The inaugural Asia Spirits Ratings, launched this year, has revealed the top-rated whiskey, and it’s a surprising win for an Irish brand. The Donn ’23 Edition from Craft Irish Whiskey Company clinched the highest honor, setting the stage for significant market interest across Asia.

This competition evaluated not just the quality of spirits, but also their pricing, packaging, and perceived value—an approach intended to reflect the real-world commercial landscape of the spirits industry. Judges comprised independent retailers and industry experts to ensure that the awarded labels would be impactful in key markets such as Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and China.

The Donn is a cask-strength single malt matured across various cask types, including bourbon and PX sherry, resulting in a complex tasting profile with rich and robust flavors. Priced at approximately $350 per bottle, this whiskey is not widely available outside Ireland and the UK, making its recognition at the Asia Spirits Ratings significant.

The bottle had previously gained accolades, winning the World’s Best Irish Whiskey at the Global Spirits Masters Blind Tasting in 2023, underscoring its growing prestige in the whiskey sector. As the demand for super-premium Irish whiskey has escalated, the success of The Donn could herald further expansion into Asian markets, reflecting a remarkable growth rate for Irish whiskey, previously recorded at about 1,874% in the U.S. since 2003.

For those interested in the broader results of the 2025 Asia Spirits Ratings, detailed outcomes can be found here.