William Grant & Sons wins ‘Distiller of the Year’ at ISC

William Grant & Sons has taken out Distiller of the Year and Master Distiller of the Year at the 2017 International Spirits Challenge (ISC). 

Now in its 22nd year, the ISC is one of the premier events promoting spirits from across the globe. This year it received more than 1300 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide.

The Distiller of the Year is the highest honour bestowed by the ISC. The award recognised the impressive contribution Glenfiddich has made to the Single Malt Scotch Whisky category. The award has now been won by William Grant & Sons an unprecedented six times.

Jacqueline Nalder, Marketing Manager for Scotch whisky at William Grant & Sons Australia said: “We are truly honoured. These awards affirm our expertise in Scotch whisky and our passion for innovation and excellence in distilling. The team will be celebrating with a dram, that’s for sure”.

Malt Master Brian Kinsman, who was named as Master Distiller of the Year Title, won the medal for his work on leading brands including Glenfiddich, which was also presented with 17 medals this year across the ISC awards.

Most recently, Kinsman developed the Glenfiddich Experimental Series, with the purpose of pushing traditional whisky boundaries and collaborating with trailblazers from the whisky world and beyond.

Simon Hunt, CEO of William Grant & Sons congratulated Kinsman on his achievement.

"On behalf of our business, I want to congratulate Brian on deservedly winning this impressive accolade, which recognises his contribution to fulfilling our founder, William Grant's, vision of making the best dram in the valley," he said. “As a family run business we’re proud of taking a long term view and fostering a culture of innovation and these prestigious awards are testament to our approach and the quality of the liquid we create." 

Kinsman said: “It is a great honour to receive this award. The team and I work hard to maintain the spirit quality and character of our liquid, while pushing the boundaries and bringing new innovations to life. I love what I do and to get this recognition from the ISC is just brilliant.”

A spokesperson from the ISC added: “The plethora of awards bestowed on William Grant & Sons at the ISC awards is a testament to the traditions and culture within the company and the outstanding commitment and professionalism of the people who work for it. Simply outstanding.” 

William Grant & Sons other awards included:

• Scotch Producer of the Year and Best in Class in the Single Malt categories for The Balvenie and Glenfiddich.
• Gold medals for Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Grant’s, Monkey Shoulder and Tullamore D.E.W.