Adnams Rye Malt Whisky has received another Gold Medal at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, in the Rye, 12 Years & Under category. Consistently hitting the mark with the judges, this is the fifth time it’s received a gold and the sixth year in a row it’s been given a medal. We continue to build on our great reputation in international competitions.
To gain some insight into what goes on behind the scenes at the World Drinks Competitions, and what’s involved in being a judge of great whisky, we spoke to Sally Utting, our very own expert and judging panellist at this year’s competition.
Sally is an educator for WSET (the Wine & Spirit Education Trust), teaching Level 1 and Level 2 Spirit courses to the team here at Adnams. She also acts as a spirit advisor and is a brand ambassador, showcasing our products and running tastings for both spirits and beers at the events we attend. If you’ve ever been on a Gin or Brewery tour, she may have shown you around and she also conducts our Make your Own Gin sessions and leads our Whisky Experiences.
“The bank of knowledge I’ve gained from my roles at Adnams, especially being a Level 3 qualified WSET Educator in spirits, has helped me in my judging - as has being a judge for other sectors at the World Drinks Awards since 2023. It has enabled me to identify different spirit types and accurately assess their quality,” confirmed Sally.
Depending on the category of spirit being assessed, the number of judges can vary, as Sally explains: “A big category, such as Whisky or Gin, requires more judges than perhaps Vodka or Brandy, which might have fewer styles. It also depends on whether that competition has a preliminary round, which can have a select core of up to 40 expert judges, or if it’s the finals - with up to 80 judges, usually including invited finalists from each category. The judges are selected worldwide from across the drinks industry, and are usually recognised experts in their field. All possess a knowledge of the category being judged.”
In October of 2025, Norwich became home to the preliminary round of The World Whiskies Awards 2026, so Sally was on her home turf. “The preliminary round takes place over three days, with a total of four judging sessions with up to 35 samples in each. These are split into flights of six whiskies from a known category - which are blind tasted. They are then marked on the judging criteria and given a tasting note.
“In the finals, which took place in London in January, we tasted all the spirits that had been given gold medals in one category. They were marked in order of preference, and those numbers were then collated to produce an overall winner. There were over 20 tables of four judges, and each whisky was judged by several different tables. I assessed a real mix of all competition categories - all judges do.
“There are criteria you follow and the more judging you do, the easier it is to pick out defining qualities of a spirit. Plus, we are never alone. The whole table will always discuss a spirit to make sure we are all singing from the same hymn sheet. It also involves plenty of water and dry crackers!”
So, what does an international judge like Sally personally look for in a ‘great’ whisky? “I look for a whisky that fits well in the parameters of the judging criteria. You have to judge all styles of whiskies, and there will always be some styles that you are not totally enamoured with, but it can’t be personal and the results I give have to remain unbiased.
“Most of the time the assumption is that judging is a fun day out, when it’s actually quite a responsibility. You want to get everything right for each distillery entering the awards, as it can highlight their products and possibly generate additional sales revenue. Also, we give tasting notes for each spirit during the preliminary rounds and positive feedback which could help if a product doesn’t quite get the marks - always remembering everything must remain unbiased and relevant. What I really enjoy is knowing that you can help a brand gain positive exposure, allowing it to grow.
“Judging is also an opportunity to gain more experience and expand my knowledge, giving me a broader understanding of all types of spirits. This then allows me to compare or benchmark Adnams products with others in similar categories. There is always more to learn, but after tasting upwards of 150 whiskies within four sessions, I am usually happy not to see any more whisky for a few days!”
A bonus of being there as a judge for the finals means that Sally often gets to collect our awards. Knowing the journey our whiskies have taken to reach that point, makes it feel extra special: “I feel really proud to be associated with a winning brand and spirits that are a lasting legacy to John McCarthy, who we remember each time we’re acknowledged.”