SA WHISKEY NAMED WORLD’S BEST

It’s official: the Three Ships Whisky Bourbon Cash has been crowned the World’s Best Blended Whisky.

The prestigious 2025 World Whiskies Awards (WWA) judging panel hosted in London praised the Three Ships Whisky Bourbon Cask.

The proudly South African whisky beat competition from Ireland, Japan, Scotland and America.

The WWA takes place every year, and an independent panel of the world’s top whisky experts taste the whisky blindly without a label. Each whisky is judged on its appearance, smell, taste, finish, balance, character and complexity.

The judges said of the Three Ships Whisky Bourbon Cask: “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, said South Africa’s unique conditions lead to our whiskies tasting so good.

“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.”

“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.”

According to Uys, the South African climate accelerates maturation and although our Angels’ Share is considerably higher than colder countries, our whiskies truly stand out as exceptionally smooth and flavourful.

Image credit: World Brand Design Society