Aldi’s Specially Selected Irish Cream – Billionaires added to the Master tally in the Irish Cream flight, enjoyed for its “dark chocolate nutty wafer notes” and “creamy mouthfeel”.

Rodriguez‐Curtis enthused: “Smells like a chocolate cheesecake, chocolate nibs and a touch of the sour cream cheese used to make it. I can smell the pastry paste used to make the Billionaires – very expressive. The palate is luscious, with good vibrancy, and I enjoy the sourness of the cheesecake base.

The pastry notes feel lovely and it is all complemented by a wonderful light bit of chocolate. A consumer would love this.”

Aldi also won two Golds in this round for its Specially Selected Irish Cream Classic with its “creamy nose showing hints of coffee, chocolate and cream”, and Specially Selected Irish Cream Espresso Choc, which had notes of “dark chocolate‐covered espresso beans”.

Cream liqueurs followed, and Creamy Creation’s 5 Spice Cream Liqueur Concept took home the top award. Smith said: “Spice on the nose, cassia and ginger with nutmeg; some white chocolate – good balance and lingering winter spice.”

Meredith added: “Cinnamon and cardamom come through first on the nose, giving a medicinal quality to the liquid. Palate is clean and silky with the spices dancing together nicely.”

Creamy Creation also took Gold for its The Hoppy Rhubarb Cream Liqueur Concept, which Eichler praised: “Rhubarb and hops sing on the nose, floral and fruity rhubarb on the palate, with a sweet‐and‐sour finish.”

Balance and complexity

Lucelas Chocolate Rum won a Gold in the Chocolate heat, which had “good rum notes and a nice bit of chocolate – good balance and complexity”.

A Gold and a Silver were found in the Toffee round, with the Gold going to another expression from O’Donnell Moonshine. The company’s Sticky Toffee liqueur was lauded for its “sweet sticky toffee on the nose and the palate, moreish with lovely vanilla notes and a long rich finish”.

A quartet of Silvers came to fruition in the Cream flight, including two for Heineken‐ owned Amarula. Two more Silver medals were also found in the Own Label round.

The Cassis flight was a success for Gabriel Boudier Crème de Cassis, which won a Gold. Webster said: “Rich, juicy blackcurrants on the nose. Thick and juicy palate, well balanced for the 18% ABV.”

The Honey round resulted in a Gold for Anton Kaapl Jablko S Medovymi Vicky, where judges discovered flavours of “Calvados apples and fiery herbal honey”.

Preserve Liqueur was also a worthy Gold recipient in the Tea flight, which had hints of “blood orange, lemon balm and Earl Grey tea”.

Anora Group added to its medal collection with a Gold for Koskenkorva Minttu in the Mint heat. “Fresh mint aroma, some sweetness on the palate – mint humbugs, lovely balance and higher ABV done well,” Kiely noted.

Creamy Creation’s Chai Latte Cream of Coconut Liqueur Concept won Gold in the next flight, Vegan. The expression was describes as having a “great flavour combo” of chai and coconut with “lovely sweet, spice notes”.

Meanwhile, the Low & No flight provided the final Master of the day: Savoia Orancio. Eichler enjoyed its “sweet perfumed orange notes on the nose, lovely herbaceous medicinal notes and a touch of vanilla, lovely bittersweet journey”.

Stablemate Savoia Americano Rosso won a Gold medal in this round, which had a “good intensity of bitterness”.

The final round turned up the heat as judges sampled a round of Spicy liqueurs, with a set of three Golds unearthed, all of which went to El Hispano from BBC Spirits.

The first went to El Hispano Habanero, described as a “properly fiery liqueur – one for livening up agave cocktails”, while El Hispano Chipotle was “savoury and sweet, with a good spicy kick on the palate”.

El Hispano Jalapeño was “light and citrusy, with bell pepper notes and a spicy finish”.

A Silver in this round marked the end of the Liqueurs portion of the tasting, with only the Liqueur Taste Master title to be decided following a retaste of all the Master winners. The top accolade was awarded to Koskenkorva Rhubarb, praised as a stand‐out expression for its “lovely acidity and good balance”, and its “heavy jammy flavour”.

The panels then progressed to tasting a selection of eaux‐de‐vie, vermouth, absinthe, and bitters in the Speciality Spirits instalment.

The first round put vermouths under the spotlight, and Savoia Orancio took home a Gold alongside Gran Torino 1861’s Vermouth di Torino Superiore Rosso, and The Secret Garden Distillery Bianco Vermouth. Neotia described Savoia Orancio as a “more ethereal orange vermouth that would be delicious on its own and create some nuanced cocktails”. Gold winner Vermouth di Torino Superiore Rosso impressed with its “fruity aroma with some gentle spices, a touch of clove and anise” and flavours of blackberry jam.

The Bianco Vermouth had a “fruity, fragrant aroma” with “grapes, a hint of camomile tea, very light honey sweetness”.

Phi Group’s Strawbar Origin was the only Master in the Speciality Spirits segment, taking the medal – and the esteemed Taste Master title – in the Fruit Eaux‐de‐Vie round.

Miller was a particular fan of this expression: “Nose opens up to clean notes of strawberry and strawberry seeds. Base spirit has a lot of character. Jammy strawberry comes through towards the finish – classic eaux‐de‐vie character.”

Phi Group took home its second medal, a Gold for Strawbar Platinum, which had a nose of “strawberry chewy sweets – but not quite that confected – along with some orchard fruits and a slight breadiness”. A duo of Silvers completed the round, both awarded to La Felipa Fruit & Wine. A lone tasting of Absinthe resulted in a Gold for Creve‐Coeur, where notes of “rich liquorice” were found on the nose and flavours of apple, anise and fennel. The last medal of the day was awarded to Casa Redondo’s Per Se, which secured a commendable Silver in the Bitters flight.

With its lower ABV and ability to innovate with exciting flavours, there is an opportunity for liqueurs to further grow their market share in the global on‐trade by pushing the boundaries of the category. Meanwhile, speciality spirits are in a unique position of offering a taste of their region through flavours that aren’t typically found in traditional categories.

As our judges discovered, it was the more unusual flavours – like five spice, and chai – that seem to perform particularly well, especially when they are well executed.