The winners in the World Whiskies Awards 2026 and Icons of Whisky 2026 have been announced at a ceremony in London, with Australian honourees including Sullivans Cove and Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co.
The 2026 competition has seen World’s Best titles conferred on both well-established brands from countries with long histories with the spirit, such as Bowmore and Ballantine’s of Scotland, as well as younger distilleries from the new frontiers of production, including Australia, Belgium, and China.
Sullivans Cove won for its French Oak White Wine Old & Rare TD0112, while Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co was awarded for its Rye Cask 027.
“From the watershed moment of 2014 to subsequent wins in 2018 and 2019, Sullivans Cove has now been awarded World’s Best for a fourth time, an unprecedented achievement in the history of the awards,” Sullivans Cove said.
“A level of recognition no other distillery has achieved. A rare continuity at the highest level of global whisky. 18 Year Old French Oak ex-White Wine (TD0112), maturation guided with intent, where every decision compounds over decades to realise balance, structure and quiet authority.”
Tasmanian Minister for Small Business, Trade and Consumer Affairs Guy Barnett said: “Sullivans Cove delivered a remarkable performance, taking out the title of World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt along with securing two Icons of Whisky awards – reinforcing its position as one of the world’s leading distilleries.
“In further success for the state, Greenbanks was also recognised on the global stage, winning for its single rye whisky.
“These results highlight the strength, quality and growing international recognition of Tasmania’s whisky industry. The success comes as Tasmania continues to build and promote its premium food and beverage sector, with whisky playing an increasingly important role in export growth, tourism and regional development.”
Awards Director Anita Ujszaszi said: “The announcement of the World’s Best winners is a special moment every year, as these winners represent the absolute pinnacle of whisky craftsmanship. The winners this year represent not just quality, but the diversity, innovation, and heritage that make up the whisky world today. The same can be said for our lauded Icons of Whisky, whose work in shaping the modern face of the whisky industry is truly exciting.”
Chair of Judges and editor of Whisky Magazine Bradley Weir said: “Looking at this year’s list of winners, it’s apparent how lucky we are to have so many incredible brands working at the top of their game right now. What has been most exciting about this year is how truly global the World’s Best have been. We have winners from Australia, Japan, US, Scotland, Spain and many more, emphasising the strength of whisky production worldwide.
“It’s been an honour to taste and judge these whiskies across the different rounds over the past few months, and none of this would have been possible without the talents of the entire international judging pool. Their expertise, consideration, and care have led us to this exciting moment, and I think we can all be proud of those determined World’s Best. Congratulations all!”
World’s best whiskies for 2026
DESIGN: Lark Range
NEW MAKE & YOUNG SPIRIT Ohtani Whisky Niigata Kameda NewPot Peated 2026 Edition
WORLD’S BEST BLENDED: Ballantine’s 23 Years Old
BLENDED LIMITED RELEASE: Ichiro’s Malt & Grain Blended Japanese Whisky 2026
BLENDED MALT: Kwun Cheung Blended Malt Whisky Aged in Changbai Mountains Mongolian Oak
CANADIAN BLENDED: JP Wiser’s 27 Years Old Mizunara Oak
CORN: Black Jack Whiskey Classic
FLAVOURED WHISKY: Woven WXC
GRAIN: Fercullen 15
SINGLE CASK SINGLE GRAIN: Waterloo The Duke Rum Cask
RYE: Siderit 2026 Whisky PX Cask Rye
SINGLE CASK SINGLE RYE: Greenbanks Tasmanian Whisky Co Rye Cask 027
POT STILL: Spots Whiskey Red Spot
SINGLE CASK SINGLE MALT: Sullivans Cove French Oak White Wine Old & Rare TD0112
SMALL BATCH SINGLE MALT: The English Small Batch Sherry Hogshead
SINGLE MALT: Bowmore 21 Years Old Sherry Cask
WHEAT: Star Hill Farm Whisky Wheat Whisky
Icons of Whisky 2026
Also at the London ceremony, the global winners in the Icons of Whisky 2026 were named. The Icons of Whisky recognise the people and places whose work is the foundation of the whisky industry. Global winners are selected following region-specific rounds, which saw Icons named for Scotland, Ireland, the US, China, and Rest of World.
Sullivans Cove also triumphed in the Icons of Whisky category, with Marcelo Viapiana winning in the Warehouse Manager category and Heather Tillott winning in the Innovation Manager category.
To view the full list of winners, Hall of Fame inductees and medalists, click here.