The World Whiskies Awards 2026 has now revealed its highest honours, naming the World’s Best winners across every major whisky category. These results represent the final stage of the competition, where category winners from regional heats, including Scotland, go head-to-head on a global stage.
This year’s list reflects both heritage and innovation, with established names such as Ballantine’s, Maker’s Mark, and Jack Daniel’s recognised alongside newer and more experimental producers.
From bourbon and rye to blended malt and single cask expressions, the winners highlight the full spectrum of modern whisky production. Each bottle here has not only topped its category but has done so against the best from around the world, setting a benchmark for quality, character, and style in 2026.
| Whisky | Award |
| Onyx and Amber American Light Whiskey Double Oaked | World’s Best American Style Whiskey |
| Ballantine’s 23 Year Old | World’s Best Blended |
| Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Blended Japanese Whisky 2026 | World’s Best Blended Limited Release |
| Kwun Cheung Blended Malt Whisky Aged in Changbai Mountains Mongolian Oak | World’s Best Blended Malt |
| New Riff Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | World’s Best Bourbon (Kentucky) |
| JP Wiser’s 27 Years Old Mizunara Oak | World’s Best Canadian Blended |
| Black Jack Classic | World’s Best Corn |
| Maker’s Mark 46 | World’s Best Finished Bourbon |
| Woven WXC | World’s Best Flavoured Whisky |
| Fercullen 15 | World’s Best Grain |
| Ohtani Whisky Niigata Kameda NewPot Peated 2026 Edition |
World’s Best New Make & Young Spirit
|
| Red Spot Irish Whiskey | World’s Best Pot Still |
| Siderit 2026 Whisky PX Cask Rye | World’s Best Rye |
| Presidential Dram 2 Term Bourbon | World’s Best Single Barrel Bourbon |
| Waterloo The Duke Rum Cask | World’s Best Single Cask Single Grain |
| Sullivans Cove French Oak White Wine Old & Rare TD0112 | World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt |
| Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co. Rye Cask 027 | World’s Best Single Cask Single Rye |
| Bowmore 21 Years Old Sherry Oak Cask | World’s Best Single Malt |
| E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch | World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon |
| The English Distillery Small Batch Sherry Hogshead | World’s Best Small Batch Single Malt |
| Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 1 | World’s Best Tennessee Whiskey |
| Star Hill Farm Whisky | World’s Best Wheat |
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