The SB Autumn Blind Tasting 2025 results
As summer disappears, our thoughts turn to comforting drinks, and The SB Autumn Blind Tasting highlights the best spirits for the time of year.
For those in the Northern Hemisphere, September ushers in autumn’s cooler air, changing leaves, and a wave of new drinks launches – from festive pre‐Christmas releases like the Baileys x Terry’s Chocolate Orange liqueur to bold new whisky ranges and flavour innovations such as Fireball’s Blazin’ Apple.
As we prepare for a swathe of limited edition products and core line extensions in the run‐up to Christmas, we’ve assessed and awarded the best of the bunch in our annual autumn blind tasting, spanning categories such as soju, rum, and speciality spirits.
The SB Autumn Blind Tasting 2025 gathered five panels of judges at The Singer Tavern in London last month. The first panel included Richard Legg, founder of Distilled Knowledge; independent sustainability consultant Antony Moss; and Nicola Carruthers, deputy editor of The Spirits Business, who acted as chair.
The second team was chaired by Anne jones, director of Limestone & Jones, who was joined by Sarah Miller, founder of the Gin A Ding Ding blog. Making up the third group was Matt Chambers and Karen Taylor, who are directors and founders of Whisky For Everyone.
The fourth set of judges included Dan Greifer, bar supervisor at London’s Black Parrot, who chaired, and Vicky Ilankovan, executive director of non‐profit Equal Measures UK. Forming the final panel was Bryan Rodriguez‐Curtis, spirits buyer at Bottle Apostle, who chaired the proceedings, and Emily Webster, senior PR and marketing manager at The Whisky Exchange.
Gold-standard vodka
The tasting kicked off with a flight of Vodka, where two Golds were discovered. The first went to Royal Mash Vodka, which offered a “hint of creaminess on the nose and palate”, while Vula Viti Pure Fiji Vodka was described as “fragrant” with a “buttery texture”.
A single entrant in the Soju category resulted in a Gold for Hello Soju, which offered “plenty of grain character on the nose” and hints of tropical fruits.
The first Master of the day came from the Rum heat, where Venezuela’s Ron Reserva Especial Barrica Don Sulbaran was the deserving recipient.
Chambers noted: “Bright and citrussy on the nose, sweet Valencia orange and vanilla with elegant spice, surprisingly sweet, silky and velvety mouthfeel, citric acid and sweet orange on the palate; earthy and peppery undertone. Feels rich and fruity, then the drying spices and tannic oak comes through.”
Seven Golds followed in the round, including three for Cuban brand Havana Club. Among the trio was Havana Club Icónica Gran Reserva Añejo 15 Años, which was praised for its “tropical fruit flavours, with flambéed banana and pineapple”. A pair of Golds were also awarded to Island Rum Brands for its Black Tears Dry Spiced Rum and Ron La Progresiva. The latter was enjoyed for its “rich sweet coffee/Biscoff biscuits on the nose”. The final Gold went to El Supremo 12 Years Old, noted for its “very expressive aromas with honey and banana syrup”.
The Cognac and brandy flight led to two Masters and a bumper set of Golds – 22 in total. Walking away with the top award was Codru XXO 20 Years from Moldova, praised by Legg for its “deep caramel and toffee, and plenty of dried fruit and spice. Palate is lovely and soft, rounded, with a good length.”
The second Master winner, Chateau Cojusna XO 15 Years, also hailed from Moldova. It garnered a high commendation from Ilankovan, who described it as the “perfect accompaniment to a rich dessert like sticky toffee pudding”. She noted flavours of “rich toffee sauce and warm Jamaican ginger cake, red apples, and lots of baking spices”.
Among the Gold winners was Divin Bardar 7 Years XO with flavours of “bright golden caster sugar sweetness with a bit of orange peel and candied ginger”, the “creamy and rich” Chateau Vartely Tribut XO 7 Years, with notes of “icing sugar and dried prunes”, and Divin Cricova VSOP, a “fantastic VSOP” praised for its “dried raisins and lots of sweet oaky flavours”.
Other Gold medallists included Divin Aroma 5 Years (“florals, dark fruit and oak”), Divin Chisinau 10 Years (“rich baked orchard fruit with an underpinning of juicy red apple and spun sugar”) and Divin Tezaur Comoara XO 10 Years, which offered “layered notes of fresh apple and pear fruit with depth of soft spices, brown sugar and sultanas”.
Legg praised the high‐quality brandy that was on offer. “There are lots of places making high‐quality grape spirits. People know France and Greece as holiday destinations – the vast majority wouldn’t know about Moldova. There’s a lot of value for money in the brandy category that you don’t find in whisky.”
A pair of Golds were also found in the World Whisky flight. The “approachable and well‐made” Batavia Whisky was praised for its aroma of orchard fruits. Gold winner Keris Whisky had “milk chocolate nuttiness on the nose, some poached pears and light honey”.
A trio of Golds were delivered in a tasting of agave‐based spirits, all of which went to Tequila Kypros. The brand’s Añejo, Extra Añejo, and Reposado were all Gold winners, with the Añejo praised for its “lovely rich and deep nose with roasted agave gently structured by wood character”.
The panels then sampled pre‐mixed cocktails and ready‐to‐drink expressions, where five Silvers were awarded to flavoured sparkling soju products from The Hello Group. The final two Silvers in this heat went to The Barker Company Espresso Martini and Absolut Vodka & Sprite Watermelon.
The penultimate flight of the day, Speciality, left a lasting impression, with a Master medallist. This was given to White Chocolate Polish Craft Moonshine, which Jones said was like tasting a Milky Bar.
Miller scored this expression highly, and said: “Sweet creamy chocolate liqueur aroma on the nose, somewhat confected. Remarkably creamy for a clear spirit. Smooth and not overly sweet with fantastic texture and mouthfeel.”
One Gold was produced in this flight for Bitter Cedrino. Jones said it had “plenty of bitter botanical complexity with freshness and balancing sweetness that is a touch syrupy but lifted with citrus on the finish”.
The last flight of the day was Tonic & Mixer, with Easy Drinks securing a duo of Golds and a pair of Silvers. The company’s Passionfruit Cocktail Mixer won a Gold for its “pleasant passionfruit flavour and enjoyable sweetness”.
With fresh flavours, surprising discoveries, and world‐class quality, the autumn season is set to deliver plenty for drinkers to celebrate as the nights draw in.
| Vodka | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Royal Mash Vodka | Royal Mash Vodka | Gold |
| The Distillery Co Fiji | Vula Viti Pure Fiji Vodka | Gold |
| Soju | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| The Hello Group | Hello Soju | Gold |
| Rum | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Central de Licores Unidos de Venezuela | Ron Reserva Especial Barrica Don Sulbaran | Master |
| Central de Licores Unidos de Venezuela | Ron Reserva Barrica Don Sulbaran | Gold |
| Havana Club International | Havana Club Icónica Gran Reserva Añejo 15 Años | Gold |
| Havana Club International | Havana Club Original Añejo 3 Años | Gold |
| Havana Club International | Havana Club Añejo 7 Años | Gold |
| Island Rum Brands | Black Tears Dry Spiced Rum | Gold |
| Island Rum Brands | Ron La Progresivia | Gold |
| El Supremo | El Supremo 12 Year Old | Gold |
| Central de Licores Unidos de Venezuela | Ron Añejo Premium Barrica Don Sulbaran | Silver |
| Cognac/Brandy | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Barza Alba | Codru XXO 20 Years | Master |
| Chateau Cojusna | Chateau Cojusna XO 15 Years | Master |
| Chateau Cojusna | Autentic XO 7 Years | Gold |
| Vinaria Bardar | Divin Bardar 7 Years XO | Gold |
| Vinaria Bardar | Divin Bardar 10 Years XO | Gold |
| Vinaria Bardar | Divin Bardar 20 Years XO | Gold |
| Vinaria Bardar | Divin Bardar 5 Years | Gold |
| Chateau Vartely | Chateau Vartely Tribut XO 7 Years | Gold |
| Chateau Cojusna | Autentic XO 10 Years | Gold |
| CV Cricova | Divin Cricova XO | Gold |
| CV Cricova | Divin Cricova VSOP | Gold |
| Aroma | Divin Aroma 5 Years | Gold |
| Aroma | Divin Moldova 7 Years | Gold |
| Aroma | Divin Chisinau 10 Years | Gold |
| Aroma | Divin Basarabia 15 Years | Gold |
| Barza Alba | Divin XXO Stefan cel Mare 60 Years Old | Gold |
| Vinuri laloveni | Divin Akademos 5 Years | Gold |
| Chateau Vartely | Chateau Vartely VSOP 5 Years | Gold |
| Consalcom/Tezaur | Divin Tezaur Gold 7 Years | Gold |
| Consalcom/Tezaur | Divin Tezaur Comoara XO 10 Years | Gold |
| Consalcom/Maestro Wine | Divin Maestro Reserva XO 10 Years | Gold |
| Consalcom/Maestro Wine | Divin Maestro Reserva XXO 20 Years | Gold |
| Calarasi Divin | Divin Calarasi 5 Years/Legenda | Gold |
| Calarasi Divin | Divin Calarasi 7 Years/Special Collection | Gold |
| Calarasi Divin | Divin Orfeu 5 Years/Orfeu | Silver |
| Calarasi Divin | Divin Luceafar 10 Years/Special Collection | Silver |
| Chateau Cojusna | Chateau Cojusna VSOP 5 Years | Silver |
| Barza Alba | Divin XO Bucuria 10 Years Old | Silver |
| Marshal Varsta | Marshal Varsta 5 Ani | Silver |
| Vinuri laloveni | Divin Akademos 7 Years | Silver |
| World Whisky | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Batavia Whisky | Batavia Whisky | Gold |
| Orang Tua | Keris Whisky | Gold |
| Tequila | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Tequila Kypros | Tequila Kypros Añejo | Gold |
| Tequila Kypros | Tequila Kypros Extra Añejo | Gold |
| Tequila Kypros | Tequila Kypros Reposado | Gold |
| Tequila Kypros | Tequila Kypros Blanco | Silver |
| Pre-Mixed Cocktail & RTD | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| The Hello Group | Sparkling Soju Green Grape | Silver |
| The Hello Group | Sparkling Soju Lychee | Silver |
| The Hello Group | Sparkling Soju Lemon Yuzu | Silver |
| The Hello Group | Sparkling Soju Asian Pear | Silver |
| The Hello Group | Sparkling Soju Peach | Silver |
| The Barker Company | The Barker Company Espresso Martini | Silver |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners | Absolut Vodka & Sprite Watermelon | Silver |
| Speciality | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| AK Distillery | White Chocolate Polish Craft Moonshine | Master |
| Sea Spirits Trade | Bitter Cedrino | Gold |
| Tonic & Mixer | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Easy Drinks | Passionfruit Cocktail Mixer | Gold |
| Easy Drinks | Ginger Whipped Topping | Gold |
| Easy Drinks | Berries Cocktail Mixer | Silver |
| Easy Drinks | Moscow Mule Mixer | Silver |
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