Islay is often reduced to a single idea: peat. The World Whiskies Awards Scotland 2026 results showcase how much more the island has to offer. This year’s Gold medal winners from Islay range from youthful, high-impact malts to carefully matured sherried whiskies and experimental cask finishes.
Each whisky was judged blind by industry experts and stood out for balance, clarity of style, and quality of execution. Some lean into Islay’s smoky reputation. Others stretch it in new directions.
These are the best Islay single malt scotch whiskies of 2026, as recognized by the World Whiskies Awards.
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Ardbeg Wee Beastie
Style: 12 Years & Under
Medal: Gold, Category Winner
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, tar, savoury meats, black pepper, sappy pine resin, coffee, eucalyptus, aniseed, salt, fudge
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Find Your Next Bottle: $43
Ardbeg Wee Beastie was released to make a clear point. Intensity does not require age. Distilled at Ardbeg on Islay, this whisky is matured for five years in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks. It is bottled at 47.4% ABV.
Ardbeg is known for producing some of the most heavily peated whisky in Scotland. Wee Beastie leans into that reputation rather than softening it. The distillery describes it as a deliberately youthful expression that shows the raw character of its spirit. That decision was unusual at launch, especially for a core range whisky.
Its Category Winner title, as well as numerous previous awards, confirms the gamble worked. Against older competitors, Wee Beastie stood out for clarity and balance rather than maturity alone. It is now a permanent part of Ardbeg’s range and a clear example of modern Islay confidence.
Ardbeg Anthology The Unicorn
Style: 13 To 20 Years
Medal: Gold, Category Winner
Tasting Notes: Baked banana bread, syrupy sponge pudding, treacle, cedarwood, tropical fruits, eucalyptus oil, smoke, lime, sweet peaches, creosote, aniseed, nutmeg, clove
Find Your Next Bottle:Â $149
Ardbeg Anthology: The Unicorn shows how the distillery approaches maturity without abandoning intensity. This whisky forms part of Ardbeg’s Anthology series, which focuses on longer-aged stock and uncommon cask choices. The Unicorn is a 14 year old single malt matured primarily in Madeira wine casks, with a smaller bourbon cask component.
Madeira casks are rarely used in Scotch whisky. They bring sweetness and structure without overwhelming peat. Ardbeg bottled the whisky at 46% ABV.
Ardbeg’s reputation is built on power, but this release highlights control. The Unicorn balances sweetness, age, and smoke in a way that feels deliberate rather than experimental. Its Category Winner award reflects how well Ardbeg translated its signature style into a more mature and nuanced form.
Bowmore 21 Years Old Sherry Oak Cask
Style: 21 Years & Over
Medal: Gold, Category Winner
Tasting Notes: Beeswax, tobacco leaves, heather, toffee treacle, sweetness, barbecued meat, berries, salty smoke, sweet wood
Find Your Next Bottle: $338
Bowmore occupies a unique place on Islay. Founded in 1779, it is the island’s oldest licensed distillery and long known for restraint rather than excess. The 21 Years Old Sherry Oak Cask builds on that reputation with a clear focus on balance and long-term maturation.
This whisky begins life in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks. It is then finished in first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, adding depth without masking Bowmore’s maritime smoke. The whisky is bottled at 46.8% ABV.
Unlike many heavily peated Islay malts, Bowmore’s smoke is measured and layered. Time does much of the work here. Its Category Winner title reflects how well mature Islay whisky can integrate peat and sherry when neither is allowed to dominate.
Smokehead Tequila Cask Terminado
Style: No Age Statement
Medal: Gold, Category Winner
Tasting Notes: Peat smoke, vanilla, shortbread, almonds, chewy meringue, blood orange, burnt sugar, barbecued pineapple, citrus toffee, lime, peach, corn-on-the-cob, citrus, pepper
Find Your Next Bottle: $56
Smokehead exists to challenge expectations around Islay whisky. The brand does not name its distillery and instead focuses on bold finishes and modern presentation. Tequila Cask Terminado is one of its most unconventional releases to date.
The whisky begins with maturation in ex-bourbon casks before a finishing period in tequila casks sourced from Mexico. Tequila cask finishing remains rare in Scotch whisky, especially for heavily peated styles. Smokehead bottled the whisky at 43% ABV, keeping it accessible while allowing the cask influence to show.
This release is about contrast and control. The World Whiskies Awards judges clearly responded to how well peat and tequila cask character were integrated rather than competing. Its Category Winner status shows that non-traditional finishes can succeed when handled with intent.
Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Style: No Age Statement
Medal: Gold
Tasting Notes: Sea spray, bonfire smoke, salted bananas, baked apples, sponge pudding, candied orange, wasabi, meat
Find Your Next Bottle: $23
Ben Bracken is a reminder of why blind judging matters. Bottled as a supermarket exclusive for Lidl, this Islay single malt is not tied to a named distillery and is instead sourced and bottled through established industry partners. Quality, not branding, is the focus.
This whisky is bottled at 40% ABV and carries no age statement. While production details are limited, it follows a classic Islay profile with clear peat influence and a traditional maturation approach. It is not positioned as experimental or luxury-driven. In fact, it is ridiculously cheap.
Its Gold medal at the World Whiskies Awards reflects consistency and balance rather than novelty. Ben Bracken has performed well at competitions before, often outperforming more expensive and better-known releases. This result reinforces that well-made Islay whisky can come from unexpected places when judged on merit alone.
Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch 7
Style: 13 To 20 Years
Medal: Gold
Tasting Notes: Coal dust, peppermint, eucalyptus, zesty lemon, bergamot, ginger, cumin, cocoa powder, espresso coffee, salted toffee, charred wood, sweet heather
Find Your Next Bottle: $290
Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch 7 marks the final chapter of one of the distillery’s most respected modern series. First released in 2019, Traigh Bhan was Ardbeg’s answer to a long-standing demand for a mature, age-stated expression that did not compromise on peat. Each batch carried subtle differences. Batch 7 closes the series.
This whisky is aged for 19 years and bottled at 50.3% ABV. Maturation takes place in a combination of ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, with a higher proportion of first-fill sherry casks than previous batches. It is non-chill filtered and bottled without added color.
Traigh Bhan translates to “singing sands,” a beach near the distillery. The name reflects a balance between power and precision. The Gold medal confirms that Ardbeg ended the series at its peak.
