Whisky of the Year 2025

Every year, we ask Members which Whisky of the Month was their favourite. Is it an easy decision? No. And this year's race was a tight one, with just a handful of votes separating much of the field. 

The Club had some major wins on the awards front, too: 

Our exclusive Benriach 2013 Triple Sherry Cask scored a whopping 98/100 points at 2025’s International Wine and Spirits Competition 
Our Dunville's 13 Year Old Cigar Malt won Best Small Batch Irish Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards
Our Tomatin 14 Year Old Caribbean Rum Cask took out a Gold medal from San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2025
Our Redbreast PX Edition won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Our Aberlour 2012 Vintage 100% First Fill Casks won Gold at 2025’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition
And our Westward Whiskey Lamington Porter Cask won Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition before it made its way to Members. 

Just when we though thought the whisky trophy cabinet was chock-a-block, we received the news in November that we'd been crowned  the world’s best whisky club after being named as one of the top whisky and spirits producers in the world in the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s recently announced top 50.

Thanks to everyone who voted in this year's Whisky of the Year award. We were overwhelmed by the response and loved reading about your favourites. Read on to find out about 2025's whisky favourites and to find out who's won a year of whisky!

Many Fridays ago we tried to nail that perfect beer and whisky pairing. Then the idea hit us: ‘what if two of these incredible makers met in real life?’ Our pick? Stomping Ground’s Head Brewer Ashur Hall and Westward’s Master Blender Miles Munroe. Armed with his Lamington Porter recipe, Ashur flew overseas to meet Miles and the pair brewed the chewy Aussie-style porter together. Then after a proper cask maturation, the beer was decanted from the casks, and Westward’s single malt was poured in for an extended maturation, soaking up the goodness of these freshly porter-drenched casks.

The result? A winner. A gold-medal winner, in fact. Before it was sent out to tens of thousands of Members across the country, the Westward Whiskey Lamington Porter Cask won Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

This Port bomb was years in the making. And when Members got their hands on it in February, we knew we had a Whisky of the Year contender on our hands. Lark Rare Seppeltsfield Tawny Cask was an homage to the old Lark, created with the original whisky recipe that made the distillery famous. 

Made at the original Cambridge distillery and fully matured in Bill Lark’s favourite Tawny Port casks from the renowned Seppeltsfield estate, this historic Tassie single malt was captured at a rich, treacly ABV of 47.5% and was an absolute feast of roasted hazelnut, dark chocolate-dipped orange, sticky date pudding, semi-dried fruit flavours and a long, decadent finish.

There's Club debuts, and then there's Dunville's 13 Year Old Cigar Malt. Created exclsuively for the Club, this big, chewy take on an iconic retro classic was  matured in overaged PX & Palo Cortado Sherry casks – the very casks that scored them World’s Best Irish Single Malt three years running. And just like that, the Club's first-ever Dunville's was named Best Small Batch Irish Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards!

“We’re thrilled our Club-exclusive Dunville’s 13 Year Old Cigar Malt is recognised by the world’s best judges for being one of the world’s best whiskeys,” said the Club's General Manager, Seamus Carroll, “...we’re proud to introduce Australian whisky lovers to this iconic Irish whiskey.” Since its release, we've been inundated with requests from Members for more Dunville’s. We've got good news for you, Members: you'll be seeing more Dunville’s in the future, don't you worry. We'll just leave this here...

The quest? Make Members the ultimate Christmas whiskey. The result? Mission accomplished. And we had a hard act to follow, too.  Our last Bushmills sold out instantly, won the Club’s 2024 Whisky Of The Year and was shortlisted for World’s Best Irish Single Malt. 

Distilled entirely in December of 2012, this vintage single malt is Old Bushmills’ first ever Christmas whiskey. And not only did it knock Members' sock off, the whole whiskey world wanted to get their hands on a bottle of our Bushmills The Christmas Causeway 2012 Vintage.

Just a little over a month after the whiskey was sent out to Members' doorsteps, a bottle sold at a European auction site for approximately a whopping $1115.56 — that’s more than seven times the price Members paid.

Irish whiskey is having a moment! For the second year in a row, an Irish whiskey has taken out Whisky of the Year, and three Irish whiskeys have ranked in the top five! Members, make some noise for your Whisky of the Year, Redbreast PX Edition!

First released in 2021, rumour had it that the PX Edition could be the best Redbreast in existence. Already doing big things on the whiskey world stage, like scoring Double Gold in San Francisco alongside huge names like the Benromach 40YO ($3,200 RRP) and the Ardbeg 25YO ($1,850 RRP), we needed to see for ourselves. 

Aussie punters had been scouring the secondary market and happily paying $250+ for a bottle. But thanks to the Club’s enormous buying power, we snagged exclusive rights to this entire batch in Australia – at much less than others are willing to pay for it. 

This batch was drawn from 10 to 14-year-old stocks, and the Master Blender gave it an extra-long finish in Pedro Ximénez hogsheads from the legendary, family-owned Bodegas Paez Morilla.
Filled with blackberry jam-smothered fruit toast, choc-nougat and baking spices, it’s captured non-chill filtered at a perfect 46% ABV for an incredibly long, luscious finish. And Members loved it!

"My first Irish whiskey... and where have you been all my life!! Thick, rich and so smooth!! I may never drink Speyside again!" - Brendon R, Member since 2024

“Pure drinking pleasure, the rum and raisin note I love in Redbreast 12 was dialled up in the PX! The bottle didn't last long!” – Catrine W, Member since 2024

“Words can't do this whiskey justice, a full explosion of jammy berry flavours with a finish that coats the entire palate! Decadent and delicious.” – Jarred E, Member since 2019

When we broke the news to the team at the distillery, they were thrilled.

“…For us here at the distillery, that’s the most amazing news we’ve heard… It’s very humbling to hear such great feedback on the whiskeys that we make from the other side of the world, where it’s enjoyed as much as it is here…

…From the bottom of my heart, and from everybody here at the distillery, thank you so much for your love for our whiskeys, and getting to work with The Whisky Club… Looking forward to working with you all again…” – Master Blender Dave McCabe

We can't wait to share more Redbreast with you soon, Whisky Clubbers. Thanks again to everyone who voted. 

Once again we had an incredible line up of Add Ins in 2025, from cult favourites, rare finds and exclusive malts and a whole lot more. And can you believe it? Redbreast does it again! Your favourite Add In of 2025 was Redbreast 18 Year Old!

From Ireland’s pinnacle of single pot still whiskey, we officially debuted this first-of-its-kind 18-year-old in Australia exclusively to Club Members. And you lapped it up! This 18 Year Old single pot still whiskey came to Australia for the first time ever back in March, exclusive to Members of The Whisky Club. 

"In a word. Faultless. Absolutely stunning whiskey." – Glenn H, Member since 2021
“I think I may have Redbreast tattooed on my forehead.” – Phillip G, Member since 2023

Members all loved old-school Tassie whisky, too. Overeem Very Old Port Casks came in at second place, missing the top spot by a mere ONE vote! And as usual, The Whisky Club's Christmas institution, our annual advent calendar, made it into our Members' favourite Add Ins list. 

Thanks so much to everyone who cast their vote – we were overwhelmed with the response and we can’t wait to reveal month after month of incredible exclusives for you this year.

So, who’s our lucky winner? Congratulations Julia Cham, you’ve won a whole year’s worth of whisky!