The Travel Retail Masters 2025 results
Which spirits brands are creating a point of difference and generating excitement in the duty free channel?
Whether you’re visiting loved ones abroad, heading on a tropical escape, or jetting off on a business trip, the duty free channel is ready to welcome travellers with a wide selection of spirits, from travel retail exclusives to gift packs.
Brands have also been ramping up their efforts to attract passengers with show-stopping activations. This summer has already seen blended Scotch Monkey Shoulder bring a mixer truck topped with a large shaker to an airport in Mumbai, while Patrón Tequila joined forces with nightclub Ushuaïa Ibiza to target UK and Spanish flight hubs. And Aperol’s signature orange tones were showcased in an immersive campaign at Rome’s busiest airport, Fiumicino.
But beyond the high-profile campaigns and striking bottle designs, brands must prove their worth in global travel retail (GTR) with top-quality liquid to gain consumer loyalty and repeat purchases.
To save time perusing the shelves on your travels, we gathered three panels of judges to sip and award the best spirits available in travel retail. This year’s Travel Retail Masters competition was held last month at London bar Singer Tavern.
The first set of judges was chaired by David T Smith, drinks writer, consultant and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo. He was joined by: Anne Jones, director of Limestone & Jones; and freelance drinks writer Clinton Cawood.
The second panel included: Marie Cheong-Thong, food and beverage educator and founder of The Larder at 36; independent sustainability consultant Antony Moss; and Bryan Rodriguez-Curtis, spirits buyer at Bottle Apostle, who chaired the group.
Making up the third and final cluster of judges was Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions; Matt Chambers, director of Whisky For Everyone; and Ruchira Neotia, drinks consultant and founder of Ruchira’s Table.
The judges were in for a treat as a Master was found in the first flight: Vodka. The highest accolade was given to a new vodka from British perfumer Jo Malone CBE, who also scooped a pair of Silvers for her namesake brand.
Jones praised Master-winning Jo Vodka – The Purist, created in partnership with Quintessential Brands Group, for its “lovely texture, high quality, well balanced, pure and yet also characterful with a light creaminess”.
Royal Mash Vodka was also a success in this round, enjoyed for its “clean classic vanilla notes”, and took home a Gold.
Success kept on coming for UK-based Quintessential Brands as the company secured two Golds in a category it is strongly associated with: Gin. The company’s flagship Bloom and Opihr gins were worthy winners, with the latter described as “exotic”, with an aroma of “ginger, citrus and spice with a hint of juniper”.
In praise of Cognac
The panels then moved on to dark spirits with the Cognac flight collecting a Master. Cawood praised Master winner Rémy Martin XO for its notes of “dried apricot, zesty and juicy, mouth-watering. A little vanilla/custard in the background too.” Smith likened the Cognac’s aroma to “rum-and-raisin ice cream”, and Jones noted its flavours of “roasted hazelnuts, baked apricots, and caramelised orange”.
After Cognac came a round of Rum, and another Master too, this time for La Hechicera Serie Experimental No. 1 – The Muscat Experiment. Rodriguez-Curtis was a fan of the Colombian rum, noting its “rich and decadent nose”. He continued: “Deep and floral on the palate, big spice, chilli, capsicum which adds texture and the Muscat coming through just at the end as a floral and confected fruited note. A long finish for this rich sipping rum.”
Three Golds were also awarded, including a pair for La Hechicera Company, one for its flagship, and the other for the second release in its experimental range. La Hechicera Serie Experimental No. 2 – The Banana Experiment was lauded for bringing a “savoury side to banana with lots of tropical fruits and hints of nuttiness”, while La Hechicera Reserva Familiar had “lovely notes of hard caramel and treacle tart”.
Completing the Gold awards was Santa Teresa 1796, which was “sweet and confected with plenty of caramel and molasses on nose”.
One of the biggest categories in GTR was assessed next, Scotch whisky, with three Masters awarded to The Glenmorangie Company. The first went to the 21-year-old Ardbeg Seann Chreag, which garnered high praise from Chambers. He noted: “Rich and peaty on nose, with burnt barbecue vibes, ashy and slightly herbal smoke with dense caramel, acrid and medicinal smoke first up on the palate, lovely caramel and raisin-like notes add balance and sweetness, damp earth and moss with hints of seaweed.”
The next Master was given to 21-year-old Glenmorangie Aureum, which offered “baked apples and pears, floral and a little Muscat-like fruit. This feels like a good solid Speyside style from a big house”, according to Rodriguez-Curtis. A third Master went to 12-year-old Glenmorangie The Accord, which Moss said had a “deep maltiness and some floral lift” with “lovely, sweetness – well matured, long and complex”.
Five Golds were also discovered, three of which went to The Glenmorangie Company and two to La Martiniquaise-Bardinet. For Gold-winning Cutty Sark Original, Neotia noticed “bran husk and honeysuckle, with a hint of toasted coconut chips” on the nose, and flavours of “wildflower honey and heather with apple porridge”. The remaining Gold went to Label 5 Bourbon Barrel, enjoyed for its flavours of “cinnamon buns, camomile, nutmeg and some Christmas cake”.
Chambers said of the round: “Very solid, very high quality, very classic in terms of you got what you would’ve wanted if you bought the bottle. The Islay [Ardbeg Seann Chreag whisky] in particular was exquisite.”
The Dubliner Honeycomb from Quintessential Brands took a respectable Silver in the next flight, Irish Whiskey Liqueur.
The final round of the contest was a tasting of pre-mixed and ready-to-drink expressions, leading to a Gold for Swiss Alpine Essence, a twist on the White Negroni. The judges noted it was “bright and vibrant on the nose with heady aromas of white vermouth in particular, fruity and slightly herbal”.
The groups of judges then had the tough task of deciding The Travel Retail Taste Master 2025 from a blind tasting of the six Master medallists, spanning Scotch, Cognac, vodka and rum. It was ultimately decided that a Cognac was deserving of the title, with Rémy Martin XO taking the top gong – a feat it also secured in 2023.
This is welcome news for a category that is facing challenges in China’s duty free, where nearly 20% of Cognac is sold in the country, according to trade body the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac. China began an investigation into anti-dumping practices on European brandy imports in January 2024, which restricted the sale of Cognac in the country’s travel retail market as a result.
But it is hoped that with the end of the investigation this summer, China’s duty free channel will eventually reopen to the category, and provide a much-needed boost to the Cognac sector.
| Vodka | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Jo Vodka – The Purist | Master |
| Royal Mash Vodka | Royal Mash Vodka | Gold |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Jo Vodka – The Artist | Silver |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Jo Vodka – The Bohemian | Silver |
| Gin | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Bloom | Gold |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Opihr | Gold |
| Isle of Wight Distillery | Mermaid Gin | Silver |
| Cognac | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Cognac Rémy Martin | Rémy Martin XO | Master & Taste Master |
| Rum | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| La Hechicera Company | La Hechicera Serie Experimental No. 1 – The Muscat Experiment | Master |
| La Hechicera Company | La Hechicera Serie Experimental No. 2 – The Banana Experiment | Gold |
| La Hechicera Company | La Hechicera Reserva Familiar | Gold |
| Ron Santa Teresa | Santa Teresa 1796 | Gold |
| Scotch Whisky | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Ardbeg Seann Chreag | Master |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie Aureum | Master |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie Accord | Master |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie Vindima | Gold |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Glenmorangie Elementa | Gold |
| The Glenmorangie Company | Ardbeg SmokeTrails Batch 3 (Napa Valley Edition) | Gold |
| La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Cutty Sark Original | Gold |
| La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Label 5 Bourbon Barrel | Gold |
| La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Label 5 Classic Black | Silver |
| Irish Whiskey – Liqueur | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Dubliner Honeycomb Irish Whiskey Liqueur | Silver |
| Pre-Mixed & RTD | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Lockdown Liquor & Co | Swiss Alpine Essence | Gold |
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