Each year, the results from the World Whiskies Awards provide a useful reference point for how a category is evolving. The Irish winners in 2026 are a good example of that.
There is a clear spread across styles. Blended whiskey still plays a central role, but it sits alongside single pot still, grain, rye, and even new make spirit. That mix reflects how broad Irish whiskey has become in recent years, thanks to its resurgence
Jameson 18 Years Old
Award: Best Irish Blended
Tasting Notes: “Soft and inviting with notes of marmalade and vanilla. Pleasant sweet vanilla carries onto the palate. Fingers of fudge abound. Madeira wine, sultana raisins, orange blossom, thyme, honey, vanilla extract, crackling white pepper, citrus marmalade, slight” – WWA Judges
Find Your Next Bottle: £135 / $170
Jameson 18 Years Old is produced by Irish Distillers at Midleton Distillery. Both pot still and grain whiskey are distilled and matured on site before being combined.
The blend is made from multiple distillates that have matured for close to two decades. The brand describes it as a combination of three signature distillates, which are brought together and then rested for a final period in fresh American oak barrels.
Maturation includes a mix of cask types such as ex-bourbon barrels and sherry-seasoned casks. The exact proportions of each component are not disclosed.
It is bottled at 46% ABV and forms part of the permanent Jameson range.
Midleton Distillery is located in County Cork, and is probably the most famous Irish whiskey distillery, producing a number of legacy brands including Midleton Very Rare and Redbreast..
Hinch Irish Whiskey 15 Years Old Sherry Cask Finish
Award: Best Irish Blended Limited Release
Tasting Notes: “Robust, sweet and malty on nose with some toffee and baking spices, pinch of peppery milk chocolate too, lovely mouthfeel with milk chocolate with some oak spice and tannin, warming ginger cake spice, some raisin and toasted coconut, candied orange.”
Find Your Next Bottle: £60 / $75
This release is built around clearly defined components, which is unusual for a blended Irish whiskey. Hinch Distillery states that the liquid combines two parcels: a 2003 malt whiskey and a 2008 grain whiskey, both matured separately before blending.
Each component follows a different finishing regime. The malt portion was aged in ex-bourbon casks and then finished for one year in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks. The grain component was also matured in ex-bourbon before spending two years in Oloroso hogsheads.
The distillery itself is based in County Down and represents part of the newer wave of Irish whiskey producers. Early releases have relied on sourced and matured stock, with blending and finishing carried out in-house.
This bottling is released in batches, with limited availability depending on the release cycle.