Old Bushmills Irish Whiskey has won seven gold awards in ‘the world’s leading and most trusted spirits competition’ – all crafted under the supervision of Ballymoney master blender Alex Thomas.

There was a gold medal too for The Sexton, another premium Irish whiskey distilled at Bushmills. The Sexton won an influential award for its 11-year old single malt, now among the top selling Irish whiskeys in the US, still the world’s biggest market for the golden spirit.

The Co Antrim distillery, now run by New Jersey-based Proximo Spirits, was one of the big Irish Whiskey winners in the prestigious International Spirits Challenge 2026 (ISC) annual competition. Old Bushmills, in addition, gained a silver award for its 12- year-old single malt.

Master Blender Alex is now among the most internationally respected personalities in whiskey production. She joined the historic, 400-year-old company in 2004 and was appointed to her current role in 2021.

The winning whiskeys have been crafted at the distillery under the supervision of Master Blender Alex Thomas, originally from nearby at Ballymoney, now among the most internationally respected personalities in whiskey production.

placeholder image — The winning whiskeys have been crafted at the distillery under the supervision of Master Blender Alex Thomas, originally from nearby at Ballymoney, now among the most internationally respected personalities in whiskey production.

She originally developed The Sexton as Master Blender before also taking on the same role for Old Bushmills. Old Bushmills was the only Northern Ireland winner in the whiskey awards.

The golds for Old Bushmills include a 21-year-old single malt; a 14-year-old single malt; a 12-year-old single malt; a 16-year-old single malt and Black Bush premium blend; and Black Bush PX.

Among Northern Ireland’s top exporters and best-known brand, Old Bushmills is now the third best-selling and third largest Irish whiskey brand in the world, producing over 13 million bottles annually of a range of premium single malts. Often credited as the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery – dating back to 1608 - the company has seen massive global expansion, particularly in non-EU markets, under Proximal.

ISC is one of the most prestigious competitions in the global drinks industry. The competition’s impressive global reputation is defined by a rigorous and independent judging process that consistently champions the highest standards across spirits and packaging design.

Each year, the competition receives thousands of entries from more than 70 countries, which helps to cement “the ISC’s status as a truly global

celebration of quality and craftsmanship”.

The latest awards were announced as Bushmills also revealed the first redesign of its Black Bush bottle in almost two decades.