The Notch 12-Year Single Malt Wins Top Honor at IWSC 2025

One of the world’s most prestigious spirits competitions just concluded, and a tiny island distillery has been awarded best American Single Malt. 

With an impressive score of 98 points, The Notch Nantucket Island 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky was the top-performing single malt at the International Wine and Spirit Competition North America (IWSC), earning the prestigious Spirit Gold Outstanding 2025 award. It was also the only single malt to achieve more than 95 points, thus qualifying for a Gold distinction.

Official IWSC tasting notes praise The Notch 12 Year Old for its complex and balanced aroma and flavor profiles: “Aromatic star anise, black pepper, and sweet peanut brittle draw you in before leading to a superbly balanced and complex palate. Unfolding with layers of spice and nuts, the palate culminates in a flavoursome pecan, leather, and cardamom finish.”

Mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled on Nantucket — a tiny 48-square-mile island off the coast of Massachusetts — The Notch single malts have quietly become some of America’s most awarded whiskeys, frequently receiving top marks in competitions. The Notch is produced by Triple Eight Distillery, which is part of Nantucket’s Cisco Brewers. Triple Eight has been distilling The Notch since 2000 and now releases 8-, 12-, and 15-year expressions in limited quantities. The distillery ages its stock in a variety of barrels, including ex-bourbon, sherry, Cognac, and wine casks. Some of their whiskies are occasionally double-barreled prior to blending. 

When it started operations, Triple Eight was one of the few American distilleries producing single malt whiskey. Today, it boasts some of the most mature stocks in the country. Its bottlings have racked up numerous awards at some of the world’s leading competitions, but due to the facility’s remote location and limited supply, relatively few people have had the opportunity to try their whiskeys, even among spirits enthusiasts. Bottles are typically available only at Triple Eight and through a select few specialty retailers on the mainland. The Notch 12 Year is bottled at 48% ABV, with an MSRP of around $350.

According to Triple Eight, The Notch’s unique flavor profile is a blend of ingredients (100% Maris Otter malt), distillation technique (twice through an Arnold Holstein hybrid pot still), and the island aging environment. On the island, “clear blue skies, the intoxicating scents of Rosa rugosa, honeysuckle, and bayberry” mingle with salty air and fog to create an ideal atmosphere for single malt maturation. Pundits and retailers have likened the climate to that of some Scottish isles.

Judging for the IWSC North America took place from June 4 to 7 in Bardstown, Kentucky. Over the course of four days, judges evaluated both North American whiskeys and RTDs across various categories.   

In addition to The Notch 12 Year Old, several other expressions from Triple Eight Distillery performed well with IWSC judges. The Notch Nantucket Island ‘Anniversary Release’ Single Malt Whisky tied for the second-highest score among single malts, earning 93 points. The Notch’s 8- and 15-year expressions also garnered 92 and 91 points, respectively. 

Along with The Notch 12 Year and Anniversary Release, Stranahan’s Sherry Cask was the only other American Single Malt to receive at least 93 points in the competition.