These are the fairly-priced whiskies that still offer great quality and help people take their first steps, yet still provide great value sipping for experienced drinkers. This is where we celebrate the whiskies that are still attainable, despite continually rising prices in whisky.

Blends are not all about mass-market consistency. It's often said truly great blend can deliver an experience greater than the sum of its parts. Some of the most celebrated whiskies are blended whiskies.

Where blended whiskies utilise various grains, these use only different malts. Blended malt is a quickly growing specific category. Some of the most interesting and attainable releases in recent times have been blended malts.

Here's where you can get creative. This category is open to all grain types, except single malt. Rye, corn, wheat and anything else is included, opening up many other styles of whisky (or whiskey!)

Which producers have brought the best experiences in the past year? Many are committed to available and affordable quality, while others chase what the market will stand. We celebrate the former.

We are experiencing an unprecedented time of growth in whisky, with new products coming from new producers like never before. With this category, we’d like to highlight new producers, who have been founded in the last ten years, in recognition of their achievements.

We are privileged in whisky in that we can enjoy our favourite spirit not only though the official releases but also from independent bottlers with a different take on things. Focusing on quality at a fair price, we award the indies who have excelled.

This category celebrates the best the world has to offer. We are experiencing an unprecedented explosion in global whisky production and this category recognises that phenomenon with products from any country, anywhere. It must be defined as whisky or whiskey.

While there are no further definitions on price or style, as long as it’s Scotch single malt, this whisky should be something that is attainable, offers value and is widely available. Here we celebrate our scotch whisky community with the best the category has to offer.