Suntory was named Japanese Whisky Producer of the Year for the seventh year in a row; Toki and four Hibiki expressions took gold medals
Yamazaki 25 Year Old, Suntory's single malt, won the trophy, the top honor, in the Japanese whisky category at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2026, one of the best-known spirits competitions in the industry. Suntory Spirits was also named Japanese Whisky Producer of the Year, for the seventh year in a row. The results were announced by Suntory Global Spirits in a press release on October 7.
It is the fourth consecutive year that a Yamazaki has taken the category trophy: the 25 Year Old in 2023, the 12 Year Old in 2024, the 18 Year Old in 2025 and the 25 Year Old again now. According to the company, Yamazaki was also the first brand to win the ISC's Supreme Champion Spirit award three years running, from 2023 to 2025.
Two single malts from the Hakushu distillery received double gold: the Peated Malt 18 Year Old and the 25 Year Old. Another 19 whiskies from the house won gold. Among them are Suntory Whisky Toki, the brand's entry-level blend, Kakubin and three Hibiki expressions: 12, 21 and 30 years old, plus the Hibiki 100 Years Anniversary Blend. The list also includes Yamazaki 12 and 18, Hakushu 12 and 18, and two Yamazaki editions aged in Japanese Mizunara oak, at 18 and 25 years old. Hibiki Japanese Harmony and The Chita, which are in the Bebidário catalog, do not appear on the list of winners released by the company.
Yamazaki 25 Year Old was launched in 1999 and reformulated in 2021. In the release, Suntory describes an amber whisky with a smoky Mizunara oak nose, incense, ripe persimmon and plum, a palate of sandalwood, plum and ginger, and a long, smoky, lightly sweet finish. The release does not say how many samples the ISC judged this year.
The Yamazaki distillery was Japan's first malt whisky distillery, founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923, according to the company. His son, Keizo Saji, later founded the Hakushu and Chita distilleries. Suntory's chief blender, Shinji Fukuyo, said in the release that the award is profoundly meaningful for the whole team.
Sources: Suntory Global Spirits, press release via PR Newswire (October 7, 2026).
