Indian whisky is no longer a curiosity. It is a category that commands serious global attention.
At the World Whiskies Awards 2026, Indian producers secured Country and Category wins across grain, single malt, small batch, and blended styles. That breadth matters, showing confidence at every level of production, from large-scale blending to carefully managed cask finishes.
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India’s climate plays a defining role. Warm conditions accelerate maturation and intensify interaction between spirit and oak. Producers are also experimenting with finishes such as Marsala and Port, while refining classic ex-bourbon and sherry maturation.
So, let’s explore the Indian whiskies that earned Gold and top honours in 2026, looking closely at how they are made, what sets them apart, and why judges and drinkers are taking notice.
All Seasons Sir E Taj
Medal: Country & Category Winner, Gold
Category: Grain
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Style: 21 Years & Over
Tasting Notes: Tropical fruit, subtle sweetness, smoke, peat
Find Your Next Bottle: ₹600
Starting off with one that you may not have heard of. All Seasons Sir E Taj was named Best Indian Grain at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, taking both Country and Category Winner status with Gold. That is significant in a style often overshadowed by malt whisky.
The brand sits within the portfolio of the Oasis Group, one of India’s major grain-based distillers. Trade coverage at launch notes that Sir E Taj is crafted from select grains and imported Scotch malts, and matured in hand-picked bourbon casks before bottling at 42.8% ABV.
The awards tasting panel described fruit and vanilla on the nose, tropical fruit and warm spice on the palate, and a creamy finish with moderate length.
In a country better known for IMFL or bold single malts, a 21 year old grain whisky winning at this level signals confidence and technical maturity.
You may struggle to find this one outside of India, but we can hope.
Indri Agneya
Medal: Gold
Category: Single Malt
Style: No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, subtle vanilla, spice, dried apple, apricot, fruit jam, peat dust, mango, ripe banana, melon, smoke, salt
Find Your Next Bottle: $66
Indri Agneya secured Gold in the Indian Single Malt category at the World Whiskies Awards 2026. It is produced by Piccadily Agro Industries Limited at its distillery in Indri, Haryana.
The distillery works with six-row barley and follows a traditional double distillation process in copper pot stills.
Agneya is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, which are carefully selected by master blender, Surrinder Kumar. After blending, it is bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration or added colour.
The name ‘Agneya’ derives from the Sanskrit word meaning “belonging to fire”.
The awards tasting note describes “Green apple, plasticine, and honeyed nose; gentle, soft palate with vanilla, toffee, cooked apple, sultana, subtle smoke and baking spice; balanced finish with mild peat.”
Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2025
Medal: Country & Category Winner, Gold
Category: Small Batch Single Malt
Style: No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Nuttiness, spice, stewed apricot, cherries, plums, caramelised richness, vanilla, honey, red berries, chocolate, vanilla, earthy finish, oak
Find Your Next Bottle: $400
Indri’s Diwali Collector’s Edition 2025 was named Best Indian Small Batch Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, earning Gold and Country Winner status. Again, it is produced by Piccadily Agro Industries Limited in Haryana.
This limited edition release is built on Indri’s six-row barley spirit and matured in India’s subtropical climate before being finished in Marsala wine casks sourced from Sicily.
The awards tasting note reads: “Big, sweet nose with vanilla, spicy oak, dried fruit, sultanas, and raisins; palate shows hazelnut, walnut, candied caramel, and baking spice; rich, chewy, warm, long finish.”
The combination of fortified wine richness and accelerated Indian maturation creates a dense, dessert-driven profile that has quickly become central to Indri’s international reputation.
Crafted annually to celebrate Diwali, the 2025 Collector’s Edition is presented in a bottle and box featuring a design by Krsnaa Mehta. The design is inspired by “the lush gardens of the royal era”.
Diwali is a major Hindu festival, often called the Festival of Lights, which symbolises the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, and is celebrated across India and by Hindu communities worldwide.
Paul John Indian Single Malt Whisky Port Cask
Medal: Country & Category Winner, Gold
Category: Single Malt
Style: No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Vanilla, dry resin, dark plum, red liquorice, blackcurrants, milk chocolate, brown sugar, candied fruit, ginger, peppery nutmeg, sweet oak, zest
Find Your Next Bottle: $90
For many whisky drinkers outside India, Paul John was the first serious introduction to Indian single malt. It debuted in the UK in 2012, and is considered a pioneer of the Indian single malt category.
In 2026, that reputation was reinforced when Port Select Cask was named Best Indian Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, earning Gold and Country Winner status for John Distilleries Pvt. Ltd..
The whisky is produced in Goa using Indian six-row barley and distilled in traditional copper pot stills.
Port Select Cask is matured in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in Port casks from Portugal’s Douro Valley.
Goa’s warm coastal climate accelerates interaction between spirit and oak. The result is a style that balances sweetness, dried fruit and structured spice, and reinforces Paul John’s position as a global ambassador for Indian single malt.
Singhasan Finest Indian Blended Whiskey
Medal: Country & Category Winner, Gold
Category: Blended
Style: No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Smooth, complex, refined, rich malt, lingering finish
Find Your Next Bottle: ₹1,500
Blended whisky remains the backbone of India’s domestic market, and Singhasan’s 2026 success suggests that premium Indian blends are now gaining international traction. It was named Best Indian Blended at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, taking both Gold and Country Winner honours.
Singhasan is produced by Modi Illva India Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture between the Umesh Modi Group and Illva Saronno. The brand positions itself as a 100% Indian premium blended whisky, crafted from Indian malts and Indian grain spirits.
While detailed production specifications are not publicly disclosed, the emphasis is on oak mellowing and a higher quality malt component than typical mass market blends. Its awards recognition signals that Indian blending, long dominant at home, is now being judged seriously on the global stage.
Again, this one is very difficult to find globally.
Have you tried any of these award-winning Indian whiskies? Let us know in the comments below.
