Saanich distillery wins big at World Whiskies Awards

Macaloney's Island Distillery's Kildara whisky is shown. (Macaloney's Island Distillery)

A Vancouver Island distillery was one of just two Canadian distilleries to win a top award at the 2023 World Whiskies Awards.

The Macaloney's Island Distillery in Saanich B.C. won the competition's World’s Best Pot Still award for its Kildara Signature Expression.

The World’s Best Pot Still award was one of 23 categories in the competition. Other categories included world's best single malt, bourbon, rye and blended.

Competition for this year's awards was stiff, according to competition organizers. More than 1,500 different whiskies from more than 40 different counties were tasted by roughly 200 judges.

The only other Canadian distillery to earn one of the 23 "world's best" awards was Gibson's Finest, based in Ontario, with its "Venerable" whisky, which won the award for best the world's best blended whisky.

"Winning World's Best Single Pot Still for our Kildara, along with three gold medals for Best Canadian Single Malt, Best Canadian Single Cask Single Malt, and Best Canadian Pot Still was breathtaking," said Graeme Macaloney, president and whiskey maker at Macaloney's Island Distillery.

DEVINE Distillery in Central Saanich also took home a gold medal in the "Best Canadian Small Batch Single Malt" category with its Glen Saanich whisky, though Ireland's JJ Corry Irish Whiskey distillery won the ultimate world's best award in the single malt category with its Flintlock No. 3.

"None of this would be possible if it weren't for the grassroots crowdfunding support we continue to receive from whisky enthusiasts across the country, the mentorship I received from the late, great Dr. Jim Swan, and the incredibly hard work of all of our staff," said Macaloney.