What do a peated Islay single malt that sells for not much more than £30, a 35-year-old Bunnahabhain from two independent bottlers, and a blend first created for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation have in common? Earlier this week, all three were named Trophy winners at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2026.
The IWSC handed out 24 Spirits Trophies this year, covering everything from gin and rum to agave spirits and brandy. Three of those went to Scotch, with two single malts and one blend taking the honors, and the winning whiskies range in age from 9 to 35 years.
We wrote about all three when the medal results came out, in our look at the six Scotch whiskies that earned Spirit Gold Outstanding and our round-up of the best blended Scotch from the competition. Today, we are taking a closer look at how each one is made, who is behind it, and the history of the distilleries involved.
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So, let’s take a look at the Scotch whisky Trophy winners from the IWSC 2026.
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How Are IWSC Trophies Awarded?
The IWSC has been running since 1969 and assesses more than 12,000 entries from over 90 countries each year. Spirits are judged blind, with every sample served in a numbered glass so the judges never see the bottle, and each label is checked beforehand to make sure the entry has been placed in the right category.
Judging panels bring together experts from different parts of the trade, drawn from more than 30 countries, and the IWSC says it is the only competition to limit tasting to a maximum of 65 samples per judging day, giving panels time to discuss each spirit and helping to prevent palate fatigue.
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READ THE STORYThe judges are led by the Spirits Judging Committee, whose members include Master Distillers, Master Blenders, senior buyers, and leading drinks communicators. A member of the committee retastes every spirit awarded Gold before the result is confirmed.
We covered the medal results back in June, and the Trophies are a separate, later stage open only to spirits that earned Gold or Gold Outstanding.
To choose the winners, several members of the Spirits Judging Committee came back together to retaste the highest-performing entries. Scotch whisky had three Trophies: Single Malt Scotch Whisky Under 20 YO, Single Malt Scotch Whisky Over 20 YO, and Blended Scotch Whisky.
Bowmore 9 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Award: Trophy, Single Malt Scotch Whisky Under 20 YO
Score: 98
Tasting Notes: “Aromas of delicate sea salt, crème caramel, and light peat smoke. On the palate, roasted peaches and soft bonfire smoke take centre stage, beautifully balanced by notes of oats, roasted pumpkin seeds, fresh rhubarb, and a pinch of sea salt.” – IWSC Judges
Find Your Next Bottle: £32.50 / $44
Bowmore has stood on the shore of Loch Indaal since 1779. In the 19th century, the Mutter family, who owned the distillery, had a small iron steamship built to bring barley and coal over from the mainland and carry whisky back to Glasgow. During the Second World War, production stopped and the site hosted RAF Coastal Command. Stanley P. Morrison took over in 1963, and Suntory bought the business outright in 1994.
Bowmore is one of the few Scottish distilleries still floor malting some of its own barley. Each eight-tonne mash combines 2.5 tonnes of its own malt with 5.5 tonnes from Simpson’s, and after a 48-hour fermentation in six wooden washbacks named after former owners, the wash goes through two wash stills and two spirit stills.
The 9 Year Old joined the core range in 2016 with an unconventional nine-year age statement for a core bottling. The whisky is matured for at least nine years in American oak ex-bourbon casks and European oak oloroso sherry butts, and it is bottled at 40% ABV.
It sits in the distillery’s permanent range, which moved to a new bottle design in 2025.
East Asia Whisky Company & Silver Seal 35 Year Old Manta Ray Seven Clean Seas Bunnahabhain Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Award: Trophy, Single Malt Scotch Whisky Over 20 YO
Score: 98
Tasting Notes: “Bright fragrant notes of lemon biscuits and chamomile lead into a sweet, creamy palate rich with delicate floral notes and hints of Danish pastry. The vibrant tropical fruit carries through to a long, elegant finish, showing superb balance and depth.” – IWSC Judges
Find Your Next Bottle: N/A
This is the only independent bottling among the three winners. IWSC lists it as a joint entry from the East Asia Whisky Company and the Silver Seal Whisky Company, aged 35 years and bottled at a cask strength of 49.3% ABV.
The East Asia Whisky Company describes itself as a boutique independent bottler of Scotch, Japanese whisky, and Caribbean rum, founded in 2016, and says each of its releases supports its own cause. Silver Seal, which has been releasing rare whiskies and rums since 1979, is one of the brands of Modena-based Whisky Antique, owned by Massimo Righi. The two companies first used the Manta Ray name on a 1997 Caroni rum, with funds going to the UK charity the Manta Trust.
Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 near Port Askaig on Islay’s northeast coast, and a village was built alongside it to house the workers. Bunnahabhain passed to Highland Distilleries in 1887 and to Burn Stewart in 2003. Today it belongs to CVH Spirits, which was separated from Distell after Heineken’s takeover in 2023. It is known for its primarily unpeated whisky, which is unusual for an Islay distillery.
Royal Salute 21 Year Old Signature Blended Scotch Whisky
Award: Trophy, Blended Scotch Whisky
Score: 96
Tasting Notes: “A layered nose of bright tropical fruits and polished oak with savoury depth. The palate unfolds with a wisp of smoke over oatcakes, digestive biscuits, and subtle spice. Refreshing citrus and playful sherbet tones leave a vibrant, lasting impression.” – IWSC Judges
Find Your Next Bottle: £105 / $131
No blended Scotch reached Gold Outstanding at this year’s IWSC, and the Blended Scotch Whisky Trophy went to Royal Salute 21 Year Old Signature Blend, which earned Gold with a score of 96. It is bottled at 40% ABV, and every whisky in the blend has been aged for at least 21 years.
Royal Salute was created in 1953 by Charles Julian, then master blender at Chivas Brothers, to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It remains the flagship of the Royal Salute brand, with the core of the blend made up of Strathisla single malts.
The master blender role at Chivas Brothers has recently changed hands. Sandy Hyslop, who announced his retirement in late 2025, now holds the title of master blender emeritus, and Kevin Balmforth has taken over as master blender. Chivas Brothers now runs 14 distilleries and placed second in the IWSC Top 50 Producers list published in 2025.
What Do You Make of the Results?
The three Trophy winners cover a lot of ground between them. Bowmore 9 Year Old is a widely available core-range single malt, the 35 Year Old Manta Ray Seven Clean Seas is a cask strength release from two independent bottlers, and Royal Salute 21 Year Old has been part of the Chivas Brothers range since 1953. The two single malts also received the same score of 98, even though there are 26 years between them in age.
Have you tried any of these three? 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.
