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The Liqueur & Speciality Spirits Masters 2024 results

Liqueurs and speciality spirits offer a chance for producers to experiment with flavours that are out of the ordinary, as this year’s blind tasting showed.

Liqueurs and speciality spirits
Liqueurs and speciality spirits took centre stage in our latest tasting

Gone are the days when liqueurs and speciality spirits took a back seat in cocktails. Now they are taking a starring role as experimental drinkers seek out unusual flavours and swap full‐strength spirits for lower‐alcohol serves. In particular, cream liqueurs performed strongly in Great Britain’s on‐trade as the only spirits subcategory to grow in 2023, with sales by value up by nearly a third (29.8%). The popularity of serves such as the Espresso Martini and the Aperol Spritz have also helped to drive demand for coffee liqueurs and apéritifs.

To find out which products are worthy of the back bar, The Global Spirits Masters Competitions set out to award the best products on the market. This year’s Liqueur & Speciality Spirits Masters took place at the Novotel London Bridge last month with three panels of judges.

The first panel was chaired by Bryan Rodriguez‐Curtis, wine and spirits judge and specialist, who was joined by Antony Moss, independent sustainability consultant, and Ruchira Neotia, drinks consultant and founder of Neo Margarita.

Leading the second group was Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions. She judged alongside Richard Legg, founder of Distilled Knowledge, and Emily Webster, marketing and PR manager at Whisky.Auction.

David T Smith, writer and co‐founder of the Craft Distilling Expo, chaired the third panel, which included: Will Meredith, co‐founder of beverage consultancy Daisy Age Drinks; Sarah Miller, drinks writer and founder of the Gin A Ding Ding blog; and Sara‐Jane Eichler, founder of Negroni Club UK.

Herbal round

The Liqueurs portion of the competition kicked off with a flight of Herbal offerings. A trio of Golds were given, including one to Pemba XXX, praised for its “aromatic” aroma and hints of passionfruit. Fellow Gold winner Licor Beirão offered a “herbal edge, some kola nut and winter spice, alongside mint and fennel” while Kota Pandan Liqueur had “nutty matcha depths and a delicate floral finish”. Three Silvers were also given out.

The judges were treated to a hat trick of Masters in the next round: Fruit. Anora Group’s Koskenkorva Rhubarb went home with the top award. The expression reminded Kiely of rhubarb and custard sweets: “Nostalgic, confected – but fun. Palate brings vibrant jammy rhubarb, lovely and delicious, quite fresh authentic rhubarb towards the finish – does exactly what it says.”

Master‐winning Belle de Brillet was praised by Smith for its “juicy, fruity pear, some woodiness and complexity of Cognac too. Buttery flavours with some floral notes, great complexity.” Completing the Masters was Mayaki, which Eichler described as “funky and herbaceous on the nose, bittersweet with menthol notes, sweet candied citrus and a big peppery finish”.

Cream liqueurs
Cream liqueurs are a popular drink all year round

Sweet and delicious

The round also produced 10 Golds, including one for the “sweet and delicious” Cocobay Rum and Coconut Flavour Liqueur from Aldi, with its “sweet coconut ice cream nose, cream soda and dates on the palate”. O’Donnell Moonshine also won two Golds for its Wild Berry and Very Cherry liqueurs, with the latter having an aroma of “sweet cherries” and “marzipan notes on the palate”.

Golds were also given to Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur, with its “confected tropical fruit nose”, and Massenez Golden Eight – Williams Pear Liqueur, commended for its “toffee vanilla notes”. Anton Kaapl Griot won Gold for its “sweet cherry flavours”. Seven Silvers were also awarded.

The Contemporary round produced another Master winner, this time for Elixir Distillers’ Highland Nectar. Smith was impressed with the liqueur: “Honey, ginger with Christmas pudding, good integration with the whisky – touch of smoke.”

Eichler added: “Lots of depth and complexity on the nose. Lovely weight, lots of complexity and a little spicy warmth. Great finish – fantastic.”

Six Golds followed, with three given to BBC Spirits for its La Sea Salt Yuzushu, La Tomato, and La Yuzu. La Tomato was said to have “Heinz tomato soup aroma, with some bready, yeasty” notes, while La Yuzu was “well‐balanced, with citrus and floral notes”.

Gold winner Dom Tápparo – Paçoca was likened favourably to a “bougie peanut‐banana‐chocolate protein bar” in a liqueur format.

Kiely reflected on the round: “I loved the variety of flavours that came from this category, there were some really outside‐of‐the‐box, non‐traditional entries – and even better to see so many execute this really well. An exciting space in the liqueur world.”

Six Silver winners concluded the Contemporary round, before another Silver medal was found in the next heat, Amaretto, for Amarguinha.

A tasting of Elderflower liqueurs resulted in a Master win for Bardinet’s Fleur de Sureau. Rodriguez‐Curtis said: “Fresh garden elderflower note on the nose. It feels very English garden, and shows hints of citrus fruit and other garden florals. The palate is very well‐balanced, fresh and vibrant. It feels well made, for a consumer who wants to drink it on its own and for one who wants to mix.”

The Confectionery flight was put to the test next, with a Gold and two Silvers awarded. Gold winner O’Donnell Moonshine Tough Nut offered a nose of “light Ferrero Rocher”, with flavours of “hazelnuts and chocolate”.

Espresso bitterness

Three Golds were unearthed in the following flight, Coffee, for Ole Smoky Mountain Java Cream, Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, and Expre‐coffee Liqueur. Ole Smoky was praised for its “lovely combination of coffee and vanilla on the palate” with a “touch of dark chocolate” while Mr Black had an “enjoyable espresso bitterness, balanced by a bit of agreeable sweetness”. Expre‐coffee Liqueur was described as “rich and indulgent”, and compared with a mocha liqueur. Two Silver medals concluded the flight.

Webster said the round could be improved by more decent coffee used in the production. “I found this [flight] really interesting, but with all of them I’d have liked to see more coffee. Dial up the coffee if you’re going to have a good coffee liqueur.”

Legg noted a lack of provenance in the coffee liqueur subcategory, adding: “Nobody does a single‐origin coffee liqueur, which I think is a real shame. It would help to appeal to actual coffee drinkers.”

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.”

Espresso Martinis
A key ingredient in Espresso Martinis, the coffee liqueur round was a successful flight

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”.

Speciality spirit
One eaux-de-vie took the Speciality Spirits Taste Master title

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.

Liqueurs

Herbal
Company Product Medal
Casa Redondo Licor Beirão Gold
Pemba Pemba XXX Gold
Gabriel Boudier Kota Pandan Liqueur Gold
Gabriel Boudier Fontbonne 1874 Silver
Alpine Distilling AngeVert Silver
Anora Group Koskenkorva Ginger Silver

 

Fruit
Company Product Medal
Anora Group Koskenkorva Rhubarb Master & Taste Master
Rémy Cointreau Belle de Brillet Master
Abkari Mayaki Master
Cointreau Cointreau L’Unique Gold
Aldi Cocobay Rum and Coconut Flavour Liqueur Gold
Bellamie (Voirin Spirit) Bellamie Cherry Liqueur Gold
O’Donnell Moonshine O’Donnell Moonshine Wild Berry Gold
Chinola Fresh Fruit Liqueurs Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur Gold
Foneka Anton Kaapl Griot 28% Gold
O’Donnell Moonshine O’Donnell Moonshine Very Cherry Gold
Grandes Distilleries Peureux – Massenez Massenez Golden Eight, Williams Pear Liqueur Gold

 

Company Product Medal
Anora Group Koskenkorva Blueberry Gold
Anora Group Koskenkorva Passionfruit Silver
Distillerie Bepi Tosolini Limoncello Silver
Foneka Anton Kaapl Boruvkovy Liker 28% Silver
O’Donnell Moonshine O’Donnell Moonshine Peach Silver
Anora Group Koskenkorva Strawberry Silver
Anora Group Koskenkorva Lemon Silver
Burnt Faith Burnt Faith Triple Sec Silver

 

Contemporary
Company Product Medal
Elixir Distillers Highland Nectar Master
Engenho Dom Tápparo Dom Tápparo – Paçoca Gold
BBC Spirits La Sea Salt Yuzushu Gold
BBC Spirits La Tomato Gold
BBC Spirits La Yuzu Gold
Distillerie Bepi Tosolini Amaretto Salizà Gold
Westjysk Smag Whisky Likor (Dandelion liqueur aged in Stauning Whisky barrels) Gold
Gabriel Boudier Nori Liqueur Silver
Sakurafresh Beverage Umeshu Liqueur Silver
BBC Spirits El Hispano Hisbiscus Silver
BBC Spirits La Matcha Silver
BBC Spirits El Hispano Naranja Silver
Engenho Dom Tápparo Dom Tápparo – Licor Fino de Doce de Leite Silver

 

Amaretto
Company Product Medal
Casa Redondo Amarguinha Silver

 

Elderflower
Company Product Medal
Bardinet Liqueur Fleur de Sureau Master
Ethical Wines and Spirits Fair Elderflower Silver

 

Confectionery
Company Product Medal
O’Donnell Moonshine O’Donnell Moonshine Tough Nut Gold
Anora Group Koskenkorva Salmiakki Silver
Anora Group Koskenkorva Salmiakki Raspberry Silver

 

Coffee
Company Product Medal
Ole Smoky Distillery Ole Smoky Mountain Java Cream Gold
Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur Gold
Distillerie Bepi Tosolini Expre-coffee liqueur Gold
House of Lords Beverages Port Louiis Premium Coffee Liqueur Silver
Grandes Distilleries Peureux – Massenez Massenez Djebenah Buna Coffee Liqueur Silver

 

Irish Cream
Company Product Medal
Aldi Specially Selected Irish Cream – Billionaires Master
Aldi Specially Selected Irish Cream – Classic Gold
Aldi Specially Selected Irish Cream – Espresso Choc Gold

 

Cream Liqueurs
Company Product Medal
Creamy Creation (B2B) The 5 Spice Cream Liqueur Concept Master
Creamy Creation (B2B) The Hoppy Rhubarb Cream Liqueur Concept Gold
Falcon International Magnum Scotch Malt Whisky Cream Liqueur Silver

 

Chocolate
Company Product Medal
Lucelas Lucelas Chocolate Rum Gold

 

Toffee
Company Product Medal
O’Donnell Moonshine O’Donnell Moonshine Sticky Toffee Gold
House of Lords Beverages Port Louiis Toffee Liqueur Silver

 

Cream
Company Product Medal
Zamora Company Licor 43 Silver
Coole Swan Irish Whiskey Liqueur Coole Swan Irish Whiskey Liqueur Silver
Heineken Beverages Amarula Vegan Liqueur Silver
Heineken Beverages Amarula Cream Liqueur Silver

 

Own Label
Company Product Medal
House of Lords Beverages Port Louiis Premium Spice Liqueur Silver
Polar Spirit Polar Silver

 

Cassis
Company Product Medal
Gabriel Boudier Gabriel Boudier Crème de Cassis Gold

 

Honey
Company Product Medal
Foneka Anton Kaapl Jablko S Medovymi Vicky 35% Gold
William Grant & Sons Irish Brands Tullamore D.E.W. Honey Silver

 

Tea
Company Product Medal
Alpine Distilling Preserve Liqueur Gold

 

Mint
Company Product Medal
Anora Group Koskenkorva Minttu Gold

 

Vegan
Company Product Medal
Creamy Creation (B2B) Chai Latte Cream of Coconut Liqueur Concept Gold
Creamy Creation (B2B) Chocolate Biscotti Liqueur Concept Silver

 

Low & No
Company Product Medal
Casa Savoia Savoia Orancio Master
Casa Savoia Savoia Americano Rosso Gold

 

Spicy
Company Product Medal
BBC Spirits El Hispano Habanero Gold
BBC Spirits El Hispano Chipotle Gold
BBC Spirits El Hispano Jalapeño Gold
Ethical Wines and Spirits Fair Chipotle Silver

Speciality spirits

Vermouth
Company Product Medal
Casa Savoia Savoia Orancio Gold
Gran Torino 1861 Vermouth di Torino Superiore Rosso Gold
The Secret Garden Distillery Bianco Vermouth Gold
The Secret Garden Distillery Rosso Vermouth Silver

 

Fruit Eaux-de-Vie
Company Product Medal
Phi Group Strawbar Origin Master & Taste Master
Phi Group Strawbar Platinum Gold
La Felipa Fruit & Wine Drakon triple distilled Silver
La Felipa Fruit & Wine Drakon Reposado Silver

 

Absinthe
Company Product Medal
House of Lords Beverages Creve-Coeur Gold

 

Bitters
Company Product Medal
Casa Redondo Per Se Silver

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