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We have over a decade of experience writing about (and sampling) whisky. That’s an awful lot of whisky. Some years are better than others, and we’re here to tell you that 2026 is shaping up to be a great year for whisky drinkers.
We’ve taste-tested the best new whiskeys of 2026 so far – these aren’t expressions that have been sitting on the shelf, collecting dust – these are new releases from the last six months, the best of the best.
From single malt Scotch whiskies to Irish whiskeys, to bourbons, and Australian whiskies, we’ve sampled a number of memorable expressions already this year. These are whiskies that went above and beyond in aroma and taste. They’re balanced, multi-layered, and deserve a permanent spot on your home bar.
These are not mixing whiskies. Instead, they’re releases that you’ll want to savour neat, on the rocks, or with a splash or two of water to open up the aromas and flavours.
The Best New Whiskies of 2026, at a Glance
| Whisky / Whiskey | Origin | ABV | Key Cask Type | Est. Price (AUD) |
| Lark Ruby Abyss (No. 285) | Australia | 43.8% | 100yr Seppeltsfield Port & Sherry | $400 |
| Booker’s “The Big Easy” | USA | 64.55% | New Charred American Oak | $185 – $210* |
| Two Stacks Double Barrel | Ireland | 43.0% | Ex-Bourbon & Oloroso Sherry | $99 |
| Archie Rose Single Cask #3 | Australia | 50.0% | Australian Fortified Apera | $349 |
| Lagavulin 11yr Sweet Peat | Scotland | 43.0% | 1st-Fill American Oak Bourbon | $145 – $165* |
| High West Cask Strength | USA | 58.5% | Blend of 7 Sourced Bourbons | $299 |
| Redbreast Moscatel Cask | Ireland | 46.0% | Sherry & Spanish Moscatel | $180 – $210* |
1. Lark Ruby Abyss Single Malt Whisky
Also called Lark Distillery Ruby Abyss No. 285, this Tasmanian-made single malt whisky is one of the best of the year so far. It’s not your average single malt whisky, as the unique ageing vessels will let you know.
If you enjoy single malt whiskies, you’re going to want to seek this one out to add to your home bar cart. We’ve had the pleasure of trying out the full Lark Signature collection in the Man of Many office, and can confirm the award-winning distillery is ready to make its mark on the whisky world.
Pro tip: If you want a truly indulgent experience, pour a few drops of Ruby Abyss onto a fresh Sydney Rock oyster – you won’t regret it.
Lark Ruby Abyss Key Stats
- Price: From AUD$400.
- ABV: 43.8%
- Cask type: Matured exclusively in first-fill vintage Seppeltsfield Tawny Port and Australian apera casks.
- Nose: Orchard fruits, sticky toffee pudding, dried cherries, toasted vanilla beans, gentle smoke, salted caramel, and raisins.
- Taste: Dark chocolate, raspberry jam, caramelised sugar, butter cookies, and rich peaty smoke.
- Finish: Long, warm, and ends with a mix of candied orange peels, vanilla beans, and wine esters
Who is Lark Ruby Abyss for?
- Key feature: This is an inaugural release in the LARK Super Luxury range. One of the ageing vessels is a 100-year-old Australian Port reserve cask.
- Best for: Drinkers with a little extra money to spend on a flavourful, unique bottle they’ll want to share with friends and family.
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2. Booker’s Bourbon “The Big Easy” Batch
James B. Beam Distilling launches four new Booker’s Bourbon batches per year. Released in March of 2026, Booker’s Bourbon “The Big Easy” Batch begins with a mash bill of 77% corn, 13% rye, and 10% malted barley.
This Kentucky straight bourbon is bottled at a cask strength of 129.1-proof. The name is a reference to the late Booker Noe’s affinity for the city of New Orleans.
Booker’s Bourbon “The Big Easy” Key Stats
- Price: from AUD$150
- ABV: 64.55%
- Cask type: This batch of Booker’s Bourbon was matured for 7 years, 2 months, and 15 days in new, charred American oak barrels.
- Nose: Candied nuts, toasted vanilla beans, caramelised sugar, pipe tobacco, and cinnamon candy.
- Taste: Dried cherries, chocolate fudge, molasses cookies, salted caramel, peppery rye, baking spices, and charred oak.
- Finish: Long, lingering, warm, and ends with a dry mix of charred oak, sticky toffee pudding, and wintry spices.
Who is Booker’s Bourbon “The Big Easy” For?
- Key feature: Booker’s Bourbon is well-known for its high-proof, spicy flavour profile. It’s known for its uncut, unfiltered, unabashed flavour.
- Best for: As a big, bold, spicy cask strength bourbon, Booker’s is best enjoyed by drinkers who prefer their spirits neat or with a splash or two of water to open up the aromas.
3. Two Stacks Double Barrel Single Grain Irish Whiskey
2026 has been a great year for Irish whiskey so far. Two Stacks Double Barrel Single Grain Irish Whiskey is a good example of this. Featuring a mash bill of 94% corn and 6% Irish-grown malted barley, it’s distilled in column stills before maturation and finishing. The result is a complex 86-proof expression that you’ll want to add to your home bar.
Two Stacks Double Barrel Single Grain Irish Whiskey Key Stats
- Price: from AUD$99
- ABV: 43%
- Cask type: The name “Double Barrel” refers to this Irish whiskey being matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in Oloroso sherry casks.
- Nose: Apricots, rose petals, clover honey, caramelised sugar, orchard fruits, and charred oaky wood.
- Taste: Cracked black pepper, dried cherries, creamy chocolate fudge, caramel apples, brown sugar, oak, and cinnamon sugar.
- Finish: Medium, warm, and ends with chocolate-covered raisins, oak, and toasted vanilla beans.
Who is Two Stacks Double Barrel for?
- Key feature: The high corn content makes this whiskey feel more like a classic Kentucky straight bourbon than an Irish whiskey. That’s not necessarily a terrible thing.
- Best for: If you’re a fan of sweeter, corn whiskeys, you’re going to love this new expression from Two Stacks.
4. Archie Rose Single Cask Whisky Batch No. 3: Six-Year-Old Single Malt
The brand’s flagship single malt, the 2026 release of Archie Rose Six-Year-Old Single Malt, is produced in Sydney, Australia and features a mash bill of pale malt, amber malt, caramel malt, roasted malt, chocolate malt, and peated malt.
Archie Rose Single Cask Whisky Batch No. 3: Six-Year-Old Single Malt Key Stats
- Price: from AUD$349
- ABV: 50%
- Cask type: It’s matured for a minimum of 6 years in Australian fortified apera wine casks.
- Nose: Spearmint candy, berry preserves, bitter dark chocolate, oak, and caramel candy.
- Taste: Candied pecans, maple candy, dried fruits, chocolate fudge, toasted vanilla beans, and oak.
- Finish: Long, lingering, warm, and finishes with notes of sweet wine, vanilla cookies, caramelised sugar, fresh brewed coffee, baking spices, and just a hint of smoke.
Who is Archie Rose Batch No. 3 for?
- Key feature: While many single malt whiskies are finished or matured in sherry-seasoned barrels, this unique expression is aged in Australian apera fortified wine barrels.
- Best for: Single malt whisky drinkers (Scotch or otherwise) who prefer their whiskies matured in sherry casks will love this nuanced, complex expression.
5. Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat
There are few peated whisky distilleries more well-known than Lagavulin. Located on the legendary Scottish Inner Hebrides island of Islay, the brand’s newest release is the aptly named Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat. Released this year, it has already won numerous awards.
Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Key Stats
- Price: from AUD$110
- ABV: 43%
- Cask type: Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat is matured for a minimum of 11 years in barrels that previously held bourbon.
- Nose: Caramel apples, toasted marshmallows, candied orange peels, sticky toffee pudding, baking spices, and gentle peat smoke.
- Taste: Salted caramel, clover honey, dried cherries, berry jam, toasted vanilla beans, and robust campfire smoke.
- Finish: Lingering, long, warm, and ends with peppery rye, orange peels, butterscotch candy, and rich peat smoke.
Who is Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat for?
- Key feature: The distillers at Lagavulin specifically chose ex-bourbon barrels for the fill maturation process to add caramel corn sweetness to the familiar peaty smoke aroma and flavour.
- Best for: Whisky drinkers looking for a gateway into the world of peated single malt whisky will love this sweet, smoky whisky.
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6. High West Cask Strength Bourbon
To say that High West Cask Strength Bourbon is complicated is an understatement. This new non-chill-filtered release is a blend of straight bourbons made with a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.
High West Cask Strength Bourbon Key Stats
- Price: from AUD$299
- ABV: 58.5% ABV
- Cask type: High West Cask Strength Bourbon is a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys that are matured between 6 and 20 years in new charred American white oak barrels.
- Nose: Candied nuts, toffee apples, candied orange peels, cinnamon sugar, vanilla beans, and baking spices.
- Taste: Caramelised sugar, orchard fruits, orange zest, dried fruits, butterscotch candy, cinnamon, herbal tea, light spices, and charred oak.
- Finish: Dry, warm, and filled with flavours like cocoa powder, pipe tobacco, vanilla, cracked black pepper, and oak.
Who is High West Cask Strength Bourbon for?
- Key feature: This is a blended bourbon made from whiskeys matured for up to 2 decades in three different US states.
- Best for: This multi-layered expression is a great start for drinkers looking to get into bourbon whiskey. With its marriage of different ages from different states, it’s a great gateway bourbon.
7. Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask Irish Whiskey
Redbreast is a big name in the world of Irish whiskey. Recently, it launched Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask, made from 100% Irish grown barley (malted and unmalted) and water from the Dungourney River. Triple-distilled in copper pot stills at the Midleton Distillery before being matured and finished in a combination of unique barrels, this single pot whisky deserves a spot on your home bar.
Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask Irish Whiskey Key Stats
- Price: from AUD$160
- ABV: 46%
- Cask type: This sublime Irish whiskey is first aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks sourced from Jerez, Spain. It’s then finished for an extra 16 months in Spanish Moscatel wine casks.
- Nose: toffee apples, orange zest, dried fruits, ginger candy, toasted marshmallows, and vanilla beans.
- Taste: Candied orange peels, almond cookies, caramel, toasted vanilla beans, raisins, cracked black pepper, and oak.
- Finish: Long and warming with dried apricots, sweet sherry, and a lingering touch of festive spice.
Who is Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask Irish Whiskey for?
- Key feature: The combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels adds a caramel corn sweetness and dried cherry and sweet sherry flavour. The Moscatel finishing adds wine esters.
- Best for: Drinkers who enjoy sherried single malt Scotch whiskies will love this Irish whiskey take on the ageing style.
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