One of the most revered spirit competitions in the industry just released its list of the top whiskies of the year. Here’s what they taste like and how to score some.
The International Spirits Challenge is back at it again. The venerated competition, now in its 31st go-round, just announced its trophy winners for 2026. Billing itself as “the longest-running dedicated spirits competition in the world,” the ISC evaluates a total of 30 separate liquor categories, employing the help of industry experts. A notable point of separation here is that a large proportion of legendary distillers are included on that list of experts.
In whisky, for example, the panel is headed by Richard Paterson OBE – an icon whose reputation stretches back more than half a century. Nicknamed, “The Nose,” he…knows a thing or two about barrel aged spirit and what makes for a standout example. Joined by dozesn of his esteemed colleagues, the crew dug into thousands of submissions this year to come away with one Supreme Champion Spirit. And believe it or not, for the first time in six years, the top overall title went to a single malt scotch: Glenmorangie The Thirty.
It’s not just some clever nickname. The whisky is indeed aged for no less than 30 years in the Highlands of Scotland. Around half of that maturation occurred in ex-bourbon casks before the juice was re-racked into Burgundian red wine casks by the brand’s head of distilling, Dr. Bill Lumsden. It debuted earlier this spring in European markets as the oldest scotch to ever enter into Glenmorangie’s hallowed portfolio.
It’s important to point out that this 183-year-old malt house is today owned by LVMH – the world’s largest luxury good conglomerate. So you shouldn’t be at all surprised by the elegance on display here, both inside and outside the bottle. The liquid holds cherry fruit aromatics, while the palate is more concerned with stone fruit and citrus peel. Ultimately the rich body of this 86-proof sipper leaves a lingering thread of leather and dried cedar; elements which deserve several beats of silent contemplation after even a small measure of each dram has gone down.
Keeping it all in place is a stately decanter. It stretches gracefully upwards from its bulbous body into an elongated neck covered by a copper topper. An ode, no doubt, to the brilliant workhorses crowding the distillery in Tain. At over 16 feet in length, Glenmorangie touts these stills as the tallest in all of Scotland. They contribute significantly to the delicate and floral characteristics of the house style.
In the 30 year expression, “Dr. Bill” is able to strike a compelling bargain between that aforementioned florality and the rich fruit plumbed from decades worth of aging in quality cooperage. It’s an impressive balancing act and one that’s befitting a bottle which retails for just under $1000 – when you can even find it on US shelves. Which sadly isn’t often.
Thankfully Glenmorangie’s 12-year-old flagship remains both commendably complex and widely available. It teases many of those same citrus and peach elements accentuated in its older sibling in a bottle that’s purchasable at $50. And for a step up from that, consider the $100 limited edition that Glenmorangie released this year in collaboration with actor Harrison Ford. You’ll uncork apricot and vanilla aromas to pair with a palate of toasted brioche and milk chocolate. A subtle berry bouquet arrives late to the party, courtesy of heavily toasted Portuguese red wine casks used in its maturation.
This expression also came to market earlier in 2026. All-in-all, not too shabby a year for the brand: a marquee mingling with a legend of the silver screen and a golden trophy enshrining its status as a legend in its own right.
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