Whiskies of the Year 2025

Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 Whiskies of the Year 2025

From the stock of our own Dr. Raj, we are going to taste six award-winning whiskies: five single malts and one blended malt.

We begin with the Lochlea Fallow Edition (Third Crop) from the farm where Robert Burns grew up; it was ranked as the #20 Whisky of 2025 by Whisky Advocate. Next in our preferred tasting order is the Oban 15-Year, which placed #2. This cask-strength expression (55.3% ABV) results from the marriage of Oloroso and Palo Cortado sherry casks.

We then move to GlenDronach Ode to the Embers, which came in at #12. It was matured in a combination of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks made of toasted Spanish red oak. The Compass Box 25th Anniversary of Flaming Heart was awarded the #5 spot; it is a marriage of Talisker and Benrinnes single malts with Williamson blended malt (a “teaspooned” Laphroaig).

Rounding out the list, Port Charlotte 18-Year (2025 Release) was recognized as the #10 finisher. It features Scottish barley malted at 40 ppm and matured in 1st-fill bourbon (53%), 2nd-fill sherry (31%), and a combination of sherry and virgin French oak (16%). Finally, Torabhaig Sound of Sleat was named #9—a peated dram aged in first-fill bourbon (75%), virgin American oak (20%), and refill bourbon (5%).

Bring a friend, as “good whisky is made great when shared among friends.”

WHISKY MENU

5 Single Malts | 1 Blended Malt (WOTY: Whisky of the Year)

1. LOCHLEA Single Malt | ‘Fallow Edition’ (Third Crop) | NAS | 46% ABV | Lowlands (Central) SRP $75 | #20 2025 WOTY (93 Points)

2. OBAN Single Malt | ‘Oloroso & Palo Cortado Cask Finished’ | 15-Year | CS 55.3% ABV | Highland SRP $150 | #2 2025 WOTY (95 Points)

3. GLENDRONACH Single Malt | ‘Ode to The Embers – Sherry & Smoke’ (Master’s Anthology) | NAS | 48.4% ABV | Highland SRP $91 | #12 2025 WOTY (94 Points)

4. COMPASS BOX Blended Malt | ‘Flaming Heart’ (25th Anniversary Edition) | NAS | 48.9% ABV | Scotland SRP $165 | #5 2025 WOTY (95 Points)

5. PORT CHARLOTTE Single Malt | 18-Year (2025 Release) | 51.5% ABV | NCF | OB: Bruichladdich | Islay SRP $200 | #10 2025 WOTY (94 Points)

6. TORABHAIG Single Malt | ‘Sound of Sleat’ (Legacy Series – 4th Release) | NAS | 46% ABV | Island (Skye) SRP $60 | #9 2025 WOTY (94 Points)