Subscribe
Subscribe
- Motoring
- Style
- Home & Design
- Travel
- Food & Drink
- Specials
- News & Tech
- Videos
What does it take to sell more than 20 million cases of Scotch whisky in a single year to become the best-selling whisky in the world? Apparently, a very good name, a lot of history, and the ability to be equally at home in a hotel bar, a highball or a whisky cabinet. In 2024, Johnnie Walker whisky sold 21.6 million 9-litre cases worldwide, putting it comfortably ahead of Ballantine's whisky at 9.3 million. Chivas Regal, Dewar's and William Lawson's completed the top 5 list. These are not necessarily the rarest or most expensive Scotch whiskies around. They are something arguably harder to become: global drinking icons.
Check out the list of 5 best-selling whisky brands in the world including Johnnie Walker whisky, Ballantine's whisky, Chivas Regal whisky, Dewar's whisky and William Lawson's whisky. The list of the best-selling whisky brands in the world was revealed by a Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) report in the Spirits Business in the Brand Champions Report.
Johnnie Walker whisky has mastered the art of being almost everything to everyone. Founded in 1820, colour-coded Scotch whisky range stretches from Red Label and Black Label, Gold Label Reserve and Blue Label. For a reference point, Johnnie Walker Black Label is bottled at 40% ABV. It is a 12-year-old whisky blend built around sweet fruit, spice, vanilla and smoke. That versatility may be the real secret behind the extraordinary scale of Johnnie Walker whisky.
Ballantine's whisky is the runner-up, and it's gaining ground. Sales rose from 8.2 million cases in 2023 to 9.3 million in 2024, a 13.9 per cent increase. Ballantine’s Finest is bottled at 40% ABV. The blend combines more than 40 malt and grain whiskies, with milk chocolate, red apple and vanilla among its official tasting notes. It's an approachable Scotch, but the sales numbers suggest its appeal goes considerably further than that.
Chivas Regal whisky occupies the more polished end of the blended-Scotch conversation. Its portfolio ranges from Chivas 12 to 18, 25 and Ultis, giving the brand plenty of room to move from everyday luxury into serious gifting and imbibing territory. Chivas Regal 12 is bottled at 40% ABV. Its position in the ranking is also a useful reminder that whisky's biggest success stories aren't necessarily single malt whiskies. Blends still rule the global volume game.
Dewar's whisky may be slightly less flashy than the names above it, but 3.3 million cases is hardly an under-the-radar performance. Founded in 1846, the brand has built its reputation around blended Scotch and its distinctive double-ageing process. Dewar’s whisky is bottled at 40% ABV. Its profile brings together vanilla, citrus, orchard fruit and soft spice, with a gently smoky finish. It also works particularly well in highballs and cocktails, proof that Scotch doesn't always need to be served in a crystal tumbler.
The surprise of the five is William Lawson's whisky. It is bottled at 40% ABV. It may not have the instant recognition of Johnnie Walker or Chivas Regal, yet it sold 3.2 million 9-litre cases in 2024. That figure is perhaps the most revealing one on the list. Millions of whisky drinkers are choosing a brand that doesn't necessarily dominate luxury conversations, but has built a formidable international business nonetheless.
The best-selling whisky brands in the world are not necessarily the bottles collectors chase at auction. They're the ones people know, remember and reach for again and again. And perhaps that is the harder trick to pull off. A rare whisky can become an obsession for a collector, but becoming a global favourite takes something else entirely.
