The stage is set for what has been referred to as the “Oscars of Spirit Competitions.” Back in April, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition convened for its annual multi-day judging. Since then, we’ve seen a steady rollout of all the Double Gold winners minted during that time. To receive the honor, multiple judges must score an expression 90-or-higher out of 100. There have been hundreds of examples across a dozen spirit categories. But now it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

We’ve been waiting patiently for the “Best In Show,” the absolute top title amongst all 2024 spirits entries. It will finally be revealed on the weekend of October 5th in SF at a ticketed event called Top Shelf. We’ve got your sneak peek at that industry extravaganza—including how to land yourself a seat, and an exclusive preview of the finalists for that coveted Best In Show crown, which are revealed at a grand gala on the second evening.

In the running for top spirit of the year are five separate expressions of single malt scotch. The distillery’s behind each one are entirely familiar to category enthusiasts, with some of the releases enjoying regular placement on US liquor store shelves. A couple of the others—not so much.

But enough throat clearing. The envelope please…

• The GlenDronach Parliament Aged 21 Years Single Malt Scotch Whisky. A rich and robust sugarplum bomb, matured in a combination of Oloroso and PX sherry casks. This Highland producer has never messed around when it comes to Spanish seasoned oak and this one emphasizes all the hallmarks of that commendable cooperage. A perennial crowdpleaser that remains, mercifully, in abundance at a reasonable price point.
• Tomintoul 21 Year Old. This Speyside malt, aged entirely in ex-bourbon barrels, is all about subtlety: caramel, vanilla and even a hint of coconut from nose to finish. A textbook example of the distillery’s signature approach, which has earned it the moniker, “The Gentle Dram.”
• Talisker 45 Year Old Glacial Edge. Talisker oldest release to date is the ultimate offering from its Xpedition Oak series, in which wooden staves used in barrel finishes underwent a whole slew of over-the-top journeys to the farthest reaches of the planet. For this one, a single malt with more than four decades of age was entered into a cask that had been “ice-fractured” in the high Canadian Arctic. The spirits underlying waxiness holds here a complex assortment of salted toffee, seaweed and fresh cracked pepper. A real belter, bottled at 49.8% ABV. But there are only 2,455 bottles available worldwide. As a result, it’s far more elusive than the previous two entries on this list.
• Tomatin 45 Highland Single Malt Scotch. Tomatin rarely registers on “expert” lists of top scotch distilleries. And that’s a real head scratcher. Because you should not sleep on this consistently impressive malt maker from the pastoral meadows just south of Inverness. The utter elegance of this well-aged Oloroso Sherry cask release is a convincing testimony as to why. It noses with tropical fruit, then brings treacle, over-ripened cherry, and marmalade to the palate, before finishing, dryly, in a wondrous wave of roasted cacao and coffee.
• Aberlour 2010 Double Cask Matured. It’s almost unfair to even speak about this one, as it’s only available to members of an Australian membership service aptly called, The Whisky Club. In fact, it’s the first time in Aberlour’s 145-year history that its created a one-off, limited batch release exclusively for anyone. Those members were treated to a robust 13-year-old malt matured in both American oak and Spanish sherry butts, vibrantly fruity with threads of strawberry, orange zest and peppered peaches. Lucky them. For the rest of us, the standard Aberlour 12 is an admirable alternative. It’s also double matured (though bottled at 40% ABV as opposed to the special release’s 48%) and readily available for $56 a bottle.

And now, a little background on Top Shelf. The event was originally launched last year in Las Vegas by San Francisco Spirits Competition’s parent organization, The Tasting Alliance. 2024 marks the first time that it’ll be hosted in the competition’s home city. And it looks to be the biggest incarnation yet; a fusion of consumer and trade featuring multiple tasting rooms, dozens of master classes, and over 80 different brands with liquids on offer.

This time around those master classes will include one on small batch American whiskey hosted by Brother’s Bond co-founder Ian Somerhalder. There’s a seminar on the art of independent bottling from Richard Urquhart of Gordon & MacPhail. Leo Gibson, co-founder of Bhakta Spirits takes people on a journey through the Armagnac Category. And Ewan Morgan, national luxury ambassador for Diageo, will lead lucky attendees through some of the rarest scotches from formerly shuttered sites known as Ghost Distilleries.

VIP entrance, which include a token to attend one of these masterclasses—along with early access and gourmet food pairings—go for $300 per ticket. But they are currently available at 40% off by using the discount code, ‘WHISKEY40’ at checkout.

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