The World Whiskies Awards 2026 gave six gold medals to Islay single malts. Three went to Ardbeg, one to Bowmore, one to Smokehead, and one to a Lidl own-label bottle priced at £20.
The six Islay golds
The top prize, World’s Best Single Malt, went to Bowmore 21 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask, matured in ex-bourbon and oloroso casks with a first-fill Pedro Ximénez finish, bottled at 46.8% ABV at around $344.
Ardbeg took three golds with very different expressions. Wee Beastie, 5 years old, 47.4% ABV, is the youngest and most direct in the range. Anthology The Unicorn, 14 years old with ex-bourbon and Madeira cask maturation, 46% ABV, represents the distillery’s experimental side. Traigh Bhan Batch 7, 19 years old, 50.3% ABV, distilled in 2006, closes the series for good. Three ages, three approaches, all awarded.
Smokehead Tequila Cask Terminado earned gold with a tequila cask finish, bottled at 43% ABV with no age statement. The source distillery, as with all Smokehead releases, is undisclosed.
The surprise is Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt, sold by Lidl at £20. No age statement, 40% ABV, produced by Whyte & Mackay from an undisclosed distillery. It took gold alongside bottles costing ten times as much.
Six golds, one island. Bowmore returns to the spotlight after years of relative quiet in the Islay landscape, Ardbeg confirms a depth of range well beyond its core lineup, and Lidl proves that price is not always a reliable indicator of competition-level quality.
Photo: The Whiskey Wash
