International Whisky Competition
The International Whisky Competition is an annual spirits competition that evaluates and ranks whiskies from around the world through a blind tasting process. The event is known for its rigorous scoring methodology and Olympic-style awards format.
History
The International Whisky Competition was established in 2010 to provide a structured judging environment for whisky producers worldwide. In 2016 the results began being used to produce an International Whisky Guide.Initially based in Chicago, the competition later became a traveling event. It has been hosted in various U.S. and international locations, including Las Vegas, Estes Park, Colorado ; Bardstown, Kentucky ; the Isle of Raasay, Scotland, and Louisville, Kentucky .
In 2014, Michael Petrucci stepped down from the competition, and in 2015 Sebastien Gavillet took over as head of the tasting panel, restructuring the competition and implemented a new tasting methodology. Starting in 2016, entry samples began being archived for referencing.
Format
Scope and Participation
The competition judges a range of whisky styles, including single malt, blended whisky, bourbon, and cask-strength expressions.Award-winning entries have come from countries such as Taiwan, Malaysia, and India, with producers from, among others, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Scotland also participating.Judges
The IWC's panel of judges evaluate whiskies using a double-blind tasting format. Judges do not know the brand, country of origin, whisky style, or alcohol content of the samples they evaluate.Each whisky is assessed individually—not in direct comparison to others as is the case in other competitions—and scored across four weighted categories: appearance, aroma, taste/mouth-feel, and finish. Judges have up to eight minutes to evaluate each sample. Each whisky is then scored using a 100-point system based on 15 criteria, and gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded to the top entries in each category. This system was developed by Sébastien Gavillet and was implemented in 2015. Judges have included Stephen Beal and Francesco Lafranconi.
Awards
The International Whisky Competition presents a range of honors each year. The "Whisky of the Year" award recognizes the highest-scoring whisky across all categories. Other awards include "Distillery of the Year" and "Master Distiller of the Year".In addition, the IWC presents Best in Class awards for specific categories such as Best Bourbon, Best Rye, Best Single Malt, and Best Blended Scotch. The competition follows an Olympic-style medal system, awarding only one Gold, one Silver, and one Bronze medal per category. This limited-medal approach is a defining characteristic of the IWC’s judging format.