100 Years On - KWV Brandy Takes the Top Two Scores at the 2026 IWSC South Africa Judging

All nine KWV entries earned medals, with the producer securing the judging's only Gold Outstanding and half of all Gold medals awarded to spirits.

One hundred years after producing its first brandy in 1926, KWV has secured the two highest scores at the 2026 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) South Africa spirits judging, including the only Gold Outstanding awarded across the competition.

All nine KWV brandies entered earned medals. The result included one Gold Outstanding, five Gold medals and three Silver medals, spanning the KWV 3 Year Old Brandy through to the KWV XXO Potstill 20 Year Old Brandy.

Only ten Gold medals and one Gold Outstanding were awarded at the spirits judging. KWV received five of those Gold medals as well as the sole Gold Outstanding, placing the producer at the top of the 2026 results.

Leading the range was the KWV XO Cellar Reserve Potstill 10 Year Old Brandy, which scored 98 points and received Gold Outstanding. The IWSC judges praised its rounded profile of raisins, toffee apple, dried fruit, vanilla and sweet spice. The KWV XXO Potstill 20 Year Old Brandy followed with 97 points and a Gold medal, while four further KWV expressions each scored 95 points and received Gold.

The results arrive in a landmark year for KWV Brandy, which marks 100 years since producing its first brandy in 1926. KWV produced its first brandy in 1926. A century later, its medal-winning entries cover a 17-year age span, placing younger, accessible expressions alongside brandies shaped by decades of maturation.

“We entered brandies with very different ages, styles and drinking occasions, so to see every one of them earn a medal is hugely rewarding,” says Pieter de Bot, KWV Master Blender. “A three-year-old brandy needs to deliver vibrancy and accessibility, while a 20-year-old expression carries the depth that comes with extended maturation. What connects them is the quality of the spirit we begin with and the care taken through maturation and blending.”

The work behind these results began long before the brandies reached the judging table. Wine selection, copper potstill distillation, maturation and blending each shape the final expression. For the oldest entries, the result reflects decisions made more than two decades ago, while the younger brandies depend on the same attention to balance and character within a shorter maturation period.

The breadth of the medal haul is what makes the showing particularly noteworthy. Nine medals across brandies ranging from three to 20 years old give KWV a fitting centenary milestone and recognise the cellar and blending teams carrying its brandy-making legacy forward.

KWV's 2026 IWSC ResultsGold Outstanding

• KWV XO Cellar Reserve Potstill 10 Year Old Brandy - 98 points

Gold

• KWV XXO Potstill 20 Year Old Brandy - 97 points
• KWV VS Signature Release Brandy - 95 points
• KWV VSOP Signature Release Brandy - 95 points
• KWV Twelve Barrel Select 12 Year Old Brandy - 95 points
• KWV Pot Still 10 Year Old Brandy - 95 points

Silver

• KWV Alambic Blend Pot Still 15 Years - 93 points
• KWV 5 Year Old Brandy - 93 points
• KWV 3 Year Old Brandy - 93 points

About the 2026 IWSC South Africa spirits judging

The 2026 IWSC South Africa spirits judging assessed spirits from across Africa. The expert panel comprised Dr Winnie Bowman, Shane Mumba, Leah van Deventer and Rene Groenewald. The results were announced by the IWSC on 28 July 2026.

About KWV Brandy

KWV produced its first brandy in 1926. Its brandy range spans younger and long-matured expressions, created through wine selection, copper potstill distillation, maturation and blending. KWV is based in Paarl in South Africa's Western Cape.