Like every year, Jim Murray announces his favorite whisky and according to him, the best in the world. For this seventeenth edition (2o2o) Murray tasted 1250 whiskies.
The winners of the World Whisky of the Year 2020 were announced last week. Through his unconventional methods, Murray concentrates for a year on choosing the best whisky. He doesn’t taste blind, doesn’t eat between tastings, and apparently doesn’t even use shaving lotion. All this, according to Murray, interferes with whisky tasting. A way to preserve your 5 senses as sharply as possible.
This year’s book includes more than 5,000 selections of whisky. Among these, many brands receive top honors and shortly after publication tend to become fashionable. It happened in 2016, for example, with Harvest Rye.
The selection of this year’s winners, however, raises suspicion among the critics, since they are three whiskies from the Sazerac family.
“World Whisky of the Year”
This year Jim Murray has selected the 1792 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey as the main whiskey.
His contractors are William Larue Weller 125.7 proof, and Thomas Handy Sazerac Rye 127.2 proof, both from Buffalo Trace.
Other Winners
Taiwanese distillery Nantou Castillery Omar Cask Strength Bourbon Cask (single barrel of the year), Glen Grant Aged 18 Years Rare Edition (Scottish), Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare (mixed Scottish), Penderyn Single Cask no. M75-32 (European) and Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt (Japanese).
Don’t drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly.