The 2026 edition of the International Spirits Challenge (ISC), now in its 31st year, handed out 726 medals in the whisky category alone, spread across six sections: American, Canadian, Irish, Japanese, Scotch and Worldwide. The judging panel — made up of distillers, blenders and industry buyers — tastes every entry completely blind, without knowing the brand, precisely so the liquid is judged ahead of the label’s reputation.
The competition’s top honor, Double Gold, went to eleven whiskies, including three Japanese expressions from Suntory (Yamazaki 25 Year Old, Hakushu Peated 18 Year Old and Hakushu 25 Year Old), Scotch whiskies such as Scapa 10 Year Old and Rosebank Remarkable Cask Release One, and Irish whiskeys Redbreast 27 Year Old and Jameson 18 Year Old.
The results confirm both the growing strength of Japanese whisky on the world stage and the consistency of established Scotch and Irish houses. Discover the spirits selection available at Mister Tabaco.
Source: The Whiskey Wash