Every year, we check that our Of The Year awards are showing the best in the industry. The world of whisky is changing and we decided to create a new award this year to capture some of that change – New Wave Whisky of the Year. For whiskies to be eligible for this category, they either need to be from non-traditional whisky-making countries or be a non-traditional style from an established whisky-making country. These are whiskies that are usually less well-known and more difficult to find and taste, and we want to showcase them for a wider audience.

Our shortlist brings in entries from around the globe, with both smoky and grain-forward whiskies from France, Japanese whisky made using shochu casks, New Zealand whisky using barley smoked with local manuka wood, and an English whisky matured simply in bourbon casks. However, our winner was overwhelmingly clear during the judging session at Whisky Show 2024: Copperworks Release 046 American Single Malt.

Copperworks is a distillery that is all about beer. Founders Jason Parker and Micah Nutt came from a background of craft brewing, and have poured that knowledge into making whiskey. They start with unhopped craft beers, distil them into rich and flavoursome spirit, and then age them to perfection. This obsession with raw ingredients and the creation of flavour early in the production process leads to characterful and unique whiskies.

They also work with their suppliers to ensure sustainable practises. For example, Release 046’s Genie barley is certified as Salmon Safe, ensuring that water quality, animal habitats and soil health are all carefully maintained to high standards. They are also Craft Malt Certified, with more than 80% of their malt sourced from small, local, independent maltsters.