Some of the most exciting whiskey being made today doesn't come from Kentucky or Scotland.
The 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) highlighted just how international whiskey has become, with outstanding bottles emerging from Ireland, Taiwan, Denmark, Australia and the United States.
For this guide, we're deliberately looking beyond bourbon and Scotch. Those categories deserve their own deep dives. Instead, we're exploring the wider world of whiskey: Irish single pot still and single malt, American malt and rye, Taiwanese single malt, Australian whisky and bottles from emerging whisky regions.
IWSC scores spirits on a 100-point scale. Gold Outstanding is awarded at 98–100 points, Gold at 95–97 points, Silver at 90–94 points and Bronze at 85–89 points.
Here are 15 verified award-winning whiskeys from the 2026 IWSC worth knowing about.
1. Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve Irish Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
Ireland was one of the major stories of the 2026 competition, and Tullamore D.E.W. produced one of its standout performances.
Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve earned 98 points and a Gold Outstanding Medal at the 2026 IWSC.
This mature expression combines malt, pot still and grain whiskeys, with maturation in bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks contributing fruit, malt richness, spice and polished oak.
The IWSC judges particularly praised its tropical fruit and rich malt character, making this one of the highest-scoring Irish whiskeys of the competition.
2026 IWSC Score: 98 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
Age: 12 Years
Country: Ireland
Style: Blended Irish Whiskey
Shop Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year at Blackwell's →
2. The Donn Single Malt Irish Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
One of the most intriguing Irish results came from The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.
The Donn Single Malt Irish Whiskey earned 98 points and Gold Outstanding at the 2026 IWSC.
The judges found a complex combination of fruit, spice and richness, with layers of treacle, raspberry, ginger and chocolate. Remarkably, The Donn achieved its 98-point result at under seven years of age.
2026 IWSC Score: 98 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
Country: Ireland
Style: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
3. Teeling Distillery Exclusive 20 Year Mongolian Oak Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
Teeling has built much of its reputation around innovative cask maturation, and this was one of the most unusual examples in the 2026 judging.
Teeling Distillery Exclusive 20 Year Mongolian Oak Cask Single Malt earned 98 points and Gold Outstanding.
The IWSC judges highlighted tropical mango and pineapple, integrated oak, citrus and nuttiness, followed by a fresh and sweet finish.
2026 IWSC Score: 98 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
Age: 20 Years
Country: Ireland
Style: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
4. Teeling 33 Year Very Rare Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
Teeling didn't stop at one Gold Outstanding result.
Teeling 33 Year Very Rare Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey earned 98 points and Gold Outstanding at the 2026 IWSC.
Thirty-three years is extraordinary territory for Irish whiskey and demonstrates just how gracefully well-made Irish single malt can develop through extended maturation.
2026 IWSC Score: 98 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
Age: 33 Years
Country: Ireland
Style: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
5. Redbreast 27 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey — 97 Points, Gold
Redbreast is one of the benchmark names in Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and the 27 Year delivered one of Ireland's strongest results outside the Gold Outstanding group.
Redbreast 27 Year earned 97 points and a Gold Medal at the 2026 IWSC.
The judges highlighted dark fruit, blackcurrant and cherry alongside pepper, Port influence and a long dark-chocolate finish.
2026 IWSC Score: 97 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Age: 27 Years
Country: Ireland
Style: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
6. Yellow Spot 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
One of Ireland's historic Spot Whiskeys also delivered a Gold Medal performance.
Yellow Spot 12 Year Old earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
This classic Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is matured using bourbon barrels, Sherry butts and Spanish Málaga wine casks, creating a rich combination of orchard fruit, honey, vanilla, toffee and warming pot-still spice.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Age: 12 Years
Country: Ireland
Style: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Shop Yellow Spot 12 Year at Blackwell's →
7. Midleton Very Rare 2026 Vintage Release Blended Irish Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
Few annual releases are watched as closely by Irish whiskey collectors as Midleton Very Rare.
Midleton Very Rare 2026 Vintage Release earned 95 points and a Gold Medal at the 2026 IWSC.
The IWSC judges found stewed apple and floral aromas followed by red wine, fig, vanilla, biscuit and cake notes, finishing with an elegant almond-like sweetness.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Country: Ireland
Style: Blended Irish Whiskey
8. Titanic Distillers 8 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
The established Irish names weren't the only producers making an impression in 2026.
Titanic Distillers 8 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
The result demonstrates the increasing depth of Ireland's modern whiskey revival, with newer producers now competing alongside some of the country's most historic names.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Age: 8 Years
Country: Ireland
Style: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
9. Thy Whisky Casks 1035+1036 Single Malt Whisky — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
Denmark probably isn't the first country that comes to mind when someone says world-class single malt, but the 2026 IWSC provides a compelling reason to pay attention.
Thy Whisky Casks 1035+1036 Single Malt Whisky earned 98 points and Gold Outstanding.
The judges found brown sugar, candied ginger, butterscotch, cherry, chocolate, clove and tobacco, leading into a pronounced woody finish.
2026 IWSC Score: 98 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
Age: 4 Years
Country: Denmark
Style: Single Malt Whisky
10. Dawu Malt Blended Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
Taiwan continued to demonstrate that warm-climate maturation can produce world-class whisky.
Wan Ja Shan Distillery's Dawu Malt Blended Whiskey earned 98 points and Gold Outstanding at the 2026 IWSC.
The judges highlighted tropical and orchard fruits alongside toffee and woody spice, giving Taiwan another place among the highest-scoring whisky-producing countries of the year.
2026 IWSC Score: 98 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
Country: Taiwan
Style: Malt Blended Whiskey
11. Coors Spirits Company 8 Year Old Blended American Malt Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
American whiskey is much bigger than bourbon, and one of the strongest 2026 results came from American malt.
Coors Spirits Company 8 Year Old Blended American Malt Whiskey earned 98 points and Gold Outstanding.
The judges found caramelized peach, iced tea, beeswax and vanilla before tropical fruit, milk chocolate and herbal notes emerged on the palate.
2026 IWSC Score: 98 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
Age: 8 Years
Country: USA
Style: Blended American Malt Whiskey
12. Bardstown Bourbon Company Lochs of Jura Barrel 10 Year Old American Whiskey — 99 Points, Gold Outstanding
This was one of the biggest whiskey results of the entire 2026 competition.
Bardstown Bourbon Company's Lochs of Jura Barrel 10 Year Old American Whiskey earned 99 points, Gold Outstanding and the 2026 IWSC American Whiskey Trophy.
The judges praised its combination of cinnamon, vanilla, orange peel, caramel, chocolate, nutmeg and warm wood spice, describing it as exceptionally balanced and full of character.
At 99 points, it was the highest-scoring whiskey among the bottles featured in this guide.
2026 IWSC Score: 99 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold Outstanding
2026 IWSC Trophy: American Whiskey Trophy
Age: 10 Years
Country: USA
Style: American Whiskey
13. Sazerac 18 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
Rye deserves a place in any serious discussion of American whiskey outside bourbon.
Sazerac 18 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey earned 95 points and Gold at the 2026 IWSC.
This mature rye sits at the collectible end of American whiskey, with eighteen years in oak bringing additional depth and maturity to rye's naturally spicy personality.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Age: 18 Years
Country: USA
Style: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
14. Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Malt Whisky — 95 Points, Gold
Taiwan's Kavalan has played a major role in changing perceptions about where world-class single malt whisky can be produced.
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Malt Whisky earned 95 points and a Gold Medal at the 2026 IWSC.
Kavalan's warm Taiwanese climate creates intense interaction between spirit and oak, while Vinho Barrique's wine-cask maturation delivers the concentrated fruit, spice and rich texture that have made this one of the distillery's signature expressions.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Country: Taiwan
Style: Single Malt Whisky
Shop Kavalan Vinho Barrique at Blackwell's →
15. Starward Tawny Single Malt Australian Whisky — 95 Points, Gold
Australia also made its presence felt in the 2026 worldwide whisky results.
Starward Tawny Single Malt Australian Whisky earned 95 points and a Gold Medal at the 2026 IWSC.
Starward has built its identity around distinctly Australian maturation and the use of wine-seasoned casks, creating whisky that reflects both its local climate and Australia's established wine culture.
2026 IWSC Score: 95 Points
2026 IWSC Award: Gold
Country: Australia
Style: Single Malt Australian Whisky
What Did the 2026 IWSC Worldwide Whiskey Results Tell Us?
The most important takeaway from the 2026 results is simple: great whisky is now being produced far beyond the traditional strongholds of Scotland, Ireland and Kentucky.
Ireland had an especially impressive year, with four whiskeys reaching Gold Outstanding: Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Special Reserve, The Donn, Teeling 20 Year Mongolian Oak Cask and Teeling 33 Year Very Rare Cask.
But the results also highlighted the growing strength of whisky production elsewhere. Denmark's Thy Whisky and Taiwan's Dawu both reached 98 points and Gold Outstanding, while Kavalan and Starward earned Gold Medals for Taiwan and Australia respectively.
American whiskey also continued to diversify beyond bourbon. Coors' 8 Year Blended American Malt reached 98 points, while Bardstown Bourbon Company's Lochs of Jura Barrel 10 Year American Whiskey scored an exceptional 99 points and received the IWSC American Whiskey Trophy.
How Does IWSC Score Whiskey?
IWSC entries are assessed through blind tasting, meaning judges evaluate the liquid without being influenced by branding, packaging or reputation.
- Gold Outstanding: 98–100 points
- Gold: 95–97 points
- Silver: 90–94 points
- Bronze: 85–89 points
That distinction matters. A Gold Medal doesn't automatically mean a whiskey scored 97 points: Yellow Spot 12, Midleton Very Rare 2026, Titanic Distillers 8 Year and Sazerac 18 all earned Gold at 95 points, while Redbreast 27 reached 97 points.
Shop Award-Winning World Whiskey at Blackwell's
Blackwell's Wines & Spirits has been helping customers discover exceptional whiskey since 2004, with a constantly changing selection spanning Irish whiskey, American whiskey and distinctive bottles from whisky-producing regions around the world.
Several of the 2026 IWSC winners featured above are currently available directly from Blackwell's:
- Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Special Reserve — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
- Yellow Spot 12 Year — 95 Points, Gold
- Kavalan Vinho Barrique — 95 Points, Gold
Availability can change quickly. Blackwell's product links above were included only where an Add to Cart option was verified at the time this article was updated.
