5 Best Scotch Whiskies At NYISC 2026: Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich Whisky Win Double-Gold Medals

The 17th Annual New York International Spirits Competition has handed out the awards for 2026, and Scotland has plenty to celebrate. The competition's winners span everything from a 10-year-old to a 25-year-old expression, with familiar names including Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Glenmorangie and Glenfiddich taking home top honours. Rather than looking for the oldest bottle or the biggest name, NYISC picked winners that offer a particularly interesting look at the breadth of single malt Scotch whisky represented in this year's results. Here are the 5 best Scotch whiskies at the 2026 NYISC that were awarded double-gold medals. The list includes Ardbeg 10 Years Old, Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve, Lagavulin 11 Years Old Sweet Peat, Glenmorangie 12 Year and Glenmorangie 25 Year Old whisky.

5 Best Scotch Whiskies At NYISC 2026

Ardbeg Ten Years Old Whisky: 96 Points

Ardbeg Ten Years Old is classic Islay, bringing peat, sea spray and maritime character to the glass with the intensity Ardbeg drinkers expect. Its smoky personality has made this ten year old one of the distillery's defining whisky bottles, but it is the balance beneath that smoke that makes it so memorable. At the 2026 NYISC, Ardbeg Ten earned 96 points, once again showing that heavily peated whisky does not have to sacrifice complexity for drama.

Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve Whisky: 96 Points

For something considerably brighter, there's Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve. This Speyside single malt whisky leans into the influence of bourbon-barrel maturation, giving the whisky a sweeter, richer edge while keeping the approachable fruit character associated with Glenfiddich.

It scored 96 points at the 2026 NYISC, placing it among the competition's standout Speyside entries. It is an easy reminder that oak can change the conversation just as much as age can.

Lagavulin 11 Years Old Sweet Peat Whisky: 96 Points

The next stop is another famous Islay name. Lagavulin 11 Years Old Sweet Peat. The expression is particularly noteworthy because it brings one of Scotland's best-known distillery names into a relatively young age category. For anyone building a whisky shelf around award winners rather than simply chasing age statements, this is one worth noting.

Glenmorangie 12 Year Whisky: 96 Points

Glenmorangie 12 Year whisky takes the spotlight as this bottle won both an individual whisky award and a distillery-level honour.

Glenmorangie 25 Year Whisky: 96 Points

At the other end of the age spectrum sits Glenmorangie 25 Year. Its inclusion gives this list a neat beginning-to-end look at single malt Scotch whisky, moving from a 10-year-old winner to one that has spent a quarter of a century ageing.

The 2026 NYISC results make one thing clear: there is no single formula for an award-winning single malt Scotch whisky. Ardbeg 10 Year and Lagavulin 11 Years Old Sweet Peat bring two distinctly smoky takes on Islay, while Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve offers a sweeter Speyside profile. Glenmorangie's 12 and 25 Year expressions, meanwhile, show just how differently the same Highland distillery can express whisky across age statements. Together, they make a compelling snapshot of the breadth of Scotch whisky represented at this year's competition.