Six Medals, One Award-Winning Portfolio

International recognition is more than a mark of quality. For retailers and hospitality venues, it provides a powerful reason for customers to notice a product, trust the recommendation and confidently choose it.

Six expressions from the Spirits Platform portfolio have been awarded Gold or Double Gold at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, spanning Islay and Orkney single malts, Tasmanian whisky and premium Barbados rum.

The competition is not consumer-voted; spirits are assessed through a blind judging process by an expert panel. Double Gold is particularly significant, as it is awarded when every judge rates the spirit at Gold level. For consumers navigating an increasingly broad premium spirits category, this independent recognition acts as an immediate quality cue—reducing uncertainty and giving them another compelling reason to purchase.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie — Double Gold

While Islay is frequently associated with smoke, The Classic Laddie demonstrates a different side of the island.
This unpeated single malt is built around 100% Scottish-grown barley and Bruichladdich’s signature citrus and floral house style. Each batch is assembled by Master Blender Adam Hannett rather than produced to a rigid formula, allowing the provenance of the barley and the selection of casks to shape the final whisky. Bottled at 50% ABV, it remains distinctly barley-forward, with ripe orchard fruit, lemon and orange, gentle maritime notes and soft florals complemented by apricot, mango, peach, vanilla, crème brûlée and toasted oak.
The Classic Laddie’s unique selling point is its combination of flavour, provenance and transparency. It gives customers an unpeated entry into Islay whisky while still delivering the texture, complexity and sense of place expected from the region.
For stockists, it broadens the appeal of an Islay whisky range beyond peat enthusiasts. It can serve as an introduction to Bruichladdich, a premium trade-up for customers who enjoy fruit-driven single malts, or a contrasting recommendation beside Port Charlotte 10. Stocking both expressions allows staff to present two distinctly different interpretations of the same island and distillery.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 Year Old — Double Gold

Port Charlotte 10 Year Old delivers the intensity consumers expect from a heavily peated Islay whisky, but with an uncommon level of elegance and balance.
Peated to 40 PPM and bottled at 50% ABV, it is made using 100% Scottish barley, matured entirely on Islay, non-chill filtered and free from added colouring. Its dry, earthy smoke is balanced by the maritime character of Islay and layers of caramel, fudge, vanilla custard and warming spice. Citrus and tropical fruit develop on the palate before moving into ripe apple, apricot, malt sweetness and a long, smoky finish.
Its key strength is that peat does not overwhelm the whisky. Instead, smoke, fruit and oak work together, making Port Charlotte 10 a strong choice for established peat drinkers while remaining approachable enough for customers ready to explore more complex smoky styles.
For retailers and venues, it offers a credible premium recommendation within the important peated whisky segment. The Double Gold recognition also creates an easy conversation starter for staff, helping them communicate why this bottle deserves consideration alongside more familiar Islay labels.

Highland Park 12 Year Old — Double Gold

Highland Park 12 Year Old has long been valued for bringing together fruit, spice, sweetness and smoke in one well-balanced single malt.
Produced on Orkney, it introduces drinkers to the distinctive warmth of heathered peat, which is softer and more aromatic than the more medicinal smoke often associated with Islay. Seville orange, heather honey and spiced fruitcake lead the profile, followed by a mellow, subtly smoky finish.
Its principal strength is accessibility. Highland Park 12 offers enough smoke and complexity to satisfy experienced whisky drinkers without becoming overpowering for those beginning to explore peated styles.
This makes it a particularly versatile product for retailers, bars and restaurants. It can be recommended to customers moving beyond lighter single malts, presented as a balanced after-dinner whisky or used as a bridge between unpeated and heavily peated expressions. The Double Gold medal strengthens an already clear proposition: a dependable, premium single malt with broad customer appeal.

LARK Devil’s Storm No.183 — Gold

Devil’s Storm No.183 represents the darker, more powerful side of Tasmanian single malt whisky.
It combines delicate Tasmanian peat smoke with first-fill vintage Port and Sherry casks from Seppeltsfield, followed by finishing in American oak and specially seasoned casks. Stewed plums, wildflower honey, scorched orange and roasted pecans lead into almond fudge, mocha, rich chocolate and a long, warming finish.
The result is bold and richly textured, but carefully balanced. Its connection to Tasmanian peat and Australian fortified-wine casks gives it a distinctly local identity that cannot be replicated by imported whisky.
For customers, that provenance adds meaning to the purchase. For stockists, it creates a premium Australian alternative within a category often dominated by Scotch. Devil’s Storm is well suited to knowledgeable whisky consumers, premium gifting and customers looking for distinctive Australian craftsmanship. Its Gold medal provides additional reassurance when introducing the expression to someone who may not yet be familiar with LARK.

LARK Fire Trail No.151 — Gold

Fire Trail No.151 is designed as the clearest introduction to the LARK house style: vibrant, flavour-forward and unmistakably Tasmanian.
Aged in rare Port and Sherry casks before being finished in ex-bourbon and American oak wine casks, it brings together baked pear, golden caramel, vibrant citrus and cedarwood. Vanilla, baked apricot and orchard fruit are balanced by a subtle savoury character derived from applewood-smoked water.
Where Devil’s Storm is deeper and more intense, Fire Trail is bright, silky and approachable. This distinction gives customers a clear reason to explore more than one expression from the LARK range.
For stockists, Fire Trail can act as the gateway into premium Australian single malt. It has sufficient complexity for experienced whisky drinkers but remains accessible to customers purchasing LARK for the first time. Stocking it alongside Devil’s Storm also creates a stronger range story, enabling staff to guide customers from a vibrant, fruit-led style into a richer and subtly smoky expression.

Mount Gay XO — Double Gold

Mount Gay XO demonstrates how successfully premium aged rum can compete for the attention of whisky and Cognac drinkers.
Created from a blend of carefully matured rums aged in American whiskey, bourbon and Cognac casks, it opens with vanilla, oak and dry spice. The palate is round and creamy, revealing salted caramel, baked fig, clove and dark chocolate before moving into a long, composed finish.
Its depth and cask complexity make it a genuine sipping rum, while its structure also works in premium spirit-forward serves. That versatility is an important selling point for venues: the same bottle can support neat pours, flights and higher-value cocktail offerings.
For retailers, Mount Gay XO provides an opportunity to premiumise the rum category and engage customers who may previously have considered aged rum primarily as a mixing spirit. Its Double Gold recognition offers third-party validation and gives whisky drinkers, gift buyers and premium-spirit customers greater confidence to explore the category.

Recognition That Helps Customers Choose

Awards alone do not replace knowledgeable staff, considered ranging or strong presentation. They do, however, make each of those elements more effective.
A Gold or Double Gold medal provides a succinct, credible reason to recommend a product. It can be communicated through menus, shelf displays, online product descriptions, tasting events and staff conversations. Most importantly, it gives consumers reassurance at the point of decision—particularly when they are considering a premium bottle, exploring an unfamiliar brand or purchasing a gift.
Together, these six award-winning expressions give Spirits Platform customers the opportunity to stock a portfolio with genuine breadth: unpeated and heavily peated Islay whisky, balanced Orkney single malt, distinctly Tasmanian whisky and world-class aged rum.

Strengthen your premium spirits range with products recognised among the world’s best. Contact the Spirits Platform team to discuss availability and place your order today.