Highland and Speyside Single Malts: Classic regions, contemporary statements

Speyside continued to impress with its signature mix of orchard fruit sweetness, honeyed malt, and sherry-cask richness. Several expressions scored 98 points and earned Gold Outstanding medals, including Benriach’s triple sherry-matured 2013 Vintage and Glenfiddich’s luxurious 30 Year Old and Grand Château 31 Year Old.

But the region also showed a bold, experimental streak. Glenfiddich’s silver medal-winning Grand Yozakura, finished in rare Japanese Awamori casks, brought a new twist to the classic style, while Tomintoul experimented with a White Port finish. Even typically delicate distilleries like Caperdonich and Dailuaine surprised judges with peated or fortified wine cask releases, all while maintaining the finesse Speyside is known for.

Independent bottlers played a strong role too. Goldfinch Whisky Merchants earned praise for its 12 Year Old Dailuaine in fino sherry, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society stood out with a silver medal for its 29 Year Old 35.400 Serendipitous Cake echoing Speyside’s bakery-sweet DNA with a unique, expressive profile

On the whole, the judges were impressed with the Speyside whiskies but the aged expressions shone the most with Dr Bill Lumsden stating 'the aged Speysides were superb, as you would expect!'.

The Highland region offered perhaps the broadest stylistic diversity - from robust, spicy single malts to light, floral expressions and even touches of peat. Traditional strengths were on show with rich, sherried releases from The Dalmore, Glendronach, and Royal Brackla. At the same time, distillers leaned into cask innovation and bolder production techniques.

Loch Lomond emerged as one of the stars, with two Gold Outstanding medals: one for its classic 18 Year Old, and another for the 16 Year Old Falls of Falloch, finished in Cognac casks. Deanston’s Virgin Oak release, a younger malt matured in fresh American oak, also earned 98 points and a Gold Outstanding medal, showing that age isn’t the only path to excellence.

Elsewhere, Glenmorangie pushed boundaries with its unique Signet, made with chocolate malt. While a range of medals for both supermarket brands and younger independents prove that quality and character can come from unexpected places.

This year’s IWSC results reaffirm that Highland and Speyside remain at the heart of Scotland’s whisky excellence - but they’re not resting on reputation. Whether through unusual cask choices, peated experiments, or revivals of long-closed distilleries, both regions are expanding what single malt can be, without losing their essential identity. The result? A gold-standard snapshot of how the classics continue to evolve.