Glengoyne 12 Year Old First Fill Edition

Photo illustration: Brad Japhe

The International Spirits Challenge is a pretty big deal. It’s been around for 31 years, billing itself as the “longest-running dedicated spirits competition in the world.” Longevity is just a part of its prowess, however. This is an organization helmed by some of the most respected palates in all of adult beverage.

When it comes to whisky, specifically, the panel is chaired by Sir Richard Paterson—a scotch icon with more than 50 years of production experience. He is joined by names no less notable than Shinji Fukuyo, chief blender of Suntory; Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie fame; Angela D’Orazio of Compass Box; and a handful of other luminaries.

All this is to say, these are people who know whisky—and especially single malt—in a profoundly intimate and exceptional way. So I was quite eager to see what they anointed as the best scotches of 2026. Those results arrived last week in the form of five Double Gold winners across the category. And it’s safe to say that the biggest winner is Ian Macleod Distillers.

The independent, family-owned company out of Broxburn lays claim to three out of the five Double Gold medalists, including Glengoyne 12 Year Old First Fill Edition, Isle of Skye 25 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky and Rosebank Remarkable Cask Release One. The second of these is a robust blended scotch that’s an absolute bargain at $170 a bottle. The third isn’t even available on U.S. shelves. So I’m going to instead focus on the Glengoyne, which has existed as a Global Travel Retail exclusive since summer of last year.

As you can gather from the name, this is a single malt shaped by first fill casks. Nothing too out of the ordinary there; it’s fairly standard practice in the industry to use these sorts of barrels, which have only been used one time before—typically for bourbon or sherry. But in this expression, the scotch uses both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry in equal measure. And exclusively ones that have only been used once, whereas most single malts today might rely on barrels that have been used multiple times before.

The spryness of these maturation vessels imparts a marmalade glow to the liquid, orchard fruit aromas to its nose and a peppery-coconut kind of flourish to its extended, medium-bodied palate. It’s a superbly expressive style of liquid that speaks loudly of Glengoyne’s focused house style. Retailing at around $90 per one liter bottle, it’s definitely worth the added hassle of hauling it back home from the airport after your next international flight.

If you don’t have any international trips planned in the near future, however—and you can stomach a sizable price increase—Glengoyne also just released a 16-year-old single malt here in the U.S. that was aged in both sherry and Japanese Mizunara oak. Subtle incense spice and dark fruit converge in an eminently well-rounded juice that, to my palate, drinks better than just about any release from the 193-year-old malt maker. It sells for over three times the cost of its 12-year-old award-winning counterpart.

The commendable performance by Glengoyne, and Ian Macleod at large, is just the latest marquee moment for the portfolio, which has been playing from strength to strength in 2026. Just a month ago, I broke news on another of its brands, Tamdhu, taking home the top prize at the Spirit of Speyside festival, for its 21-year-old expression.

As for the rest of the Double Golds at ISC 2026, that list is rounded out by the rich and bold Bholsa from Ardnahoe—among the youngest of Islay distilleries. It’s worth exploring its sherry-and-peat-married complexities at a suggested retail price of $65 a bottle. If you’re more of a bourbon type, Scapa 10 Year Old might be right up your alley. This $60 bottle, from the Orkney-based operation, ages entirely in ex-bourbon and flaunts notes of pineapple, caramel and cinnamon. Endearing notes to any fan of American whiskey.

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