In a stunningly close victory, Japan has been declared the winner of the first ever ‘Judgement of Glasgow’ whisky-tasting competition. This high-stakes event, held in Glasgow, saw some of the finest Scottish drams go head-to-head against their Japanese counterparts in a contest judged by some of the most respected whisky experts and bartenders in the industry.
The tasting, at The Pot Still, saw the judges sample a series of drams across five different rounds, with the Japanese entries supplied by Sexy Fish, renowned for its unparalleled collection of premium Japanese whiskies.
Representing Scotland, the Pot Still Bar, owned by the Murphy family, contributed the finest selections the country has to offer. The Judge panel was made up of a carefully selected array of whisky experts, comprising Dave Broom, Dawn Davis, Georgie Bell, Ryan ‘Mr Lyan’ Chetiyawardana and Tristan Stephenson.
The shock 3-2 victory to Japan was announced at a celebratory event at The Gate in Glasgow attended by many of Scotland’s leading spirits experts, with the results being discussed and debated over a few drams long into the night. Sexy Fish then took over the Gate bar for the evening, serving Barley and Hakushu 12yo highballs with Fever-Tree premium soda to delighted guests.
Commenting on the results, Craig Harper from Fever-Tree Drinks who devised the event and chaired the judging panel, said: “It was extraordinary to get such an array of whisky royalty into one room sampling some of the very best whiskies that Scotland and Japan have to offer. To witness the care and attention they gave each dram was to witness true experts at work. As with the Judgement of Paris in 1976 which signalled the potential changing of the guard between French and American wine, these results show Japanese whisky can rightfully sit alongside Scottish whisky at the very top table”
