The Icons of Whisky and World Whiskies Awards returned to Edinburgh for their regional Scotland legs, where two new inductees were also welcomed to the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame

Another stellar year in the world of Scotch whisky was celebrated, with the winners announcement of both the Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky awards and the World Whiskies Awards Scotland 2023.

On Thursday 8 December, many of the biggest names in the industry gathered at The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, from bartenders to brand ambassadors, visitor attraction managers and master distillers. It was a night of both celebration and reflection.

The title of Distiller of the Year was awarded to Glenfarclas Distillery, while Whyte & Mackay’s Gregg Glass took home the prize of Master Distiller/Master Blender of the Year. There was a great variety to the night’s winners, proving what a range of incredible talent currently operates in the Scottish whisky world.

Whisky Magazine’s Editor-at-Large, Christopher Coates, said: “The Scotch whisky scene is going from strength to strength. This is perhaps most evident in the tourism and hospitality sectors, which have rebounded strongly in the wake of the pandemic. In particular, the Scotch whisky category has doubled down on the quality of its visitor experiences, with an increasing number of highly immersive offerings to suit a diverse range of people – from the ‘whisky curious’ to seasoned enthusiasts. I can’t wait to see how this will continue to evolve in 2023.”

Icons of Whisky Scotland 2023 Winners and Highly Commended

Distiller
Winner
Glenfarclas Distillery

Highly Commended
Whyte & Mackay

Craft Producer
Winner
Nc’nean

Highly Commended
Holyrood Distillery

Sustainable Distillery
Winner
Tomatin Distillery

Highly Commended
Lochlea Distillery

Visitor Attraction
Winner
Johnnie Walker Princes Street 

Highly Commended
The Glenlivet Distillery

Distillery Manager
Winner
Marc Watson, Holyrood Distillery 

Highly Commended
Ian Renwick, The Glenturret

Master Distiller / Master Blender
Winner
Gregg Glass, Whyte & Mackay

Highly Commended
Brendan McCarron, Distell

Highly Commended
Stephen Woodcock, Glen Moray

Scotch Whisky Brand Ambassador
Winner
Mark Thomson, William Grant & Sons

Highly Commended
Kieran Healey-Ryder, Whyte & Mackay

Visitor Attraction Manager
Winner
Colin Hart, The Glenturret 

Highly Commended
Susan Colville, Benromach Brand Home Manager

Highly Commended
Matthew Porrit, J&G Grant

Single Outlet Retailer
Winner
Gordon & MacPhail South Street

Highly Commended
The Green Welly Stop / TyndrumWhisky

Online Retailer
Winner
TyndrumWhisky.com

Highly Commended
Abbey Whisky Ltd 

Whisky Buyer
Winner
Craig Dearden, TyndrumWhisky

Highly Commended
Michael Sharples, Abbey Whisky Ltd 

Communicator
Winner
Jason Campbell Thomson

Highly Commended
Jennifer Robertson

PR Agency
Winner
SPEY 

Highly Commended
Beeline PR

Brand Innovator
Winner
Holyrood Distillery

Highly Commended
Lochlea Distillery

Independent Bottler
Winner
Lady of the Glen

Highly Commended
Cask 88

Cooperage
Winner
Loch Lomond Cooperage (Cooperage 021)

Cooper
Winner
Andy Moore

Single Estate
Winner
Lochlea Distillery

Highly Commended
Ballindalloch Distillery