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Top 10 award-winning luxury spirits

Distillers are tapping into the trend for premiumisation with a wide variety of top-quality spirits entering the upper end of the market. We round up the expressions that scored highly in our recent blind-tasting competition.

SB presents award-winning luxury spirits from its annual competition

The Spirits Business held its annual Luxury Masters last month, where an experienced panel of judges recognised the best bottlings in the business.

Looking across multiple categories, from world whisky to Cognac, Scotch to Tequila, a wide range of expressions were awarded the top accolades of Master and Gold medals for their quality.

The individual scores of each entrant have not been revealed, however these are 10 of the highest rated medalists in the competition, in no particular order.

Our judges have given each expression listed here the seal of approval for offering excellent quality within their respective categories.

Click through to the following pages to view the top 10 award-winning expressions from this year’s Luxury Masters.

That Boutique-y Rum Company Travellers Distillery 10 Year Old

Price: £53 (US$65)

A Master went to That Boutique‐y Rum Company Travellers Distillery 10 Year Old, said to be “rich, bold and effortlessly balanced, with zero alcohol burn”.

Produced by the Travellers Distillery in Belize, the rum is made in a traditional column still.

UK group Atom Brands launched That Boutique-y Rum Company (TBRC) in October 2018. It has been developed alongside rum expert Peter Holland.

TBRC is the third independent bottling venture from Atom Brands, and follows That Boutique-y Whisky Company and That Boutique-y Gin Company.

Grace Gin

Price: £43 (US$53)

Grace Gin nabbed a Master medal in the Gin – Ultra Premium round for its “super balanced” and “generous” juniper flavour, which “avoided the soapiness that can come from a high juniper content”.

Produced in Greece, Grace Gin is made with botanicals from the Greek land and sea including chinos, myrtle leaves and orange blossom from Evia, critamos from Crete and pink pepper.

Dublin Liberties Copper Alley

Price: £50 (US$61)

In the super-premium Irish whiskey contingent, a Master was bestowed upon Dublin Liberties Copper Alley. “I loved its nutty nose and the fact that it wasn’t just rich – there was a delicateness throughout,” said one judge.

The limited edition single malt was aged for 10 years in Bourbon casks and finished in 30-year-old oloroso Sherry casks for six months. It is bottled at 46% ABV.

 G6.9 – Listening to the frog chorus (SMWS)

Price: £185 (US$227)

The G6.9 – Listening to the Frog Chorus from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) secured the Master accolade in the Scotch round after being praised for its “butterscotch, pear and gorse blossom” aroma and its “open, fresh pear” flavour.

At the end of the competition, the judges re-tasted the Master medallists and voted for their overall favourite with the Luxury Spirit Taster Master accolade going to the SMWS whisky.

Mis Amigo Chocolate Tequila

Price: £36 (US$44)

In the ultra‐ premium liqueur segment, a Gold medal went to Mis Amigo Chocolate Tequila by G&I Spirits. One judge praised the expression’s nostalgic flavour.

It is made with dark chocolate and is recommended served over ice or in a Mocha Martini.

Dewar’s 25 Year Old

 

Price: £175 (US$214)

Dewar’s 25 Year Old, said to have a “sea‐ spray character”, scored a Gold medal in a flight of ultra-premium blended Scotch whiskies.

The bottling is made up of malt and grain Scotch whiskies aged for 25 years or more, sampled and blended by master blender Stephanie MacLeod.

The resulting whisky was then decanted into oak casks to mature further, before being transferred into freshly emptied Royal Brackla casks for finishing.

Courvoisier Napoleon

Price: US$60

In the super-premium XO Cognacs round, a Master medal was given to one of the world’s biggest Cognac houses: Courvoisier.

The brand’s Napoleon bottling was deemed to be “very attractive”, with judges enjoying a “hint of orange and Demerara sugar”.

Bottled at 40% abv, Courvoisier Napoleon is a blend of matured grande and petite Champagnes at their peak.

Los Arango Reposado

Price: US$44.99

Judges enjoyed the “clean and floral” profile of Fraternity Spirits’ Los Arango Reposado, which gained a Gold medal in the super-premium resposado Tequila round.

Los Arango, named after revolutionary hero José Doroteo Arango, better known as ‘Pancho Villa’, is crafted using 100% hand-picked blue agave and specifically formulated yeast.

The reposado is aged for six months in American oak barrels.

Gulliver’s 47 Single Malt English Whisky

Price: £57 (US$70)

In the ultra‐premium world whisky segment, judges praised the “big peat hit” of Gulliver’s 47 Single Malt English Whisky and awarded the expression a Gold medal.

The expression celebrates Samuel Gulliver’s adventures in 1747.

The single cask whisky is distilled in Norfolk at The St. George’s Distillery exclusively for Gulliver’s and matured in Bourbon oak casks.

Purity Vodka 17

Price: £40 (US$49)

In the Vodka – Ultra Premium flight, Purity Vodka 17 secured a Gold medal after judged enjoyed its “clean and creamy citrus” character.

The Swedish vodka is distilled 17 times and is recommended served neat or in cocktails.

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