In a blind tasting, our expert panel of eleven judges, including whisky writers, industry representatives and specialist retailers, selected two finalists from each Whisky Awards category.
Justine Hazlehurst
Justine Hazlehurst is the founder of Kask Whisky, a whisky events company based in Edinburgh. As a proud citizen of Leith, she recently started the Leith Whisky Trail – walking tours, focusing on the history of the brokers, blenders and bottlers of what was once a thriving whisky district, which culminate in a tasting of some ‘blast from the past’ drams all linked to the area.
Having worked in Fife for many years before giving up her teaching career to pursue her passion to work in the world of whisky, Justine’s love of the Kingdom led her to set up the Fife Whisky Trail as well as jointly establishing the Fife Whisky Festival with Karen Somerville. In addition to writing for her own blog, Justine is a regular contributor to Malt, offering honest opinions and reviews of whisky.
Although since leaving teaching, Justine now drinks significantly less whisky, she believes that bottles of whisky should be opened, poured, shared and drunk in good company.
Gavin D Smith
Gavin D Smith lives in the Scottish Borders and has been writing professionally since the mid-1980s.
He is recognised as one of the world’s leading whisky writers and acts as Contributing Editor Scotland for Whisky Magazine. He produces feature material for a wide range of international publications and regularly undertakes writing commissions for leading drinks companies.
He is the author and co-author of more than 30 books, relating to whisky, beer, Scottish history, and literature, including Worts Worms and Washbacks, An A-Z of Whisky, Whisky Wit & Wisdom, The Whisky Men, Discovering Scotland’s Distilleries, Goodness Nose - written with Master Blender Richard Paterson, and two editions of The Micro-distillers’ Handbook. Along with the late Dominic Roskrow, he updated, revised and edited three editions of Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion.
Recent publications include Whisky Opus (with Jonny McCormick) and The A9 Handbook. This autumn, Pavilion Books will publish The Story of Whisky (co-written with Charlie MacLean). He is a Master of the Quaich.
Brian Stormont
Brian is the editor of The Courier and Press & Journal’s weekly food and drink magazines, part of newspapers’ Saturday package. He also writes a fortnightly column on whisky for the publications.
A journalist for 35 years, he has worked in a variety of roles in the local and regional press throughout those three-and-a-half decades in the industry, including a spell creating food and drink content for The Courier and Press & Journal’s website as part of their dedicated team.
Adam O'Connell
Adam O'Connell
Adam O’Connell has written for Master of Malt for over seven years, contributing more than 800 articles to its award-winning blog. He has visited distilleries, breweries, and wineries around the world, and reviewed a wide range of spirits – including whisky, gin, rum, Tequila, mezcal, brandy, and vodka – as well as wine, beer, and cocktails. His work is also published in The Whisk(e)y Wash.
Ian Wisniewski
An unexpected assignment from a drinks magazine when he was starting out in journalism steered Ian Wisniewski into the industry where he has remained. His first visit to a malt whisky distillery was a turning point: he found it so fascinating that he decided he had to learn as much about Scotch whisky as he could, and he is still learning, visiting distilleries as often as possible and constantly asking questions.
Ian is a freelance writer, broadcaster and consultant, focusing on spirits, particularly Scotch whisky, vodka and gin, and contributes to Whisky Magazine (UK and French editions) and Malt Whisky Yearbook, has written five books on whisky, including A Passion for Whisky, which is devoted to Islay malts, and The Whisky Dictionary. He conducts tutored tastings, classes and courses on various spirits, and has given presentations at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, Craft Expo London and The Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference, at which he was also the official conference journalist in 2017. He judges spirits in competitions including the World Gin Awards, The International Wine and Spirits Competition and is Chairman of the Vodka judges at the International Spirits Challenge (since 2005). As a regular visitor to distilleries he is always eager to learn more about the production process, which is one of his favourite subjects. He is a Master of the Quaich.
Susan Morrison
Susan Morrison is CEO of The Scotch Whisky Experience (SWE) in Edinburgh. Susan joined SWE in 1988 whilst studying languages at Edinburgh University. SWE, situated next to Edinburgh Castle, was originally established by 19 distillers but today has 58 distillers involved and hosts over 400k visitors every year.
Susan became General Manager in 2000, and a director on the board in 2005. As well as co-founding the Scotch Whisky Training School back in 2001, she also chairs the distillery visitor centre managers’ forum which has met biannually at various distilleries for over 20 years.
One of only a handful of females to hold the prestigious title of Master of the Quaich – Susan was inducted as a Keeper in 2000 and elevated to Master in 2010. Along with fellow Masters; Dave Broom, Charlie McLean, Martine Nouet and Marcin Miller she writes tasting notes for the annual Keepers’ bottlings.
A life-long Scotch whisky enthusiast, Susan feels hugely privileged to work in such a phenomenal industry with such amazing people.
Euan Duguid
Euan Duguid is the whisky writer for The Scots Magazine, the oldest magazine in the world.
Founded in 1739, the publication not only celebrates the nation’s rich heritage but promotes the new face of Scotland - and its vibrant future - to a global readership.
Euan’s malt musings blend his love of a good dram with his perennial yearning for a good yarn.
He introduces readers to a different whisky (and occasionally gin) each month - as well as the big characters, compelling tales and anecdotes that abound in the industry.
It’s a lifelong instinct for storytelling, honed during his previous role as an intrepid reporter of 12 years for a national newspaper.
In between an array of foreign assignments, ranging from frontline dispatches from Afghanistan, an encounter with a reviled cannibal war lord in deepest Africa to being skelped with serious sun burn in the Falklands, Euan could regularly be found embedded in Scotland’s whisky producing regions.
Dr Christopher White
Dr. Christopher White is an award-winning whisky writer, presenter, host, and judge, and is currently Head of Private Clients at Beamish International in Edinburgh.
Chris has hosted hundreds of events across the globe, he has worked in an ambassadorial capacity for several whisky brands, and he won the inaugural ‘Communicator of the Year’ award at the Icons of Whisky Scotland Awards. He has previously judged the World Whiskies Awards, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Awards, The Scottish Whisky Awards, Scottish Field Whisky Challenge, The Spirits Business’ Global Scotch Masters, the Independent Bottlers Challenge, and the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge, as well as several national and international cocktail competitions.
He has also attended Diageo’s prestigious Malt Advocates Course, gained the Diploma in Single Malt and the Diploma in the Art of Tasting Whisky from Edinburgh Whisky Academy, sat on the Tasting Panel at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and had several high profile articles published in Whisky Magazine. Prior to joining Beamish, Chris was a Private Client Advisor at Diageo Rare & Exceptional based at Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh. He is also the founder, and former General Manager, of the award-winning Usquabae Whisky Bar in Edinburgh.
Karen Somerville
Karen Somerville is a Co-Director of The Fife Whisky Festival & Borderlands Whisky Festival, with Justine Hazlehurst.
Formerly director of Angels’ Share Glass, an award-winning glassware, company selling Scottish made whisky glassware around the world. Angels' Share Glass is now run by the artisan glassblowers who make these wonderful whisky products.
Karen, now a business consultant and business mentor and judge on various Whisky panels. Known for her authentic approach to business and growth. Winner of many entrepreneurial awards and a friend of the festival.
Rosalind Erskine
Rosalind is a Glasgow-based magazine editor turned digital editor, content creator and broadcaster who has plied her trade in some of the biggest cities in the world. After three years in London working in magazine publishing with big brands such as Hearst, Time Inc and Conde Nast, she spent three and a half years as editor of Emirates Home in Dubai where she led the complete re-design.
Rosalind is food and drink editor of the Scotsman as well as this she co-created, co-produces and hosts the newspaper’s successful and multi award winning podcast Scran. Guests on this food and drink focused podcast include Outlander star Sam Heughan, Bake Off winner Peter Sawkins, celebrity chef Michel Roux Junior and master blender Dr Rachel Barrie.
Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen joined the retail industry as soon as he turned 18 years old, working with his father and served his time as an Assistant Manager of a Wine Rack off-licence whilst studying at University. The father-son partnership worked, and their Aberdeen store was successful.
When the entire chain entered administration in 2009, the father-son team setup Fountainhall Wines with the backing of an ex-customer. Working independently brought number of new exciting challenges. They bought the business outright in 2017.
In 2013 they opened a store in Stonehaven. Moving to a popular tourist town pushed Steve to learn about whisky as he was asked by tourists for an introduction to whisky or to be offered something a little more special than they could find back home. As he explored the differences between the whisky regions and individual distillery characteristics, Steve’s passion for whisky grew and he has gained the Edinburgh Whisky Academy’s ‘Diploma in Single Malt Whisky’. He hosts whisky tastings and in his spare time enjoys travelling around Scotland visiting distilleries and meeting people involved in whisky production.
Speyside and the Spirit of Speyside Festival have a special place in his heart, and he is happiest when visiting the region.
