A single malt from Sichuan is the Whisky Brand of the Year. That is the headline from the Spirits Business Awards 2026, and it says a lot about where whisky is heading.
The winners were crowned on Thursday 12 November at The Underglobe Theatre in London, a black-tie night with a Carnival theme supported by Angostura. Alongside Laizhou, the whisky winners include Bruichladdich’s The Laddie Rye, Archie Rose, Midleton Very Rare, independent bottler Little Brown Dog Spirits and Blender of the Year Oliver Chilton.
This guide covers every whisky-related winner, what the judges rewarded and what each win means for drinkers.
Spirits Business Awards 2026: the key facts
- Event: The Spirits Business Awards 2026
- Date: Thursday 12 November 2026
- Venue: The Underglobe Theatre, London
- Organiser: The Spirits Business magazine, chaired by editor-in-chief Melita Kiely
- Hosts: Melita Kiely with Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne (London Cocktail Week), Claire Warner (Good Measure Guild), Deano Moncrieffe (Mirror Margarita, Equal Measures) and Dawn Davies MW (The Whisky Exchange)
- Award areas: Retail & Marketing, Sustainability & Innovation, Culture & Tourism, Products & Brands, People
What are the Spirits Business Awards?
The Spirits Business Awards are run by The Spirits Business, the London-based trade magazine behind the Global Spirits Masters blind-tasting competitions. Unlike the Masters, which hand out medals to liquids, these awards recognise companies, brands, campaigns and people across the whole drinks trade.
Launched in 2019, the awards are judged by the magazine’s editorial team together with independent experts. For 2026 the line-up grew, with a new Training Initiative award and separate UK and global categories for Bar of the Year and Bartender of the Year.
The full results span gin, agave, rum and bars as well. Here we focus on the winners that matter most to whisky drinkers.
Whisky Brand of the Year 2026: Laizhou
Laizhou took Whisky Brand of the Year, and it is the most significant result of the night. To what the distillery is achieving in China, its attention to detail and the quality of the whisky released so far.
If Laizhou is new to you, the scale is the first thing to understand. The distillery sits in Qionglai, near Chengdu in Sichuan, a province better known for baijiu. It only began operating in 2021, yet it is owned by Shanghai Bacchus Liquor (part of the Bairun group) and accounts for roughly 80% of China’s whisky production. Comparisons with Diageo’s Roseisle in Scotland are not unusual.
What makes it interesting in the glass is the cask programme. Laizhou fills bourbon, port, sherry, Rioja and huangjiu casks (huangjiu is a traditional Chinese rice wine), and it has been working with native Mongolian oak. It also runs its own cooperage. We have tried their full line up and recently a cask strength px whisky from them at whisky live in Paris.
Laizhou is already reaching drinkers outside China. Finest Select Single Malt, the core release, is listed at The Whisky Exchange in the UK at £41.90, and the range is also stocked in Australia.
Why it matters: this is the clearest sign yet that Chinese single malt has arrived on the international stage. If you collect world whisky, Laizhou belongs on your list.
Best New Product: Bruichladdich The Laddie Rye
Best New Product is one of the most competitive categories in the awards, and this year it went to The Laddie Rye from Bruichladdich. The judges called it a genuine all-rounder: excellent liquid, strong sustainability credentials and a release that sold out.
The Laddie Rye is a 7-year-old Islay single grain Scotch made from Islay-grown rye and malted barley. Bruichladdich is the only distillery on Islay producing rye whisky. Every stage, from farming to distilling, maturation and bottling, happens on the island. We visited the distillery in September this year and saw the warehouse of it and tried some stunning cask.
The first edition was bottled at 50% ABV after maturing in first-fill bourbon barrels and first-fill virgin American oak. A 2026 edition has since followed, marking the distillery’s 25th anniversary.
The Laddie Rye: the key facts
- Style: Islay single grain Scotch whisky (rye and malted barley)
- Age: 7 years
- ABV: 50% (100 proof)
- Casks: first-fill bourbon barrels and first-fill virgin American oak (first edition)
- Price: $59.99 (750ml)
- Availability: US only, selected specialist retailers and us.bruichladdich.com
Why it matters: rye is a rotation crop that improves soil health, so The Laddie Rye is as much a farming project as a whisky. The award confirms that Scotch rye is no longer a curiosity. The catch for international readers is availability: so far it has only been released in the United States.
Blender of the Year 2026: Oliver Chilton
Oliver Chilton is Blender of the Year. The judges highlighted more than a decade of work reshaping existing whisky ranges, relaunching updated releases and building maturation programmes for both whisky and rum. Today he oversees the blending and bottling of more than 200 products across seven brands.
Chilton is best known as Head Blender at Elixir Distillers, the company behind Port Askaig, Elements of Islay and Single Malts of Scotland, as well as Black Tot Rum. He started out in the whisky shop across the street from the café where he worked as a barista, and has stayed in whisky ever since. We have tried a lot of the whisky from Oliver and Elixir distillers. Some of the core range bottles, their Macbeth series with is a unique series of bottles with a wonderful story to them.
Why it matters: blenders at independent bottlers rarely get this kind of public recognition. The award is a good reminder of how much skill goes into a consistent independent range.
Innovation in Production: Archie Rose Distilling Co
Sydney’s Archie Rose won Innovation in Production. The judges were impressed by its distillation methodology, its own approach to smoky flavour and its ability to scale experiments up into commercial releases.
Archie Rose was founded by Will Edwards in 2014. Its whisky is built on what the distillery calls an “individual malt stream” process, which it patented in 2020. Instead of peat, much of its smoke comes from native Australian woods such as stringybark and red gum, and a recent Smoked Cask Series went further by smoking the casks themselves with wattleseed, juniper and cinnamon.
Why it matters: this is a distillery building a style of smoke that is distinctly Australian. It is also moving into age statements, with its first six-year-old single malt released earlier this year.
Innovation in Packaging: Midleton Very Rare
Midleton Very Rare took Innovation in Packaging. The judges praised packaging that is fully recyclable but still looks and feels like Midleton Very Rare, and they suggested it could serve as a template for other producers.
Irish Distillers first replaced the wooden cabinet with a recyclable paper box for the 2023 vintage. For the 2026 Vintage the box goes one step further, removing the magnetic closures in favour of a fully recyclable paper design. Midleton is a distillery we have on the bucket list to visit.
Why it matters: luxury whiskey has long relied on heavy wooden boxes and mixed materials. This win shows that a top-end annual release can cut waste without losing its sense of occasion.
Spirits Bottler of the Year: Little Brown Dog Spirits
Little Brown Dog Spirits won Spirits Bottler of the Year. The judges described the company as fun, playful and creative, and also pointed to impressive sales growth, much of it down to its evidence-based approach to whisky.
Little Brown Dog is an independent bottler and micro-distillery based at Fetternear in Aberdeenshire, founded in 2018 by Andrew Smith and Chris Reid. Its small-batch releases, which regularly sell out within weeks, have built a loyal following among collectors.
Why it matters: for a young independent bottler, winning a global trade award is a big step. Expect even more demand for the next batch.
The retailers: The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt
Two of the best-known names in online whisky retail took the retail categories.
The Whisky Exchange is Spirits Retailer of the Year (Specialist). The judges rewarded its work on spirits education and new customer loyalty initiatives, alongside a range that remains broad and well curated.
Master of Malt is E-Commerce Spirits Retailer of the Year. The judges singled out its ability to run a large operation while keeping tasting opportunities, fast delivery and plenty of personality.
Why it matters: both retailers ship to many countries, and for international whisky drinkers they are often the first place to find releases like Laizhou or the latest independent bottlings.
Best Event of the Year: The Whisky Event
The Whisky Event won Best Event of the Year. The judges highlighted its popular flavour zone, a buffet guests rave about, a very wide whisky selection and a 71% return rate among attendees. We really enjoyed our time there again this year. Fantastic range of whisky from the brands and a stunning food parring setup with it too.
Why it matters: in a busy festival calendar, getting seven in ten guests to come back is a strong vote of confidence from the people who matter most.
The people behind the stories: May Fox and Kate Dingwall
Two more winners shape how whisky reaches readers and drinkers.
May Fox Communications is Best Spirits PR Company 2026. Fantastic PR agency with lots of good PR event for the brands.
Kate Dingwall won The Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year award.
What the Spirits Business Awards 2026 tell us about whisky
Read together, the winners paint a clear picture. World whisky has moved from the margins to the main stage, with Chinese single malt and Australian smoked whisky both taking top honours. Scotch is innovating at the grain level, with an Islay rye named the best new product of the year. Sustainability now sits at the heart of luxury, with Midleton Very Rare proving that a recyclable box can still feel special.
For drinkers, the practical takeaway is simple. Laizhou and Archie Rose are worth seeking out at international retailers, and if you are in the US, The Laddie Rye deserves a place on your shelf.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Spirits Business Awards? The Spirits Business Awards are an annual trade awards programme run by The Spirits Business magazine in London. Launched in 2019, they recognise brands, products, companies and people across five areas: Retail & Marketing, Sustainability & Innovation, Culture & Tourism, Products & Brands, and People. Judging is carried out by the magazine’s editorial team together with independent experts.
When and where were the Spirits Business Awards 2026 held? The Spirits Business Awards 2026 were held on Thursday 12 November 2026 at The Underglobe Theatre in London. It was a black-tie ceremony with a Carnival theme supported by Angostura rum, co-hosted by editor-in-chief Melita Kiely and five industry figures, including Dawn Davies MW of The Whisky Exchange.
Who won Whisky Brand of the Year 2026? Laizhou, a single malt distillery in Qionglai, Sichuan, China, won Whisky Brand of the Year at the Spirits Business Awards 2026. Founded in 2021, it is China’s largest whisky producer and works with an unusually wide range of casks, including huangjiu rice wine casks and native Mongolian oak.
What is The Laddie Rye? The Laddie Rye is a 7-year-old Islay single grain Scotch whisky from Bruichladdich, made from Islay-grown rye and malted barley and bottled at 50% ABV. It won Best New Product at the Spirits Business Awards 2026. It is currently available only in the United States, priced at $59.99 for a 750ml bottle.
Who is Blender of the Year 2026? Oliver Chilton was named Blender of the Year at the Spirits Business Awards 2026. Best known as Head Blender at Elixir Distillers, the company behind Port Askaig, Elements of Islay, Single Malts of Scotland and Black Tot Rum, he manages the blending and bottling of more than 200 products across seven brands.
Which whisky retailers won at the Spirits Business Awards 2026? The Whisky Exchange won Spirits Retailer of the Year (Specialist), recognised for its spirits education and customer loyalty work. Master of Malt won E-Commerce Spirits Retailer of the Year for its large-scale operation, fast delivery and tasting opportunities. Both retailers ship whisky to customers in many countries.
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