4 of the Best Islay Single Malts for 2026

One of the best things about Scotland’s different whisky regions, is the fact that the ingredients, terroir, and production methods in each region produce such different whiskies. Remember, at the start of its journey, whisky is simply made up of three ingredients: Water, barley, and yeast. I find this quite remarkable.

While each region produces such uniquely tasting drams, anybody who has tried a proper peated whisky will tell you that Islay malts are almost certainly the most unique and distinguishable of all.

When you think of historic whisky that is quintessentially Scottish, Islay is the region that comes to mind. Renowned for its coastal notes, earthy, medicinal undertones, and the use of peated barley, Islay whisky is a law-unto-itself, and take it from someone who knows, that’s no bad thing.

Recently, the World Whisky Awards looked at some of the best single malts from across Scotland’s different whisky regions. For today’s piece, I thought we’d focus on Islay.

Here are 4 of the best Islay single malts for 2026.

Smokehead Terminado Tequlia Cask Finish

Smokehead whisky has divided opinions in the whisky community over the years. Some consider it too gimmick-y and over-the-top, whereas others are big fans. Well, they must be doing something right, because they were recently awarded Gold at the 2026 World Whisky Awards.

While it is Ian Macleod Distillers that own and bottle this brand, the distillery responsible for producing this exquisite liquid gold is not yet known. I quite like this, as it gives the whisky a brooding and mysterious aura, which ties in wonderfully to the skull branding sitting prominently and ominously on the front of each bottle.

Smokehead, which was established back in 2006, like to let the flavours do the talking with their whisky. They want each release to be judged individually, rather than just the brand. Considering this release bagged them gold, it’s safe to say they certainly managed that.

While this is still a strongly peated Islay single malt whisky, it is of course the casks that make the difference here. The whisky begins its life in ex-bourbon casks – no surprises there. It is then transferred over to barrels that one held Mexican tequila. This non-age statement whisky is bottled at 43% and features gentle peat and maritime notes, coupled with citrus fruit, spicy oak, vanilla, dried fruits, and bonfire embers.

Bowmore 21 Years Old Sherry Cask Finish

Islay is an island steeped in ancient history and tradition, so naturally, one of the island’s oldest distilleries is going to attract a lot of attention.

Bowmore Distillery was founded back in 1779, and despite making a few modern tweaks along the centuries, they still like to do things the old-fashioned way. In fact, they’re one of only a select few distilleries in Scotland to utilise traditional floor maltings, which as you probably know, is an integral part of Islay whisky production.

Unlike many other distilleries on Islay, Bowmore like to use peat sparingly and subtly. They like the smoke to be there, but they want the drinkers to have to search for it and be taken on a gastronomic adventure as they do so.

Needless to say, the peat is present in this dram, but it is extremely subtle. To create this dram, Bowmore matured this 21-year-old whisky in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, before a finishing period in first-fill Pedro Ximenez (PX) casks to really impart those spicy, woody, nutty, fruity sherry notes that work so incredibly well with whisky.

This dram was recently named World’s Best Single Malt, and Best Scotch Islay Single Malt, so you can already tell it’s going to be special. It features prominent sweet, fruity, sherry notes, balanced with a medicinal undertone and a nutty finish, with a gentle kiss of smoke right at the end.

Ardbeg Wee Beastie

Surprised I’ve gone this long talking about Islay single malts, without mentioning Ardbeg? Don’t worry, because that’s about to change as I chat about this award-winning dram.

Ardbeg whisky is renowned for its strong peat smoke flavour, and this 5-year-old Wee Beastie is a prime example of this. it’s intense, it’s raw, it’s smoky, it’s briny, it’s earthy, and it’s everything you would expect an Islay single malt to be, and more besides.

The malt, which is sourced from Port Ellen Maltings, is peated to roughly 50 ppm (parts per million, making it very intense on the smoke. Just for reference, a fairly moderately peated whisky would come in at around 15 ppm. It also undergoes a longer fermentation period to really help concentrate those flavours and bring everything to life.

It is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. The idea here is to have the casks impart subtle flavours, rather than influence the final product. That has clearly worked as it is very peat forward, almost creosote-like, on the nose, palate, and finish. The smokiness, however, works exceptionally well with the sweet and fruity notes of golden syrup sponge pudding, stewed apples, instant custard, salted caramel, spiced oak, and subtle nuttiness you enjoy on the palate and finish.

Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Finally, despite two more expressions from Ardbeg also coming out on top at the awards, there’s another dram I want to talk about today, and as I’m only reviewing four, I’m going to focus on this one to finish.

Ben Bracken also bagged gold at the awards and is very different to the other whiskies on my list today. This is actually an own-label whisky sold via Lidl GB of all places, for around twenty quid a bottle!

The whisky, which has production links with Whyte & Mackay, is shrouded somewhat in mystery. There is no age statement, no mention of cask finish, no mention of distillery, and even no mention of ppm to indicate how heavily peated it is. Despite all of this however, for a budget-friendly Islay malt, it more than does the job.

While a budget-friendly supermarket release is not realistically going to be better than a Bowmore or Ardbeg expression, the fact is, it won gold so the judges obviously deemed it worthy of such an accolade. Bottled at 40% ABV, you can expect medicinal TCP-esque notes, harmonised with sweet honey, toffee, and vanilla, tropical fruits, and earthy, peaty, smoky undertones.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.

Tags: Islay Single MaltsScotland

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.