World's Best Bourbon Whiskies: Eagle Rare 17, William Larue Weller And More Win Big At IWC 2026

The world's best Bourbons were revealed at the International Whisky Competition 2026, one of the most respected blind-tasting contests. Every whisky is evaluated without judges knowing its brand, distillery, or proof, ensuring the results are based purely on quality. A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Batch #5 claimed the coveted Best Bourbon Whisky title, while William Larue Weller 2025, Eagle Rare 17 Year Old 2025, John J. Bowman Single Barrel, and Early Times Bottled-in-Bond topped their respective bourbon categories. Check out the award-winning bottles that stood out at the IWC 2026 competition, what sets each apart, and why they're worth adding to every bourbon enthusiast's wishlist.

A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Batch #5

This year's biggest winner didn't just take Best Bourbon Whisky award. It also won the Cask Strength and Small Batch categories, scoring 94.60 points overall. Made in Virginia, the bourbon is aged at least ten years and bottled at a strong 137.6 proof, with tasting notes of candied apple, stone fruit, soft florals and a trace of smoke. It follows the previous batch, which also won top bourbon honours in 2025, making this two years in a row for the label. In the US, bottles typically sell for $90 to $130, though most are distributed through the distillery's own lottery system rather than regular retail.

William Larue Weller

This bottle won Best Wheated Bourbon, a category that swaps out rye for wheat in the mash, giving the whisky a softer, sweeter profile. It's part of Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection, an annual release that's become one of the hardest bourbons to find anywhere. Judges picked up notes of vanilla, maple, aged oak and tobacco layered over rich fruit. The official price is around $130 a bottle, but because so few are made each year, resale prices often climb into the thousands of dollars.

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old

Also part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, this bottle won in the category for bourbons aged ten years or older. It spends more than eighteen years in the barrel, longer than most bourbons on the market, and comes out with notes of leather, caramel, pepper, dark cherry and vanilla. The suggested retail price is around $100 to $120, though like the Weller, real-world prices are usually much higher due to limited supply.

John J. Bowman Single Barrel

Also produced at A Smith Bowman Distillery in Virginia, this bottle won Best Single Barrel Bourbon. Since it comes from individual barrels rather than a blend, there's some variation from bottle to bottle, but the flavour profile consistently leans toward toffee, fig, roasted almond and soft leather. It's priced more reasonably than the other winners, usually between $50 and $60 in the US.

Early Times

The most affordable bottle on this list, Early Times won Best Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, a designation that requires the whisky to be aged at least four years and bottled at exactly 100 proof under US government regulation. It offers caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, oak and a touch of spice, and proves a good bourbon doesn't need a high price tag. It typically sells for $20 to $25 for a one- litre bottle in the US.