I tried ‘world’s best single malt whisky’ - it’s a sweet smoky dram ideal for autumn
Earlier this year the World Whiskies Awards named the world’s best single malt whisky for 2026. Here’s what we thought of it.
We’re slowly sliding into autumn which, in my opinion, is one of the best times to crack open a bottle of whisky, especially a peated dram. If you’re looking for some inspiration, it’s always a plan to check out recent award wins including the World Whiskies Awards which took place in the spring.
The World Whiskies Awards reward the patience, creativity, and dedication represented in a whisky bottle.
The 2026 competition saw 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.
This year there were 22 award-winning Scotch whiskies including an island dram that took home the title of ‘world’s best single malt whisky.’
This was the Bowmore 21 Years Old Sherry Oak Cask, which is priced at around £270 per bottle. Judges said of this whisky: “Super medicinal peat with TCP smoke with alcohol vapour. Palate balances medicinal peat, sweetness and warming winter spices into an evaporative finish.”
I was lucky to get my hands on a sample, and had a chat and tasting with global brand ambassador, Teddy Joseph. The Bowmore 21-Year-Old Sherry Oak Cask is aged for 21 years in hand-selected American oak ex-bourbon and European oak Oloroso sherry casks, followed by a first-fill Pedro Ximenez sherry cask finish.
The team say that this combination of time and carefully selected cask finishes offers a distinct sipping experience that is rich, with the natural ‘middle-Islay’ whisper of salty smoke and minerality, and a woody, sweet and fruity finish.
The Bowmore 21-Year-Old Sherry Oak Cask is part of a collection comprising 12, 15, 18 and 21-Year-Old whiskies, all showcasing the role of the best European oak sherry casks in shaping depth and layers of flavour in the spirits.
I tried the whisky during the summer when it was very warm, and found the rich mahogany hued whisky to have a nose that is full of sweet cherries, toffee, treacle and a hint of leather with a wisp of smoke. On the palette there’s sweet smoke, more toffee and burnt treacle as well as spices. It has a long, smoky finish.
What may surprise those who are curious about peated whisky, or a bit unsure, is the sweetness and delicate balance between that and the smoke. The peaty nature of the whisky is not overpowering, and this is a brilliant example of why sweet sherry casks, such as PX, work so well with peated whisky.
I’m keen to try the whisky again as the weather turns colder as I am sure it’ll be an ideal addition to an autumn cocktail - an old fashioned or boulevardier - as there’s nothing nicer than enjoying a drink or dram by a roaring fire.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.