IWSC Spirits Judging 2026: week 1 highlights

Following two weeks of wine judging in London, the IWSC Spirits Judging has brought together leading spirits buyers, bartenders, distillers and communicators to assess entries from across the global spirits industry - from classic Scotch whisky and Caribbean rum to contemporary gin and premium spirits from Asia.

Guiding this year’s judging were members of the IWSC Spirits Judging Committee: Dawn Davies MW, Ian Burrell, Richard Paterson OBE, Olivier Ward, David T Smith, Marie Cheong-Thong and Joel Harrison. Across the opening week of judging, panels identified a number of emerging trends, including a renewed focus on balance and distillery character in Scotch whisky, growing innovation within global rum production, and continued demand for premium spirits with clear provenance and identity.

While we can’t share results just yet, read on to discover some of the key insights judges uncovered during the first week of spirits judging.

Scotch

Scotch judging revealed a strong return to balance, distillery character and well-integrated maturation, with lightly peated and unpeated single malts performing particularly well across categories. Standout medal winners came from all throughout Scotland including the Highlands, Speyside, and Islay - highlighting the breadth of styles being rewarded, from elegant mature malts to more expressive smoky profiles.

Spirits Judging Committee member Dawn Davies MW noted that this year’s judging featured “some really good everyday drinking whiskies” alongside fewer dominant cask finishes, reflecting a renewed focus on “getting the core right, getting the basics right.” Fellow Judging Committee member Richard Paterson OBE also emphasised the importance of patience and quality control in maturation, urging producers to “take your time” and ensure whiskies truly meet consumer expectations before release Judges also praised whiskies with strong distillery identity and distinctive sensory character. Drinks writer and presenter Becky Paskin and Bordeaux Index Spirits Buyer Guy Hodcroft highlighted the success of lightly peated styles that added “a little extra oomph from the smoke” while still retaining regional character.

Rum

Rum judging highlighted both the growing diversity of the category and the rising quality of premium expressions being submitted from around the world. Judges tasted rums from the Caribbean, South America and Asia, with several standout performers emerging from Japan - including multiple Gold Outstanding medal winners.

Spirits Judging Committee member Ian Burrell noted that this year’s entries delivered “a much more balanced and much more flavoursome experience,” with producers “stepping up” both quality and style. Traditional expressions also impressed, with Spirits Educator Peter Holland commenting that “the aged pot still rums didn’t disappoint,” while Consultant Antony Moss MW praised the agricole and cane juice flights for showing “a balance of grassiness with well integrated and well-judged oak influence.” Burrell also highlighted continued growth within premium and super-premium rum, driven by consumers seeking greater provenance and transparency.

Brandy

In the Cognac and brandy flights, judges rewarded expressions that balanced fruit purity with well-integrated oak influence, with complexity and harmony emerging as defining characteristics among the top-scoring spirits. Standout Cognacs ranged from VS expressions through to vintage and XXO bottlings, showcasing both depth of maturation and clarity of distillate character.

“The fruitiness and the wood, everything was really harmonious,” shared Rémy Martin's Maître de Cha Baptiste Loiseau of one of the top medal winners. Judges consistently praised spirits that allowed distillate character to remain at the forefront rather than being dominated by oak. Guy Hodcroft noted that the strongest entries used wood as a “supporting note” while still showcasing “the lovely prime raw distillate character.” Alongside well-aged styles, judges also highlighted the quality of several unaged grape spirits.

Classic Gin

Classic Gin judging rewarded expressions that combined precision, intensity and structure, with Navy Strength styles performing particularly strongly this year.

According to Judging Committee member Olivier Ward, the standout gins shared “three things in common: structure, sequence, and intensity.” Ward also noted that success within Navy Strength styles comes from the level of care required to execute them successfully: “High ABV is unforgiving.” Judges observed that the strongest examples retained balance, complexity and definition even when diluted.

Vodka

Vodka judging highlighted both the category’s global diversity and the continued demand for clean, characterful styles. Judges tasted entries made from grain, potato and rice, with grain-based vodkas performing particularly strongly thanks to their balance of purity and subtle character.

Spirits Judging Committee member David T Smith noted “quality across the board” throughout the flights, while judges also observed a growing willingness among producers to allow more raw material character to shine through. Founder of Reverence Spirits Rosie Milsom commented that “we’re moving away from everything being super smooth and allowing some to really have character shine through,” while Exploring English Whisky Chief Explorer Richard Foster noted that the strongest entries balanced individuality with the “core tenets of vodka style.”

Bitters & Liqueurs

In the bitters and liqueurs flights, judges praised products that combined strong flavour definition with balance and refinement. Panels noted particularly strong performances from classic fruit-led styles, with limoncello and crème de cassis among the standout categories of the week.

Several unexpected styles also impressed judges, with Hospitality Consultant Sara Jane Eichler commenting that “the red wine liqueurs were unexpected and blew us all away.” Across the top medal winners, judges consistently rewarded precision and clarity of flavour. Director of N94 Rosie Lees noted that the Gold Outstanding entries all had “a clear brief” alongside “real complexity and depth,” while Crossip Co-founder Tim Blake singled out one orange liqueur for capturing the character of fresh orange “completely.”

Fruit & Distilled Spirits

Fruit spirits judging showcased a wide range of styles and traditions from across the world, with judges praising producers able to capture clear, authentic fruit character while maintaining balance and precision. Flights included distilled grape spirits, fruit eaux-de-vie, herb spirits and shochu, highlighting the breadth of the category.

The Macallan Brand Ambassador Madhu Rajigani highlighted the distilled grape spirits category for showcasing “the influence of unique grape varietals,” while Spirits Educator Hannah Lanfear described the judging as “around the world in 60 glasses,” singling out a Serbian bitter awarded Gold Outstanding alongside a Japanese chilli shochu awarded Gold. Buying & Partnership Manager Bryan Rodriguez-Curtis stressed the importance of authenticity in niche spirit categories, noting that the strongest entries “smelt and tasted like what it says on the label.”

Asian Spirits

Asian spirits judging showcased both the growing quality and increasing diversity emerging across baijiu, shochu, awamori, soju, sake and Chinese rice wine. Judging Committee member Marie Cheong-Thong noted that standards continue to rise year-on-year, with this year’s Gold and Gold Outstanding medal winners fully justifying their scores during trophy judging.

Judges highlighted particularly strong performances from baijiu and awamori, with Kaiju Drinks Owner Barry McCaughley praising awamori for its “quality, authenticity and general deliciousness,” while Spirits Educator Rose Brookman described the Taiwanese baijiu flights as “the most exciting flights we had today.” Judges also observed a growing emphasis on balance and drinkability, with Author Derek Sandhaus highlighting the emergence of lower-proof baijiu expressions that better showcase flavour “without overpowering the palate.”

From refined Scotch single malts and globally diverse rum entries to expressive fruit spirits and increasingly sophisticated Asian categories, the first week of IWSC Spirits Judging revealed a clear emphasis on balance, authenticity and regionality across the industry.

While classic styles continued to perform strongly, judges also highlighted growing innovation across emerging categories and regions, with producers showing increasing confidence in expressing distinctive local styles and traditions.