ByBrad Japhe,
Senior Contributor.
The London Spirits Competition named Root Shoot American Single Malt the top whiskey for 2026. This 4-year-old, $42 Colorado craft spirit surprisingly scored 97 points, beating global giants like Scotch and Bourbon. Its win, based on quality, value, and marketability, significantly boosts the nascent American Single Malt category's international standing.
The London Spirits Competition convened in its namesake city earlier this spring to evaluate the best bottles on shelves in 2026 across all categories of booze. The judges, which include some of the most esteemed palates in all of the UK, sort through bottles and award a score out of 100 based upon their respective quality, value and “what they look like.”
As opposed to other judgings out there, LSC finds separation by taking marketability into account. In its own words: it singles out and shines the spotlight on those spirits brands that consumers really want to buy and have a clear market value for trade buyers. And as that applies to whiskey, it yielded a top-scoring bottle for 2026 that is nothing short of shocking.
