THREE SHIPS WHISKY Awarded World’s Best Blended Whisky
The world has raised a glass to South Africa’s whisky craftsmanship
The Three Ships Whisky Bourbon Cask has officially been crowned the World’s Best Blended Whisky at the prestigious 2025 World Whiskies Awards (WWA), hosted in London by TheDrinksReport.com.
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 prestigious 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.
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.”
