OSWAs 2023 - The Online Scotch Whisky Awards Winners' Ceremony 2023

[@Aqvavitae]

Express watching and the missing vignette(!) Here's the missing vignette - with apologies to Phil at First Phil, Thomas at The Bon Accord and Tim & Dave at the Single Malt Review! kzbin.info/www/bejne/npSknpmJnc-Hr6s 0:00 - Opening 1:11 - Welcome & structure 4:48 - Welcoming in Ralfy 9:05 - Refinements for 2023 12:48 - Who voted? 20:44 - Best Value Whisky 34:24 - People's Choice & vote split 43:21 - Best Blended Whisky 50:14 - People's Choice & vote split 1:01:44 - Best Blended Malt 1:14:31 - People's Choice and vote split 1:21:10 - Best Non-Malt Whisky 1:28:44 - People's Choice & vote split 1:34:52 - Best Distillery 1:46:50 - People's Choice & vote split 1:54:55 - Best New Distillery 2:13:34 - Late visit from Thompson Bros 2:23:25 - People's Choice & vote split 2:31:12 - Best Independent Bottler 2:45:00 - People's Choice & vote split 2:52:38 - Best World Whisky 2:59:10 - People's Choice & vote split 3:07:10 - Best Scotch Whisky 3:24:18 - People's Choice & vote split 3:30:34 - Participant survey responses

[@JeffWhisky]

Cheers to Roy, Ralfy, Rob, Chuck, all the contributors and voters. Another brilliant celebration of great whisky. Cheers

[@christinecamley]

You were terrific Jeff! So enjoyable! Cheers!

[@JeffWhisky]

​@@christinecamleyhaha that's kind but I wouldn't go that far... The neon colours hide a lot 😂

[@christinecamley]

@@JeffWhisky Lol! 🙂

[@Aqvavitae]

Jeff Whisky was a highlight for me this year - amazing!

[@christinecamley]

@@Aqvavitae Absolutely!

[@Watchman999]

WELL DONE EVERYONE!!! What a great community. Slainte!!

[@Rohit_M]

Thank you both ROy and Ralfy. Cheers for supporting us the community of scotch anoraks! Slaint!

[@Aqvavitae]

From one anorak to another - you're very welcome!

[@WhooshFlyingHorse444]

Thank you to you Ralfy & Roy for this wonderful idea called the OSWA's which has gone from strength to strength since 2021. Thanks too to all those who put it all together in such an effective and enlightening manner. I and my friends are learning so much from this. Big thanks and looking forward to a great year of sipping a few wee drams...and roll on the 2024 OSWA's! Take care the both of you and sincere best wishes.

[@Koby616]

Thanks everyone. Great awards great whiskey's

[@maltymission]

Amazing job all! Hats off!

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Menno - for your positivity, support and participation!

[@Baris-1]

Can't believe I just watched 3.5hrs of youtube on a Saturday evening (Stattler and Waldorf would be jealous 😂). Thank you all, but especially Ralfy and Roy for their stellar hospitality...Slainte Mhath

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks for your stamina Baris - I hope that means you enjoyed it! Parts of me were numb afterwards, but a dram sorted me out!

[@Baris-1]

I enjoyed it very much Roy @@Aqvavitae , for some reason, drams are more complex, richer and have a longer finish when you and Ralfy are on the screen! :) 🤪

[@WhiskeyNovice]

Cheers gents. Congratulations. Another great year.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks for adding so much to things Jim!

[@ironmantran]

THANK YOU ALL ! the last few questions are SO relevant; I am glad I have not gone mad after 30 yrs of dramming ! 2 Cheers from Canada ! !

[@Aqvavitae]

I always find them interesting, we share for this reason but also because they validate our registrants somewhat, we feel like we're reaching the right audience with these kinds of responses. Cheers to you!

[@Balkonwhisky]

Thanks for bringing us Enthusiasts together one more Time.

[@Aqvavitae]

See you next year we hope!

[@146matt]

The oswa's is a great resource to shine a light on new bottles to try and celebrating the new and interesting. Thanks to everyone who makes this happen 🙏

[@Aqvavitae]

Certainly one of the main drivers for us is exactly that - cheers for watching!

[@bjornbose9702]

Great celebration for Whisk(ey) Afficionados of every corner of the world. Greatly hosted from Ralfy and Roy. Many thanks for that!

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you so much very appreciated!

[@gaboridze]

Thank you to you Roy and Ralfy the great oswa ceremony show and your job. Congrats to you, from Hungary! Cheers!

[@Aqvavitae]

Cheers right back to you in Hungary! 🇭🇺

[@riancreamer6904]

Well done, Gentlemen! Great to see so many new quality blends coming on the scene. The Tb/bsw is excellent!

[@majordomo3]

Legends both. Thank you for everything you do to keep the community together and engaged.

[@Aqvavitae]

You're very welcome, thanks for the kind words and gratitude!

[@jeromeg.9283]

I finally had the opportunity to watch the entire ceremony! A massive thank you to Roy, Ralfy, the contributors and us voters! Long live good, honest and affordable whiskies !!!

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

Congratulations on a third successful year! Congratulations to Springbank and Arran for there well deserved trifectas! Cheers Roy, Ralfy and the hard working folks behind the camera for the work put in to make this happen.

[@christinecamley]

Well said!

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you Tim! Great to have you watching

[@JimmyLeg]

Great to see Roddy! Well done Roy and Ralfy. The three R's of whisky.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Jimmy, your skit never made it. But it made it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKmzanSAhbOEmKcsi=BCwg-MXmwnkhn6gX

[@geofre44]

Thank you both! I love the OSWA’s and appreciate the amount and depth of work you and your behind the scenes helpers do for this community.

[@Aqvavitae]

You're welcome, positive comments like this make it very worth while!

[@jamescostigan3721]

Great event. Still early in my journey, it's great to see some of my favorites celebrated and a lot of others I'm just learning about and putting on my whisky radar. Slainte!

[@Aqvavitae]

We really hope it helps you along! Cheers James

[@MisterSifter81]

@Roy, Ralfy and the team in the background: Thanks for hosting another amazing OSWA Show. It was a pleasure to watch. I also would like to congratulate and thank each Award Winner and every runner up for their passion for the product and, as a result, for putting out some amazing whisk(e)ys. As a german I had a tough time to follow Thomas, but that's just my personal problem. 😁 Still, I don't need to understand every single word in order to notice that he is a chap I would love to share a dram and a beer with. 🙂👍 Cheers Jan P.S. Whipping squirrels doesn't sound like a good idea to me. But then again, "The Whipping Squirrel" sounds like an interesting Pub name to me. It could be an excellent location to host the 2024 OSWAs as well. 🤷🏼‍♂️ 😉

[@eddeppenbrook4188]

Roy and Ralfy, my 2 favorite whiskey enthusiasts!

[@Aqvavitae]

In that case - this is my favourite comment!

[@philipeagleton9040]

Congratulations, Roy & Ralfy on another runaway success with the OSWA's. For me, it's the highlight of the year in respect of my enjoyment of all things whisky. I've voted in the OSWA's every year so far, and that's not going to change in the foreseeable future. My continued voting is down to my appreciation of all the hard work you two put into everything to do with the OSWA's and not least the brilliant presentation of the awards ceremony programme. It really is the best of entertainment boosted by the obvious appreciation of the recipients of their OSWA's. Keep it up guys, it's working. Just one point.....Where the hell were Diageo? Deservedly, nowhere that's where!! Cheers!! Phil

[@Aqvavitae]

Diageo had a very strong showing this year. With one bottle of Johnnie Walker. It's incredibly saddening. Thanks for watching and for the kind words Philip!

[@pipetobak]

Thank you all involved in OSWA for your work and commitment. Thank you Roy and Ralfy for hosting the show. See you next year for sure. Cheers, Janez P.S. it is good that I have a couple of bottles of Springbank 10y in the stash.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you and glad you've a decent bottle or two to savour!

[@davidowen2834]

Another great oswa ceremony show , all nominations and peoples choices won tonight. Thanks to you Roy, Ralfy and everyone behind the scenes for making this possible. Slàinte 🥃

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks David glad to have you participating!

[@richardagnew4959]

Watched on the replay. Thoroughly enjoyed it all, even right up to Geoff's funny at the end! What a guy! 😆. Loved the wee cameos and also learning about some other whisky brothers and sisters (!) out there who have KZbin channels. Will be checking those out soon. Best to you all from Ontario.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Richard, glad you enjoyed - I missed one of the cameo reels. Feel bad. I uploaded it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/npSknpmJnc-Hr6s

[@Aqvavitae]

In fact, I'll upload all in one video - with a bonus. Please hold.

[@Aqvavitae]

I see you found it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKmzanSAhbOEmKcsi=BCwg-MXmwnkhn6gX Cheers Richard

[@timford8315]

Really enjoyed the awards, happy to know I was a contributor. More great whisky to try in the future 🥃

[@davidelourenco2537]

Another year, great job! This is consumer empowerment! Thank you all! Cheers!

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you Davide - that's been something of a buzzword around here recently Thank you for watching and enjoying!

[@ErikVananrooij]

after 2 years of missing the vote i am/was very happy to being on time this year [ and have gotten a few others to vote as well ] to compensate . it was brilliant , and thank all of you/us for participating ,

[@Aqvavitae]

Spot on, thank you to you all indeed!

[@jonison6847]

Thanks to everyone involved in putting together the OSWAs. It's a great example of a how an engaged community can make its voice heard in a democratic and I think impactful way. The point you make about Springbank's laudable employment practices is very significant. Cheers and best wishes from England !

[@malt-monk4342]

Another cracking Job well done chaps! …….& Breath 👏🏽🎬

[@Aqvavitae]

Aye - we took a deep breath after it was all over! See you in Glasgow Justin!

[@malt-monk4342]

@@Aqvavitae looking forward to it Roy & cheers 👍

[@jasonwaite3610]

Really enjoyed this,, i suppose I'm on the start of a journey as I'm only now moving away from the main brands stocked at the supermarket,, online content like this give me so much information to take forward and explore,, maybe soon i will feel informed enough to engage with the community a bit more but until then thanks to all online content creators for what you do. Cheers everyone.

[@Aqvavitae]

I really feel like this is an excellent way for you to make that transition Jason - good luck with the exploration ahead!

[@gerbenleeuwerke5488]

Thank you so much for adding inspiration to my whisk(e)y Journey! Keep up the good work and please know that I will purchase at least three bottles coming out of this list. Thanks again and you'll be hearing from me from the Netherlands 🥃

[@Aqvavitae]

I hope they all end up being crackers for you! Thanks for the positivity!

[@antonzoghi6835]

Thank you all for this! A pleasure watching this.

[@paulgibbs3624]

Thank you for putting this together again for us. The both of you and everybody behind the scenes. What amazes me when talking to brand representatives at shows, festivals or club meetings is their engagement with the OSWA'S. They really understand that it's people like me who spend their money and time investing into their product that vote. It's us, the Whisky community that share the good and the bad with other enthusiasts. Distilleries and independent bottlers doing things right know about these awards, and those are the ones I'll be investing in. Thanks again 🥃

[@Aqvavitae]

The one's who care really do care, they know how to get the word out about quality without paying hand-over-fist to agencies to keep the marketing flow going... the majority of the high quality products here speak for themselves. Cheers Paul!

[@rolloverlaydown24]

Fabulous stuff. Thanks for all the hard work. Raising a dram to Arran and Springbank!

[@andbe8351]

Thanks for a wonderful show and and for all the work you all have pit into this year’s OSWAS, Good winners this year! 😊 Anders, Stockholm

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you Anders!

[@maddycors4499]

I hope to be able to someday try Springbank in Vancouver BC ! ❤️

[@davet7185]

❤❤❤ - Bloody loved it. HUGE thanks to you both (my favourite whisky evangelists) and all those wonderful people who helped bring these OSWAs to us the voters. You compound my love of whisky and I am forever in your debt. Slainte Mhath 🥃🥃......here's to next year 👍.

[@alasdair_gray]

Well done Roy, Rafly, OSWA team and whiskytube. Really enjoyable watch last night. Roy you can put your feet up and relax for a few days now, recharge the batteries for GWF weekend.See you on Saturday

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you Alasdair - recharged and (almost!) ready!

[@deefischer8198]

Thank you Roy and Ralfy, great outcome! Such hard work for you two, and as a whisky enthusiast it’s appreciated. Looking forward to 2024

[@miserybawr2809]

Amazing job! A great OSWA’s with great participants! ❤️

[@Mark_R_]

Awfy well done to y' all - that was grand :) Thanks lads n lassies!

[@Aqvavitae]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@hellswidd4628]

Congrats on another successful awards! Some surprises, some familiar faces but all in all a good spread! People need to remember that these awards were voted for by the community & the results speak for themselves! Here’s to an even more successful 2024! Now where do we tune in to the after party!

[@Aqvavitae]

Wonderfully positive as always Hellen! Thank you!

[@LuckyLuke_Offical]

You guys are amazing, thank you for all the contributors and much respect to all nominees and winners

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks for the kind comment and we hope so too!

[@jaime_hi-meh_not_jay-mee7095]

Congratulations to Roy, Ralfy, Rob, Chuck and the other contributors for another well-put together OSWAs! Congratulations to all the nominees and of course, the winners! As an Arran fan boy, I am very pleased they got the trifecta for Best Value. But my favorite part as always is when representatives from the whisky maker come online to accept the award. It is courteous, but more importantly, it shows how much their consumers matter to them. Cheers, everyone!🥃

[@Aqvavitae]

Those who choose to not appear speak louder with their silence. Cheers Jaime!

[@steeno1985]

Huge thanks to Roy, Ralfy, all the people helping in the background and the contributors. Many congrats to the winners. It's so amazing to see this in its third year already and long may it continue. To have something so independent and democratic in an area increasingly dominated by hype, false premiumisation, and general "marketing flannel" is a true breath of fresh air. By enthusiasts, for the enthusiasts and honouring those producers who are doing it right. Well done to all involved. Got my Xmas wish list sorted 🎉😂

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks for getting so much out of it and thanks for pausing to let us know! Cheers!

[@jimmyjazz4605]

Amazing stuff guys🎉

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Jimmy - very glad yo enjoyed!

[@VinceW187]

Thank you for a amazing show once again

[@Aqvavitae]

You're welcome Vince, thanks for participating!

[@charlieholmes2760]

Well done guys, thanks for another brilliant awards evening. Already looking forward to next year's and some new/different names being awarded. Hoping to see Lochlea get on the nominations list with how high up they finished this year on the People's Choice for Best New Distillery.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Charlie, these good vibes mean a lot us all! Lochlea powering along a positive track too...

[@ravindranramiah6336]

❤ 👏 great rendition congratulation 🎉, thank you .

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you so much!

[@purushtam9353]

Well done Ralfy and Roy, coordinating team and most importantly all the Contributors!! Highly commendable job!! Cheers 🥃🥃👍🏻

[@Aqvavitae]

That means a lot - thank you!

[@raymondporter2094]

What a wonderful way to spend 28th December 2023, by watching the Awards in full! It tells me that Whisky is on tte way UP! And now, I am going on the hunt for that Springbank 10. And I'll keep am eye out for The T Brothers, too! Thanks for this production and all the work that has gone into it.

[@AdlerDanEgoe]

There's almost 5 thousand of us geeks? 'uckin hell😘 Imagine that Springbank piledrive on camera in other type of awards ceremony. Love this stuff. This year was smooth, Roy. Thank you for your perspective, Ralfy. Fantastic.

[@Aqvavitae]

Oh I think there are thousands and thousands more! We just need to work out how to engage them in a positive way. Consumers need all the power they can get. Cheers to you and thanks for your participation, from one geek to another!

[@elduderino3120]

Great show. Having only this year finally found affordable Springbank 10, I can say that I understand the hype. It is a great whisky. But I don’t like it enough to pay what many shops try to charge for it. So I’d add my voice to the crowd asking Springbank to do more to prevent price gouging if possible. The mark-ups you can find on the 15yr are just obscene. Rather than Springbank being WIDELY available at a huge range of prices, I imagine most customers would prefer there to be fewer outlets who are committed to fair pricing. Everyone has the internet these days and buying online has never been easier or more reliable (in my experience).

[@Aqvavitae]

The spirit of your comment is reflected in a few more here, you're not alone. It's a difficult problem to have but as admitted by the team - one they'd prefer over the dark days when no one wanted their whisky. Changed days. Thanks for watching and participating!

[@leojudkins2040]

@@Aqvavitae As I said on the night in the live-feed, when one of your guests said: 'I look forward to the day that I look at the label of a bottle of whisky and it says---' I was waiting for him to say Springbank LOL. But an official OSWAS rosette on a label is also to be hoped for.

[@FERREIRAPHOTO]

Cheers, and thanks!

[@barrycullen]

Congratulations to all the winners tonight. I can't argue against any. I'm looking forward to exploring the nominees as well. And a massive thank you to Roy, Ralfy, Rob and Chuck (and all the contributors) for making this happen 👏👏

[@Aqvavitae]

Hugely appreciated comment Barry - thank you!

[@christinecamley]

Roy and Ralfy huge congratulations for bringing such an amazing OSWA awards program!! I was riveted from the beginning to see who would win in each category! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This is such a wonderful community! The whisky community is warm, generous and inclusive and I feel lucky to learn so much from so many knowledgeable whisky lovers! Congratulations to all of tonight's winners and all who were nominated!! I am a little sad to see a bit of schadenfreude towards Springbank in the comments. They deserve huge acclaim for how they make single malt whisky and they have huge integrity. Drink mindfully! Roy and Ralfy you are both amazing for putting this huge awards show together for the community!! Thank you guys!! Cheers!!

[@Aqvavitae]

Lovely comment Christine and really appreciated. I’m especially encouraged you feel a sense of welcome here, it’s not normal in digital space for people to behave as politely as they would in the real world, and in the whisky space I think they go one further in appreciation of how positive things are, and add to that. Long May it continue! Cheers to you Christine

[@christinecamley]

@@Aqvavitae I agree Roy!! Right on! Thanks for the lovely reply! Much appreciated! Cheers! 🙂

[@MaltDaddy]

Congrats to the successful 3rd year to OSWA! And Springbank for dominating the awards show again! Hopefully Roy and Ralfy can compile the call out list of distributors that charge customers secondary prices directly! If this is the case maybe Springbank should reconsider their distributor contracts or never grant sole distributor rights to prevent monopoly of Springbank whisky!

[@Aqvavitae]

Springbank are doing their best - they don't make a penny from these opportunists. Cheers Zandy for your participation once more in 2023!

[@danielbourke1138]

Nice work guys, can't wait for next year's 🎉

[@Aqvavitae]

I'll take a wee break and look forward to it too! Thanks for watching and commenting Daniel!

[@TheOneGlassMan]

great job guys! cheers

[@Aqvavitae]

Cheers Werner!

[@ccuellar6212]

Outstanding.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you so much

[@richard9045]

Just poaching a word from Roy, "Compelling"! Well done !👍

[@SimonneNZ]

Congrats to all the nominees and winners and to Roy, Ralfy and team for putting this together. It was great to hear from the category winners too. Next year will be interesting with 4 category winners being their 3rd time this year, so these categories will open up next year.

[@Aqvavitae]

Next year is sure to be interesting, I am certain that, with everyone having two votes for each category, removing the first place will not mean second place is sure to win, people will spread their vote. That and another year passing will make it very curious indeed. Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@thewhiskyenthusiast]

Sad that I missed the live show but caught up first thing. What a show it has been! A fantastic platform for all us enthusiasts to have our voices heard. Thank you Roy and Ralfy for organising this and thank you for all the core contributors! Roll on OSWA 2024!

[@Aqvavitae]

And thanks to you Sertug for being part of it!

[@jamielove8614]

What a show guys! And here’s me thinking the highlight of my week would be the release of a new Beatles song, slàinte 🥃

[@Aqvavitae]

Can't it be both? Thanks Jamie!

[@hakanozdemir6113]

True ambassadors of the Scot whisky. Like chalk and cheese. What a good "blend" you both make

[@richardmarsden5159]

Great production and presentation guys yet again the amateurs are giving it to the so called professionals 💪 loved the squirrel 🐿️ segment at the end 😂

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Richard, trust Geoff to bring a little sarcastic edge and humour to things! Here's a couple that were missed! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKmzanSAhbOEmKcsi=s5Blyd47FGcwrfTS

[@pDram_parttimedrummer]

What a great show - and what a fun team at Springbank! 🙂 Dear Roy, dear Ralfy, thanks for all your effort, keep up the good work! Slainte

[@davidm_shaw]

Great show lads. It’s a shame the Kavalan Vinhoe Barrique is so expensive in the UK. I managed to pick up a bottle in Singapore for the equivalent of £75-80 earlier this year. It really is exceptional. On the other hand, I now have to pay a cool AUD$250 if I want to enjoy a Springbank 10! Thank goodness I can enjoy a Craigellachie 13 in its place for a mere $100.

[@Aqvavitae]

I think that's the frustration many have with global distribution and availability, crazily skewed pricing. You'd think folks had never heard of the internet. Cheers David

[@mcshagger4471]

Great concept, great realisation, great team. OSWAS is a great thing. But I would also be very interested to know how the community is made up, i.e. which country voted. Would that be something for 2024?

[@Aqvavitae]

Cool comment, funny name! We don't harvest personal details, unfortunately. We can't. So the countries will remain somewhat obscure, but reading the comments gives some sense. We can see where people view the broadcasts from and, as you might imagine, it tends to be where English is spoken or widely understood. That won't match the purchasing or voting stats. It'll remain a little obscure. Cheers!

[@dextercool]

Great event as always. Any ideas for new categories? I propose a *BEST CASK strength Scotch* category and *BEST PEATED Scotch* category. If anything else it might be wise to drop all non-Scotch to simplify things - yes we like Irish and American and World Whiskies but let's face it, some of those are extremely large categories all by themselves. To allow in more focussed categories for Scotch, it would behoove the OSWAs to retire the other categories. Just my opinion :)

[@Aqvavitae]

Hopefully, we covered our justifications for keeping things simple and keeping the categories we have, for now. I think this year was significant in that people started to understand the scope and the structure much more than in the past. The tricky questions we had the last to years have subsided somewhat. Still, we're open to refinement and your feedback is appreciated. Cheers for it and the kind words!

[@easer777]

Thanks for another great one, and worthy winners, no doubt, congratulations to us all, including the whisky industry....!!! It was great to be able to cast two votes, however I still think that people should be able to cast as many votes as they like, and maybe give some whiskies one or two extra votes, for instance, I skipped "Independent bottler" and "Whisky of the Year" because I coulden't give a meaningful vote, as I hadn't really tried most of them, so voting for the one or two that I actually have tried would skew the vote, so, I would love to be able to give all the ones I WOULD LIKE TO TRY VERY MUCH a vote, one each, and maybe even two or three votes for the ones I would like to try a little more than the rest, as thát would make it sensible for me to chime in in those categories.... Also, rather than 6, I think that the nominees should be 12, having only 6 create some problems with a less fair representation, because it is too little to cover all of the worthy ones, and this may sound radical to the two of You, but I think that You two should pick the 6 first (and You could call in experts to do the same in categories where You two may not feel adequate, for instance bourbon), and then the rest of the whiskytubers (etc) can agree on the rest. The thing is, I was a bit dissapointed not to see Kilchoman Mahir Bay in the "Best Value" category (< it is at least as good as the Sanaig, albeit rather different, and much cheaper, and thus, far better value, and hard to dismiss as an absolutely best buy), but I guess that if the two of You had sat down together and chosen the 6 first, then thát one would have had a better chance of making it to the list, like the two of You dictating the first half of the nominees, may free some of the other whiskytubers of putting thát one forward because it is already there, and rather put something else that they find worthy, or inversely, if You two hadn't put Mahir Bay on the list, they could have made sure that it did get there, asking themselves "what's missing here"....??? -As it is, I think that worthy whiskies are lost due to 1) too short a líst (primarily), and 2) some of the whiskytubers (including the two of You) may be a bit tactical about things, and think that "somebody else are surely going to put thát one on the list, so I can skip it, and put my slightly odd favorite there instead", and if there is too few rounds of narrowing down the list/making sure it is the best it can be, and/or if the whiskytubers have too few votes, then some oddities are bound to occur.... I know that You (all) have had a lot of work doing this, but the fact that the Mahir Bay wasn't in the best value category tells me that some are lost in the process, thát is of course inevitable, but can maybe be avoided by having a more elaborate voting process, both in the process/interaction leading up to the OSWAs (ie. between the different whiskytubers etc) AND in the public voting, by giving people all the votes they like.... We all look forward to the OSWAs, and I bet that a lot of people was a bit dissappointed that it only took 10 minutes to complete the survey, I think that most whisky geeks woulden't mind double thát....;- ) ;- ) ;- ) -And likewise the partipitating whiskytubers (etc) probably woulden't mind putting in a small bit more time, ie. a few extra rounds of "pre-publication of the survey" voting, like they probably woulden't mind being able to cast a few more votes in thát process....? Sure, it will be a small bit more work for the two of You finding the 6 worthiest whiskies in the categories, but not really much I think (< I'm pretty certain that You would rather quickly be able to agree on 6 that will HAVE to be there, and if totally not, then You could put 3 forward each), and You two choosing the 6 first may simplify the work for the rest of the whiskytubers....? -And the counting of votes and the statistics/graphics will be rather the same as what it is now.... A few last things, maybe bourbon should have its own category, and maybe there should be a category for the "under the radar" whiskies, that doesn't get much attention....? Any way, please be aware that THIS IS NOT A CRITIQUE, just a few thoughts, THANKS for Your huge effort creating the OSWAs, and in everyday whisky evangelism as well....!!!

[@ashythedon]

Amazing amazing show! Why wasn’t First Phil Whiskey part of the festivities???

[@Aqvavitae]

He was. Very involved. I blew it and missed his vignette. It caused me to make this kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKmzanSAhbOEmKcsi=s5Blyd47FGcwrfTS

[@ashythedon]

@@Aqvavitae ok I must’ve missed that. Thanks Roy! Incredible job you and Ralfy!

[@GeoffreyBangers]

What a great program! Congratulations to you, Roy, Ralfy, Rob, Chuck, all of the contributors, nominees, winners, and to US ALL!!

[@Aqvavitae]

Here's to us all! Right on the nose Geoffrey - thanks to you too!

[@WhiskyEvening]

Well done and thanks to you. 👌🥃 I'm worried about your temperature sensitivity, Roy short dressed and Ralphy warm dressed side by side 😂

[@Aqvavitae]

Ralfy went toasty, I went cool! (cool only in the context of temperature, of course 😜)

[@fraserthistle4200]

Really enjoyed this. Well done on all the work that goes into the process to get to the voting stage and then the results. Great to see winners of the awards on too. I liked seeing the stats at the end of the show - interesting. I wondered if there was any data as to what country the voters were in ?

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Fraser, very kind words. Unfortunately, we take the stats anonymously, we don't harvest personal details.

[@eyemallears2647]

Great outro by the way 😂

[@craigdutton2850]

Thank you for all the hard work bringing together the awards for the whisky community. Great event again. Congratulations to the nominees and winners. I am compelled to say that the best scotch whisky going to Springbank 10 may well be a worthy winner on taste but it’s a shame a whisky that is not widely available and is priced at £90+ at anywhere that has it in stock, is chosen by the community. I guess that is not the distilleries fault but best of luck getting it at £54.

[@Aqvavitae]

Auction prices in the UK have cooled, with most bottles going for one or two £s over RRP, it's been over-stocked and hoarded and it's not a money maker right now, the result is we're seeing it 'stick' on shelves a little more. Still frustrating, but possible to find. I know it depends on where you are but these things should ripple out in time. thanks for the positive words and for watching and commenting.

[@craigdutton2850]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. It is frustrating but meant as a positive comment overall. I know it’s not Springbanks fault. When a 10 year old is priced at 18yr prices it makes Arran, Ardnamurchan and Bruichladdich even more desirable. Really enjoy your content and what you and Ralfy are trying to do. I have learn a lot from your education.

[@adhominemsis-t.australisensis]

Congratulations to all the lucky few who were able to experience Springbank 10 in 2023 and were therefore able to vote it as best of the year! 😅 PS. I would love to see the introduction of best independent bottling of the year.

[@Aqvavitae]

We may, in time, reach that possibility with small or medium batch releases from indies. But when so many indy outturns are single cask and limited to a couple hundred bottles, that would be very hard and very niche for the scope of this initiative, at least today. Cheers!

[@crouisk]

well done lads

[@Aqvavitae]

Thank you!

[@boukefalasthor3774]

What kilchoman whiskey is at 38:46 ??

[@timoleinonen6819]

Congrats for the show, Roy and Ralfy. It's getting more shiny year by year. If I myself would be in charge I might consider categorising instead of "Best whatever..." something like "Distillery 2023" or even "OSWAS Distillery" if you like. I mean I find it rather unnecessary to repeat "best". Cleaning that out gives some elegance, it's also a plus in reliability. Slainte!

[@Aqvavitae]

Hmmm... I hear you, I'm not tired of hearing 'Best' yet though, and that would mean some categories were simply called "Distillery". Anyway, really appreciate the feedback and the positive words - they mean a lot! Cheers to you and thanks for watching!

[@timoleinonen6819]

Yes, quite right, for example mere 'Distillery' doesn't work so well. But there are choices, even 'best' occasionally, if we like. 'Best' being the whole idea of the plot seems to allow flexibility in naming the titles, if we like. Anyway, it's not so drastic, we'll survive. Just soldier on, peacefully!

[@tamerel-meehy738]

Thanks a lot but where in the UK is Springbank 10 sold for £52?? On Amazon it’s being sold for +£190!

[@-beno-]

NO Arran 10? again? I understand because this is the cheapest - most available - and really a very good SM whiskey. Although I voted for Leadig10 - because in my country, compared to its price, it is a very rare treasure - peat is a fact - which loses many voters, but for those who love peat, it is a diamond! PC10 is very expensive in my country and you can get it quite rarely, so you have to order it from another country. The price is a bit high - but it's really excellent.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks for the comment and the pragmatism over the Best Value winner. One thing's for sure - it won't win next year!

[@-beno-]

@@Aqvavitae Congratulations to everyone - and OSWA is really great - positive thinking that is not influenced by marketing. Ralfy and you - your work is important and deserves recognition. Congratulations and so on. As a consumer - it helps and entertains a lot. (There are many good and fun channels on the whiskey line, it's good to see the faces together)

[@darinhaller6034]

Arran not available in my area 😢

[@pavlenikacevic4976]

Could someone explain how the people's choice works compared to the main vote? As far as I understood both are voted on by the general public...

[@martindouwe6099]

No Votes can also mean that people don't agree with the selection

[@elduderino3120]

That’s what the People’s Choice category is for - to nominate what you like.

[@Aqvavitae]

Indeed they can. It would be amazing to see much more participation in the People's Choice selection...

[@markdunn1931]

Gentlemen, Which batch is the Elijah Craig ? Cheers...

[@eyemallears2647]

Personally I wouldn’t mind if a sponsor was involved as long as they’re not in the drinks industry - for example…… camping gear? Sports gear? Healthy food? THANK YOU LADS

[@mattd2001]

If you like what you see, give the guys a like👍

[@Aqvavitae]

Highly appreciated!

[@crouisk]

10 bottles all i have 15 glengfarclas ardna sherry kilkerran 12 kilkerran heavily pested Tobermory px bunna cask 22 hearach campbelltown loch kilkerran 12 abunadh why do you need anymore

[@jimmypaul9424]

A good mix, what's your favourite at the moment.

[@Aqvavitae]

Nice stash

[@victorhanson1475]

of course Whiskey Del Bar, Tucson Az, is an up and comer,...

[@artvandelay3922]

Eagle Rare is just ok, dont get the hype

[@Aqvavitae]

Hehe - remember it's form scotch drinkers' perspectives and right now we can pick up this wee bottle of bourbon for not too much money, I think that's why we're happy about it right now.

[@chrisgwhisky]

4 hours 😬

[@Aqvavitae]

Did you get through it? Consider ANY other awards ceremony anywhere. I think we're pretty succinct.

[@ravindranramiah6336]

Spring bank in Australia is way over priced , hopefully Springbank monitors this and just does not supply these guys . 😅

[@adrianvidalhuechumilla640]

Ballantines

[@UsedBrain4U]

Sorry guys, I forgot to vote this year.

[@NeddLudd1811]

Sprinkbank is turning into the new Macallan of the Whiskey World. Just as Mccallan is drunk by people with more money than sense, sprinkgbank is drunk only by those insiders that can get a hold of a bottle, which invariably means whiskey reviewers. They get the cheap £40 price. For the rest of us its way more expensive than any Mccallan. Makes a farce of these awards.