The Global Liqueur Masters 2015 results
More often than not dismissed as a staid, old category in which innovation is in short supply, liqueurs boast an array of exciting new expressions that could add variety and colour to many a cocktail list.
A plethora of hidden gems were recognised during The Global Liqueur Masters 2015There’s a liqueur for every cocktail, and there’s a cocktail list for every trend, so naturally the scope for success in the liqueur category is vast, varied and continuously evolving. Whether using historic, obscure, age-old recipes or adventurous modern tinctures, as each generation of budding bartenders realises their potential in new and creative ways, so do liqueur brands.
This year’s Global Liqueur Masters welcomed an array of brands from across the spectrum of the sector, prompting the formation of new sub-categories, unveiling hidden gems and championing exciting new expressions from international producers – all of which led SB to ponder just how much longer the presently stagnant liqueur market can remain as such. Our independent panel, made up of David Martin, business development manager at the WSET; Nick King, new product development manager at the WSET; Richard Brierley, consultant at 31Dover.com; Adrian Batlle, head bartender of the Mandarin Hotel; Chris Edwards, owner of The Shrub and Shutter; Ruth Ball, head alchemist at Alchemist Dreams; Nagesh Balusu, bar manager at Salt Whisky Bar; and chair Kristiane Sherry, editor of The Spirits Business, gathered at Salt Whisky Bar for our blind tasting, taking care to assess each expression on its own merit within its selected sub-category – with particular consideration paid towards how each may translate into cocktails.
First to be tasted was a flight of spirit liqueurs, a new category this year for entries which are considered to be a modified example of their robust base spirit. Master of Malt 40 Year Old Speyside Whisky Liqueur claimed a Silver medal here, its “smooth, nutty, fruity” notes taking centre stage in an expression that offered a “great balance of alcohol and flavour”. Balusu noted: “The whisky comes through very well. This would be great to use in a cocktail where you don’t want to mix it with sugar, such as a Manhattan.”
A panel of expert judges tasted the full array of liqueur categories during our recent blind tasting competitionWe moved on to fruit liqueurs, one of the larger sub-categories in the market, thanks to a resurgence in traditional citrus and berry flavours – a movement prompted in part by the flavour fatigue observed in the flavoured vodka category. The heat was dominated by a selection of Professor Cornelius Ampleforth variants, which scored Silver medals all round. The Cherry Brandy flavour was celebrated for its “beautiful, full nose”, while the “elegant” Sloe Gin variant offered “a very appealing lightness”, and the Christmas Mulled Cup was praised for its depth. “Someone could pull out a really amazing festive drink from this,” observed Ball.
Rounding off the fruit sub-category was Apricot Brandy Liqueur by producer Joseph Cartron SAS – a “very well-balanced” entry with “great flavour combination – chocolatey and sweet but still predominantly apricot coming through”. Discussing a successful round, judges contemplated the future of the fruit-flavoured category. Ball said: “The fruit liqueur category is kind of muted in a sense – it’s hard to find which fruit is in there. It would be great to see more real fruit, particularly orchard fruits, although they’re difficult to do well.”
Brierley noted: “I’d love to see some British hedgerow fruits used more in liqueurs because of the purity of British fruit.” Fruity flavours extended into the next flight, coconut, where a Silver medal was awarded to stand-out expression Coco Jambo Liqueur. Despite the popularity of coconut products growing within industries such as beauty and health, the spirits sector is yet to catch on to the huge economic wave that advocates of the exotic fruit have been riding; however the expression was deemed “clean, fresh and pleasant to drink”, and judges enjoyed its “nice, light, almost floral notes”. Sherry said: “This was a really interesting flight, full of delicate flavours and genuine attempts at innovation.”
As tea-infused spirits begin to find their place on the contemporary cocktail scene, it was only right that SB introduced a tea sub-category to assess such liqueurs on the world stage. The first Gold medal of the day was awarded to the Lapsang Souchong-flavoured The Noir Fume, its “aromatic, fragrant nose” and “intense, smoky” flavour winning judge’s admiration. Batlle mused: “I love to use Lapsang Souchong in my cocktails, but I’ve never had a good liqueur before. This would work really well in Martinis – it’s not very alcoholic and the flavours of the tea are subtle.”
Nick King, product development manager at the WSET, assesses the offerings of the dayBrierley agreed: “I love the smokiness and complexity – it transports you to the East.” The Rooibos was also well-received, scoring a Silver medal along with praise for its balance and innovation. Brierley added: “On the whole, tea is a cue-to-watch kind of category. It’s definitely going in the right direction.”
After a successful tea flight, the judges pressed on to savoury – the most divisive round of the competition. Savoury cocktails have been a key cocktail trend throughout 2015, taking the global bar scene by storm in their own bittersweet, earthy, herbal way. Wenneker 24 Carrot attracted a Silver for its “earthy, round, spiciness” and “viscous consistency”. Sherry surmised: “Savoury cocktails have made a comeback this year, and brands are striving to capture the authentic representation of vegetables in their liqueurs. Wenneker 24 Carrot was a great example of this. It’s quite unusual in an international marketplace so brands playing in this space will need to back up launches with extensive bartender education programmes.”
Next the ever-popular citrus round ensued, accruing the second Gold medal of the day in the form of a “delicious” Triple Sec Liqueur by Fruko-Schulz SRO. King commented: “It’s been very well distilled and very well fermented – it’s got a real purity.” The King’s Ginger Liqueur by De Kuyper – “rich and zesty” – and recently rebranded Sicilian lemon liqueur Pococello picked up Silver medals. “This is the best round yet,” observed King.
“It’s quite true to the real character of citrus fruits – they’d all bring a Mediterranean influence to a cocktail menu,” added Sherry. Following on from a successful citrus round was another flight held in high esteem: cassis. This age-old liqueur sub-category subsequently revealed our first Master medal – awarded to budget supermarket Aldi’s “exceptionally well done” Specially Selected Crème de Cassis for its “herbaceous character” and “incredible balance”.
In addition, two Silver medals were awarded to Fruko-Schultz SRO’s Crème De Cassis Liqueur and Joseph Cartron SAS’s Double Crème De Cassis, which were deemed to be equally “very well made”. Batlle said: “The three were very good, really impressive. Aldi’s expression in particular had everything. It was really well balanced.”
Judges, from left to right: Kristiane Sherry, Ruth Ball, David Martin, Richard Brierley, Nick King, Chris Edwards, Adrian Batlle, Nagesh BalasuWe rounded off the competition with a selection of cream liqueurs, a category in which Aldi attracted its second and third medals of the day: a Gold for its “solid, well made” Specially Selected Irish Cream Liqueur and a Silver for its “very well put together” Ballycastle Irish Country Cream.
Robert A Merry & Co White Chocolate Irish Cream Liqueur was awarded a Silver medal in recognition of its “tempting vanilla fudge notes.” Penderyn Distillery also scooped a Silver medal with its “smooth texture”, “velvety mouthfeel” and overall “dessert-like qualities”.
Sherry noted: “The authentic dairy notes were well balanced with the whisky base. Genuine attempts have been made to modernise what is considered to be a dated category, although there’s definitely scope for further innovation. The flight showed promise and it will be interesting to see how the products perform over the Christmas period.”
By nature, liqueurs are a varied and comprehensive category, but as our Global Liqueur Masters revealed, there is always room for producers to push forward, experiment and innovate. Summing up the day, Batlle said: “Overall, there was a good variety. I found the tea category particularly interesting, and the cassis flight too. There was a good level of creativity shown by producers which indicates the liqueur category is still trying to push forward.”
Sherry added: “Liqueurs can have a reputation for being quite old-fashioned, but the tea category in particular showed newness – and even the more traditional categories such as cream are working hard to stay relevant.
“I’d be intrigued to try some of the entries in a cocktail because that’s where some of the more unusual entries have the greatest potential”.
Click through to the following page for the complete list of medal winners from The Global Liqueur Masters 2015.
| Company | Brand | Medal |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit Liqueur | ||
| ATOM Brands Ltd | Master of Malt 40 Year Old Speyside Whisky Liqueur | Silver |
| Fruit | ||
| ATOM Brands Ltd | Professor Cornelius Ampleforth Cherry Brandy | Silver |
| ATOM Brands Ltd | Professor Cornelius Ampleforth Sloe Gin | Silver |
| ATOM Brands Ltd | Professor Cornelius Ampleforth Christmas Mulled Cup | Silver |
| Joseph Cartron SAS | Apricot Brandy Liqueur | Silver |
| Coconut | ||
| Fruko-Schulz SRO | Coco Jambo Liqueur | Silver |
| Tea | ||
| Joseph Cartron SAS | The Noir Fume | Gold |
| Joseph Cartron SAS | The Rooibos | Silver |
| Citrus | ||
| Fruko-Schulz SRO | Triple Sec Liqueur | Gold |
| De Kuyper | The King’s Ginger Liqueur | Silver |
| Pococello | Pococello | Silver |
| Savoury | ||
| Wenneker Distilleries | Wenneker 24 Carrot | Silver |
| Cassis | ||
| Aldi UK | Specially Selected Crème De Cassis | Master |
| Fruko-Schulz SRO | Crème De Cassis Liqueur | Silver |
| Joseph Cartron SAS | Double Crème De Cassis J Cartron | Silver |
| Cream | ||
| Aldi UK | Specially Selected Irish Cream Liqueur | Gold |
| Aldi UK | BallyCastle Irish Country Cream | Silver |
| Robert A Merry & Co | Robert A Merry & Co White Chocolate Irish Cream Liqueur | Silver |
| Penderyn Distillery | Merlyn Welsh Cream Liqueur | Silver |
