Hebridean Whisky Festival Announces 2026 Lineup

HEBRIDES, SCOTLAND – The Hebridean Whisky Trail is proud to announce the return of the Hebridean Whisky Festival, taking place from 5–12 September 2026. Marking its fifth year, this annual island-hopping adventure continues to offer a world-class exploration of Scotland’s established and new maritime distillery locations.

The 2026 festival links multiple island distilleries through a week-long programme of open days, exclusive tastings, masterclasses, and guided tours. Beyond the dram, visitors will experience the heart of island life through live music, traditional ceilidhs, local food, and Gaelic culture. An annual highlight for staff and visitors alike, this festival is an opportunity to enjoy the best of the Hebrides on a wild and beautiful whisky adventure.

2026 Festival Calendar

The trail winds through the Inner and Outer Hebrides, culminating in a grand finale with all distilleries present at the Isle of Raasay:

● 5 Sept: North Uist Distillery Day
● 6 Sept: Tobermory Distillery Day
● 6–7 Sept: Benbecula Distillery Day
● 7–11 Sept: Celebrations at Torabhaig Distillery
● 8 Sept: Isle of Harris Distillery Day
● 10 Sept: Isle of Tiree Distillery Day
● 11 Sept: Talisker Distillery Day
● 12 Sept: Festival Finale at Isle of Raasay Distillery

The Festival Finale

The Festival Finale will be hosted this year by the Isle of Raasay Distillery, named Visitor Attraction of the Year at the World Whiskies Awards 2026. In addition to the many activities on offer that day, including a special festival bottling, special tours and tastings, a unique whisky blending session, and interactive cocktail experiences, Raasay Distillery will be joined by the other members of the Hebridean Whisky Trail. Bringing together spirits from as far away as Tiree, this is an eagerly anticipated event, and tickets are expected to sell out quickly. Tickets go on sale Saturday, September 20 at 7pm. Full information and tickets can be found on the Hebridean Whisky Trail website at https://hebrideanwhisky.com

A Growing Celebration

This year’s festival is set to be the most ambitious yet, bolstered by support from VisitScotland. This funding will enable the festival to reach a wider audience, develop exclusive festival merchandise, and create a formal sponsorship programme.

Rebecca Edser, Head of Events at VisitScotland, said: “Scotland is an exciting year‑round destination, with every season and region offering something distinctive to enjoy. Whisky remains a powerful draw for attendees and combining that with the stunning landscapes and unique local spirit of the Hebrides creates something truly special.

“Supported through our National Events Programme, the Hebridean Whisky Festival is an important part of Scotland’s diverse events landscape, bringing communities and visitors together to share memorable experiences.

“By helping organisers deliver high‑quality, well‑designed events, we support positive impacts for local communities and the wider visitor economy. It is wonderful to see the festival return this year as a standout fixture in Scotland’s events calendar.”

The investment also allows the festival to extend a warm invitation to groups, such as international whisky clubs and travel organisations, further cementing the Hebrides as a premier destination for luxury and cultural tourism.

Interested parties are encouraged to get in touch with the Hebridean Whisky Trail development manager Cindy Campbell, cindy.campbell@hebrideanwhisky.com.

Join the Adventure

Whisky enthusiasts and travelers are encouraged to mark their calendars for this unique maritime journey. While tickets will be released in the coming weeks, organisers promise an immersive experience that captures the true spirit of the islands.

To be the first to receive updates on the full programme and ticket releases, subscribe to the official newsletter at hebrideanwhisky.com.

● The Hebridean Whisky Trail is a collaboration of eight single malt Scotch whisky distilleries in the Hebrides, including Talisker, Torabhaig, Isle of Raasay Distillery, Isle of Harris Distillery, North Uist Distillery, Benbecula Distillery, Isle of Tiree Distillery and Tobermory Distillery.
● Festival Dates: 5–12 September 2026, across the Hebrides.
● Festival Finale: Saturday, 12 September 2026 at Isle of Raasay Distillery.

Prophecy Wins Silver Medal

We’re thrilled to share that Prophecy has been awarded a Silver Medal for Taste at the International Spirits Challenge. Sampled blindly by a group of industry expert judges, our spirit was graded on the taste experience alone.

This recognition celebrates the craftsmanship, character, and flavour profile that define Prophecy, and our vision for future Benbecula whisky.

To our members, cask owners, and supporters: thank you for being part of the journey. Your belief in what we’re building has helped shape this milestone in our distillery’s foundation.

Prophecy was created to deliver a glimpse into the future of Benbecula, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see our vision recognised on the international stage.

Whether you’ve followed us from the beginning or discovered Prophecy more recently, we’re raising a dram to you today.

EXPLORE PROPHECY

Happy 4th of July to our friends in the United States of America!

Kentucky Senator Bourbon and Louisiana Senator Bourbon Earn Top Honors at 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 2026 ASCOT Awards

LEXINGTON, KY – June 2026 – Kentucky Senator Spirits, LLC announced Kentucky Senator Bourbon and Louisiana Senator Bourbon expressions have received multiple prestigious awards from two of the industry’s most respected competitions, further cementing the brands’ reputations for excellence in the American whiskey category. These honors reflect the unwavering commitment to quality and craftsmanship that co-founders Damon Thayer and Andre Regard have built into every bottle.

Jim Bunning Release – 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold, 96 Points

The Jim Bunning Release, Kentucky Senator Bourbon’s seventh small-batch expression, earned a Double Gold Medal and a score of 96 points at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), one of the most prestigious spirits competitions in the world. The Double Gold distinction is awarded only to spirits that receive a Gold Medal from every judge on the panel, representing the highest recognition the competition confers. For an eight-and-a-half-year, 107-proof small-batch bourbon to earn unanimous Gold from an elite judging panel is a testament to the depth, complexity, and character that defines Kentucky Senator Bourbon.

John Edwards Release – 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Silver Medal and 2026 ASCOT Double Platinum Award

The John Edwards Release earned recognition at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, receiving a Silver Medal. This is a strong commendation from a panel of judges that evaluated hundreds of spirits across all categories, and a further confirmation that Kentucky Senator Bourbon consistently performs at the highest level of American whiskey craft.

Additionally, the John Edwards Release was named a 2026 ASCOT Double Platinum Award Winner. The ASCOT Awards (American Spirits Council of Tasters), founded by spirits expert Fred Minnick, represent one of the most rigorous evaluation processes in the domestic spirits industry. Spirits are judged blind on a 100-point scale, and a Double Platinum designation is reserved for spirits scoring between 95 and 100 points.

Huey P. Long Release – 2026 ASCOT Platinum Award Winner

Louisiana Senator Bourbon Huey P. Long Release earned a 2026 ASCOT Platinum Award. This distinction is achieved through blind evaluation on a 100-point scale by a panel of industry experts, and a Platinum designation is reserved for spirits scoring between 90 and 94 points. This recognition places the Huey P. Long Release among the most celebrated small-batch bourbons.

About Kentucky Senator Bourbon

Kentucky Senator Bourbon is an award-winning small-batch Bourbon brand committed to crafting exceptional spirits with a side of American history. Each limited-edition release is named after a U.S. Senator and represents a blend of tradition, character and U.S. heritage; it is distilled and aged in Kentucky for at least six years (the same length as a U.S. senate term), but often longer.

Founded by Andre Regard and Damon Thayer, Kentucky Senator Bourbon revives a historic brand once produced by Crigler and Crigler in Covington and later Double Springs Distillers in Bardstown. The brand launched its first revival release in 2021 and has since become known for producing richly aged, 107-proof Bourbon expressions that connect past and present.

Awards & Recognition

• • Kentucky Senator Bourbon’s inaugural release, the Alben W. Barkley Release, was highlighted in Forbes’ Online Magazine 
  • Fred Minnick, a noted Bourbon author, ranked Kentucky Senator Bourbon in his Top 100 Whiskeys of 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025
  • Kentucky Senator Bourbon has won multiple Gold ASCOT Awards for taste and a Double Platinum ASCOT Award for marketing and brand design
  • Kentucky Senator Bourbon recently won its first Double Gold medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its 2024 John Brown release

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TMF DISTILLERY VISITS

We’ve teamed up with John Kennedy Transport to provide a bus service to and from our distillery all weekend.

Rather than a formal tour, the doors to the Distillery will be open, with our staff and Distillery Founders available to answer any questions you may have.

Our Distillery Shop and Bar will be open for drinks and merchandise sales with fantastic views across Balephuil Bay towards Skerryvore Lighthouse.

The perfect opportunity to visit another part of Tiree while attending the festival!

Book a Distillery Visit

Tickets and more information

If you are as excited as us and what to get relaxed in May this year, you can find all you want to know and tickets on this site: https://events.humanitix.com/maltstock

We are looking forward to meet you there!

Tickets for Maltstock 2026 

Get relaxed now and get your Maltstock tickets here:

https://www.maltstock.com/shop

Saturday 1st August 2026

Ad Gefrin Distillery

WOOLER
NORTHUMBERLAND
NE71 6NJ

Ad Gefrin have hosted two special events per year, for the last 2 years. The Gaderung is their summer ‘gathering’ and is a celebration of the distillery, but also local food, art and culture. We are delighted that we have talked them into allowing us to bring our own brand of whisky celebration into their broader event.
So, for the Saturday 1st August, we will be hosting a special outdoor area, devoted to whisky and music, of all types, and we would love it if you can join us!

The event is free to enter, but if you want to taste whisky, you’ll need to purchase one of two advance ticket types, or turn up on the day for ‘on the day’ tickets.

We really hope you can make the journey – it is a beautiful part of the country, and getting there from Edinburgh, the Borders and Newcastle is not too difficult. And it will be worth it!

DETAILS & BOOK NOW

HAPPY CANADA DAY, eh?

LotG and Whisky Stories Podcast

@Whiskystoriespod hosted us for a podcast at Diggers Leith. If you want to hear what unfolded and a preview of our Q2 outrun there are links to the various ways listen here

Maltstock Down Under!

Something wonderful and relaxed happened in Tasmania two weeks ago! Maltstock went down under! Bob and Teun were there for the first edition and we have a small report for you below.

It was relaxed, a bit weird, but so much fun to walk around at an event roughly 17000 kilometers from home and to feel totally at home. Maltstock Down Under was a blast! It totally felt like Maltstock! People from all over Australia (and the world… we were there, Connel from Ardnamurchan, a couple of Kiwis and a guy from Texas USA) gathered in the small town of Bothwell (Tasmania). Australia’s 2nd oldest golf course was the theatre to enjoy each relaxed company, Drinks with… sessions, a blind tasting, morning walk, good food and great whisky. In other words: Maltstock!

All in all it was a big success! David Ligoff and the volunteer crew pulled of an amazing event and the dates for next year have already been set:

Maltstock Down Under 2027
To give everyone enough time to plan for next year, the date for Maltstock Down Under 2027 has been set, so save the date!
19 to 21 March 
Central Highlands, Tasmania

This event will never be huge, we will always keep it a relaxed, intimate weekend. We do know that many of you would like to bring friends & family along, and there are a few people on our waiting list that could not attend this year.  To accommodate everyone, we are looking at including a Glamping option, and for this we needed to move to a warmer month 😏.

David: “I look forward to seeing you at upcoming whisky events around the country, and maybe even at Maltstock in September in The Netherlands.”

Annette, Bob, Klaas, Stan, Teun

Maltstock Down Under 2027 tickets