The World’s Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky—According To The 2026 International Spirits Challenge

LifestyleSpiritsThe World’s Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky—According To The 2026 International Spirits ChallengeByBrad Japhe,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. You can find me at the confluence of food, beverage and travel.Follow AuthorJun 02, 2026, 04:39am EDTGlengoyne 12 Year Old First Fill EditionPhoto illustration: Brad JapheThe International Spirits Challenge is a pretty big deal. It’s been around for 31 years, billing itself as the “longest-running dedicated spirits competition in the world.” Longevity is just a part of its prowess, however. This is an organization helmed by some of the most respected palates in all of adult beverage. When it comes to whisky, specifically, the panel is chaired by Sir Richard Paterson – a scotch icon with more than 50 years of production experience. He is joined by names no less notable than Shinji Fukuyo, chief blender of Suntory; Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie fame; Angela D’Orazio of Compass Box, and a handful of other luminaries. All this is to say, these are people who know whisky--and especially single malt--in a profoundly intimate and exceptional way. So we were quite eager to see what they anointed as the best scotches of 2026. Those results arrived last week in the form of five Double Gold winners across the category. And it’s safe to say that the biggest winner is Ian Macleod Distillers. The independent, family-owned company out of Broxburn lays claim to three out of the five Double Gold medalists, including Glengoyne 12 Year Old First Fill Edition; Isle of Skye 25 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky; and Rosebank Remarkable Cask Release One. The second of these is a robust blended scotch that’s an absolute bargain at $170 a bottle. The third isn’t even available on US shelves. So we’re going to instead focus our gaze on the Glengoyne, which has existed as a Global Travel Retail exclusive since summer of last year.As you can gather from the name, this is a single malt sh...