Irish whiskey has been on something of a journey since it was first referenced in 1405 in a medieval chronicle, almost a century before whisky appears in any Scottish records. Fast forward a few hundred years and by the early 1800s, Ireland was the largest producer of spirits in the United Kingdom. These early successes of Irish whiskey were built on scale and export demand to the US and soon, familiar names such as John Jameson, John Powers and George Roe came to dominate the Irish distilling landscape.
After a period of decline in the 20th century, caused by political upheaval, trade disruption and Prohibition, only a handful of producers remained. But in the past two decades, the category has gone through a decisive revival. Today, Irish whiskey is firmly on the rise, with distilleries found from Dublin to Dingle. Increasing diversity in styles, producers and approaches to maturing are shaping a category that is truly contemporary. Much of the appeal comes from a typically smoother finish as opposed to the smoky, earthy notes found in Scotch whisky, thanks to a general reluctance to use peat during the malting process.
Irish whiskey performed at an exceptionally high level at this year’s IWSC, the judges rewarding whiskies that balanced clarity, texture and depth, from refined single-pot-still expressions to those demonstrating a bold use of experimental cask types.
Teeling Whiskey had an exceptional year at the IWSC 2026, claiming two of the four Gold Outstanding medals awarded to Irish whiskey. The Dublin-based distiller scored 98 points for its 33 YO Very Rare Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey, described by judges as ‘delivering a rare and delicious tropical character’. The Teeling Distillery Exclusive 20 YO Mongolian Oak Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey also received a Gold Outstanding medal, with the judges highlighting ‘a lively burst of citrus that unfolds into gentle nuttiness, evoking a subtle cheeseboard richness’.
The other two Gold Outstanding medals went to Craft Irish Whiskey The Donn Single Malt Irish Whiskey, with the IWSC panel singling out its ‘sweet, scrumptious, and lingering finish’, and William Grant & Sons Tullamore D.E.W Special Reserve 12 YO Blended Irish Whiskey, praised for a ‘perfectly balanced, well-blended palate where ripe fruit and gentle oak meld’.
Other notable entries on the list include Method and Madness Single Grain Irish Whiskey and Redbreast 27 YO Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, both from Irish Distillers, alongside Killowen Distillery Signature Style Rum & Raisin Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey and Titanic Distillers 8 YO Single Malt Irish Whiskey. The latter was praised by judges for being ‘bright and fresh on the nose, with zesty coconut, banana and a tropical punch softened by vanilla’.
Read on to discover the full selection, spanning single malt, pot still and single grain whiskies, blends and an array of bold cask finishes. Every Irish whiskey featured here were judged blind by a panel of industry experts at the IWSC, including independent bottler The Heart Cut’s Georgie Bell, master distiller Allan Anderson and Guy Hodcroft, spirits buyer at Bordeaux Index.
HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE SPIRITS?
We run a tightly structured, rigorous spirits tasting process. That means that each spirit sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC spirit judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the drinks industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.
HOW DO WE SCORE THESE SPIRITS?
Only the best spirits sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, spirits have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.
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18 award-winning Irish whiskies to try
Teeling Whiskey, 33 YO Very Rare Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Teeling Whiskey, Distillery Exclusive 20 YO Mongolian Oak Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Craft Irish Whiskey, The Donn Single Malt Irish Whiskey
William Grant & Sons Brands, Tullamore D.E.W Special Reserve 12 YO Blended Irish Whiskey
Irish Distillers, Method and Madness Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Irish Distillers, Redbreast 27 YO Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Irish Distillers, Jameson Distillers Batch Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
That Boutique-y Whisky Company, 21 YO Blended Irish Whiskey
Irish Distillers, Yellow Spot 12 YO Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Belfast Distillery Company, Mcconnell’s 20 YO Single Malt Irish Whisky
Titanic Distillers, 8 YO Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Irish Distillers, Midleton Very Rare 2026 Vintage Release Blended Irish Whiskey
Limerick Spirits Company, The Society Cask Select (1st Bottling) Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Killowen Distillery, Signature Style Rum & Raisin Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
West Cork Distillers, 12 YO Rioja Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey
William Grant & Sons Brands, Tullamore D.E.W 18 YO Single Malt Irish Whiskey
The Copeland Distillery, Merchants’ Quay 5 YO Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Limavady Irish Whiskey, Single Barrel Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Dingle Distillery, Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Farah Whiskey, Mr Fox 8 YO Oloroso & PX Sherry Cask Finish Blended Irish Whiskey
Farah Whiskey, Mr Fox 8 YO Stout Cask Finish Blended Irish Whiskey
