships Whisky Bourbon Cask for its unique taste profile: “Varnished oak, vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate, and smoked pineapple all align on an expressive nose, while cornflake, caramel sauce, and ripe fruits drift through the palate. Spicy oak adds structure and interest while brown sugar and vanilla contribute to a rounded finish."

Walters Uys, Lead Spirits Intrinsic at Heineken Beverages South Africa, says the award is an exceptional moment for South Africa.

"South Africa may be considered a young whisky-making country, but we’ve proven yet again that world-class whisky knows no borders. This marks the third time Three Ships Whisky has earned the World’s Best title and is a testament to local craftsmanship, resilience and ingenuity. We could not be more honoured by the recognition!"

The whisky is crafted at the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, about an hour’s drive from Cape Town, and is one of only a few distilleries globally where both malt and grain whisky are distilled.

“Our warm South African climate required us to think differently about whisky and find innovative ways to work with our warmer temperatures, not against it,” says Uys.

“While we adhere to the same whisky-making regulations as Scotland – using only water, yeast, grain and oak casks with a minimum maturation of three years - our conditions are unique. The climate accelerates maturation and although our Angels’ Share is considerably higher than colder countries, our whiskies truly stand-out as exceptionally smooth and flavourful.”

The globally awarded Three Ships Whisky Bourbon Cask is a skillful blend of grain and malt whiskies, distilled separately in copper pot and column stills. Matured in a combination of older and younger ex-Bourbon American oak casks, the whisky develops a smooth, layered character with a lingering sweet, spicy finish.