Stryker Wins Best Small Batch Single Malt 2025 at World Whiskies Awards
The Best Small Batch Single Malt 2025 title at the World Whiskies Awards 2025 goes to Stryker, a mesquite-smoked Texas single malt from Andalusia Whiskey Co. Finished in Madeira wine casks from a local vineyard, Stryker outperformed a globally diverse field with its bold profile and regional distinctiveness.
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Key Takeaways
Texas’s Stryker Single Malt claimed Gold with mesquite smoke and Madeira wine cask finishing
Tasmania’s Waubs Harbour and Israel’s Milk & Honey also medaled, showcasing bold new-world malts
Judges praised cask-forward intensity and terroir-driven profiles across global small batch entries
Best Small Batch Single Malt 2025 – Stryker Ex-Haak Madeira Cask (USA)
Crafted in Blanco, Texas, Stryker is a smoked single malt aged in ex-Haak Winery Madeira casks. Judges were impressed by its full-bodied, cask-driven profile, blending mesquite BBQ character with fruit-laced richness — a whisky as big as the Texas heat that shaped it.
Aroma | Campfire embers, BBQ spice, baked stone fruits |
|---|---|
Palate | Dark berry jam, roasted nuts, mesquite smoke, cocoa |
Finish | Lingering smoke, tannic wine sweetness, pepper |
Waubs Harbour “Original” – Silver Medalist
Waubs Harbour Distillery from Tasmania earned Silver with its coastal small batch malt, matured by the Southern Ocean. Its freshness and minerality stood apart, echoing a new frontier for maritime-influenced single malts.
Aroma | Briny sea air, malt sugar, lemon zest |
|---|---|
Palate | Honey, vanilla, green apple, sea salt |
Finish | Clean with oak and saline sweetness |
Milk & Honey Elements Sherry Cask – Bronze Medalist
Israel’s Milk & Honey Distillery received Bronze for its sherry-forward small batch expression. Distilled in Tel Aviv and aged under desert heat, the whisky showcased vibrant Mediterranean warmth and youthful intensity.
Aroma | Red berries, dates, oak spice |
|---|---|
Palate | Fig cake, chocolate, orange peel |
Finish | Dried fruit, herbal spice, soft sweetness |
What Is Small Batch Single Malt?
Small batch single malt refers to malt whisky made at a single distillery, bottled in limited runs from a handful of casks. These batches often explore specific finishes, aging environments, or grain choices. In 2025, judges favored bold, expressive malts that captured local influence — from Texas mesquite to Tasmanian brine and Levantine fruit.
👉 Explore the evolution of tiny batch whisky and how regional styles are reshaping this growing category.
This year’s Best Small Batch Single Malt 2025 results reflect whisky’s global and regional expansion. Stryker’s Texas profile proved that youth and innovation can triumph over tradition when backed by flavor depth and originality. With Waubs Harbour and Milk & Honey rounding out the podium, small batch single malts are now a canvas for regional terroir and bold cask experimentation — a trend that’s likely to grow in coming years.
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All 2025 World Whisky Awards Gold Medalists
