Islay needs no introduction to Scotch drinkers. The small island produces some of the most recognizable whisky in Scotland. There are 11 distilleries currently operating there, and despite this relatively small number, the Islay category carries huge weight at whisky competitions.
One such competition is the Scotch Whisky Masters, which announced its 2026 results earlier this month. The competition is run by The Spirits Business and judged blind. Islay single malts took two Master medals, 10 Golds and one Silver. Six of those Gold medals were awarded to no age statement (NAS) whiskies, which themselves are often overlooked. In fact, this category offers great value for money and a way into Islay that doesn’t involve shelling out hundreds.
So, let’s take a look at the NAS Islay single malt Scotch winners from the Scotch Whisky Masters 2026.
Quick whisky question
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Kilchoman Machir Bay
Award: Gold
Category: Single Malt: Islay – No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Lemon zest, vanilla, floral notes, peaches, pears, spices, tropical fruit, sultanas, smoke, honey, malt, butterscotch, black pepper, sea salt, citrus, maritime peat smoke
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READ THE STORYFind Your Next Bottle: $49 / £43
Kilchoman is the only farm distillery on Islay. It was founded by Anthony Wills in 2005 at Rockside Farm on the Rhinns, on the west coast of the island, and it was the first new distillery built on Islay in 124 years. It remains family-owned, with Wills as managing director and his three sons working in sales and marketing.
Machir Bay arrived in 2012 as the first core expression, named after the beach a short walk from the distillery. It is a vatting of roughly 90% ex-bourbon barrels and 10% oloroso sherry butts, bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration or added color. The barley for it is heavily peated malt from Port Ellen Maltings at around 50 ppm.
Kilchoman also floor malts a portion of its own barley on site, grown at Rockside, which goes into the separate 100% Islay release.
Ardnahoe Infinite Loch
Award: Gold
Category: Single Malt: Islay – No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Sea-spray, Islay peat, dark chocolate, menthol, fresh fruits, bonfire notes, smoky, zesty finish
Find Your Next Bottle: $60 / £55
Ardnahoe sits on the north-east coast of Islay, between Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila, looking across the Sound of Islay to Jura. It was built by Hunter Laing, the Glasgow independent bottler run by Stewart Laing and his sons Andrew and Scott, and opened in April 2019.
Jim McEwan, previously of Bruichladdich, came out of retirement to set up production, and the distillery is now managed by David Livingstone. It has certainly made waves amongst drinkers since its debut.
The equipment is unusual for the island. Ardnahoe uses worm tub condensers, the only ones on Islay, and its lyne arms run to 24.5 feet.
Infinite Loch was released in September 2024 as the first permanent core bottling, following the limited Inaugural Release earlier that year. It is bottled at 50% ABV, non-chill filtered, and natural in color, from a mix of first-fill bourbon and first-fill oloroso casks.
The name refers to Loch Ardnahoe, the distillery’s water source.
Port Askaig 100 Proof
Award: Gold
Category: Single Malt: Islay – No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Buttered rye, honeyed lemon zest, coal smoke, milk chocolate, ginger, citrus, peat smoke, caramel, aniseed, raspberry leaf, chocolate limes
Find Your Next Bottle: $75 / £60
Port Askaig is not a distillery, but a village and ferry port on the north-east coast of Islay, and the name was taken for a range launched in 2009 by Elixir Distillers, the bottling business founded by Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh of The Whisky Exchange. Elixir does not disclose which distillery supplies the whisky.
The 100 Proof refers to 100 degrees British proof, which works out at 57.1% ABV. American readers will find the same bottling labeled as 110 Proof.
It first appeared in 2015 and was later withdrawn, then returned in May 2026, matured in unrinsed first-fill bourbon barrels and released in small batches of around 60 casks at a time.
Head blender Oliver Chilton said Elixir had “now nurtured the 100 Proof spirit since distillation, allowing us to deliberately shape a rich flavor profile.”
Ardnahoe Bholsa
Award: Gold
Category: Single Malt: Islay – No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Red fruits, walnuts, orange zest, peat smoke, raisins, dates, ripe plums, peppery finish
Find Your Next Bottle: $89 / £58
Bholsa joined the Ardnahoe core range in March 2025, six months after Infinite Loch, and takes its name from the caves on the north coast of the island.
It is bottled at the same 50% ABV, again without chill filtration or added color, but the cask makeup is different, having been matured mostly in oloroso sherry casks.
Ardnahoe filled its first cask in November 2018, so everything in the range is young by Islay standards.
The distillery added a third permanent bottling in October 2025, a cask strength 5 year old at 60.9% ABV, and that one picked up a Gold of its own in the Islay cask strength category at this year’s competition.
Port Askaig Sherry Cask
Award: Gold
Category: Single Malt: Islay – No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Smoked damson jam, pepper-seared steak, orange, liquorice, coal smoke, dark chocolate-covered cherries, BBQ meats, cocoa nibs, dried mint, boozy berries
Find Your Next Bottle: $79 / £63
The second of the two Port Askaig releases that reached independent retailers in early May 2026, and the newest whisky on this list. It is bottled at 50.5% ABV from small batches of 20 oloroso sherry butts, sourced from the Spanish cooperage Jose y Miguel Martin, with a UK price of £64.95.
Oliver Chilton explained the addition by saying that “to make sure our line-up of whiskies is as balanced as the whisky itself, a refined sherry cask expression was needed.”
Elixir is also building its own distillery on Islay. Portintruan sits just outside Port Ellen on the south coast and is being fitted with floor maltings and direct-fired wash stills, with Georgie Crawford, previously of Lagavulin, as distillery manager.
Kilchoman Batch Strength
Award: Gold
Category: Single Malt: Islay – No Age Statement
Tasting Notes: Red fruits, fresh cherries, heather blossom, peat smoke, toffee, spices, vanilla, fresh crumpets, butter, honey
Find Your Next Bottle: $80 / £57
Batch Strength was announced in March 2024 as a permanent addition to the Kilchoman core range, joining Machir Bay and Sanaig. It is not quite a cask strength release, as a small amount of the distillery’s spring water is added before bottling to bring it to 57% ABV, hence batch rather than cask.
The whisky is drawn from three cask types, with re-charred red wine casks married to oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels, using the heavily peated malt at around 50 ppm.
Anthony Wills said at launch that “At 57% vol., Batch Strength is a giant of a dram, it has a raw intensity, that I love.”
Kilchoman also took the Silver in this category with Sanaig, making it the most decorated distillery in the flight.
What Do You Make of the Results?
Six Golds from one flight is a strong showing, and it says something about where Islay is right now that two of the three producers involved have only been distilling for a handful of years, while the third does not distil at all. Kilchoman came away with the most medals of the three, adding a Silver for Sanaig to its two Golds.
Have you tried any of these six? Are there any you would like to get your hands on, and what do you make of the awards? Let us know in the comments.
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