Best of the best: Taste Masters 2025
We highlight the starring expressions from each category from The Global Spirits Masters Competitions 2025.
The Global Spirits Masters Competitions removes branding, heritage and reputation from consideration, putting every entry on a level playing field.
There’s nowhere to hide, as the entire focus of our esteemed judges goes on the liquid inside the glass. No prejudice, no assumptions. Only those products showcasing exceptional craftsmanship stand to win a Master, Gold or Silver medal.
For the top Master winners, a second opportunity to win an award is also presented – the Taste Master accolade.
Every category from whisky and gin to Tequila, mezcal and pre-mixed serves boasts technically excellent expressions. Taking home the Taste Master title is an additional way to stand out in an increasingly crowded space.
Winning a Taste Master award is a clear market of excellence. We celebrate the top scorers from 2025 below.
Wilderton Bittersweet Aperitivo
Low & No Taste Master 2025
Top-scoring Wilderton Bittersweet Aperitivo boasts a blend of grapefruit, orange blossom and aromatic herbs.
In The Low & No Masters 2025, the liquid was highly rated for its complexity. “Lovely fruitiness and herbal bitterness on the nose, rosehip and green vegetal notes. Lovely syrupy mouthfeel and bittersweet palate,” the judges praised.
For those looking for an alcohol-free option that’s bold, herbal and bittersweet, this fits the bill. The brand recommends it best served with soda water and an orange garnish.
It’s priced at around US$37 per 750ml on the Wilderton Aperitivo website.
House of Rum Single Cask Dominican 2000
Rum & Cachaça Taste Master 2025
What a feat it was when this limited edition single cask bottling secured the top accolade.
The rum was lauded for having a “nice depth of character with fruitiness, caramel, woody spice and tropical fruits”. Only 292 bottles of the rum were created, sourced from the Oliver & Oliver Distillery in the Dominican Republic. The rum was bottled at its cask strength of 55.5% ABV. The rum was aged in American oak ex-Bourbon casks in the Dominican Republic.
After eight years, the rum was shipped to the UK, and eventually re-casked into an American oak ex-rum cask. It was bottled by House of Rum in 2023.
Tears of Llorona
Tequila Taste Master 2025
“Rich leather and aged Ibérico mingled with treacle. Luscious and lingering on the palate with a honey ginger finish.” That was just some of the high praise from the judges about Tears of Llorona.
The extra añejo Tequila bucks the category trend when it comes to maturation. While most aged Tequilas are placed into ex-Bourbon casks, this expression is aged in a trio of cask types: Scotch whisky, Sherry, and Cognac.
The liquid is then bottled at 43% ABV. Additional tasting notes include aromas of vanilla and orchard fruit, with toffee and a rich, round profile.
The Tequila is part of the Infinium Spirits portfolio, which includes Templeton Rye whiskey.
Madre Ensamble Mezcal
Mezcal Taste Master 2025
This Mezcal received a resounding seal of approval in the Espadîn + Cuishe category of The Tequila & Mezcal Masters last year.
“Very rich umami aroma; sweet barbecue smoke, unripe pineapple. The palate is explosive with heady smoke, earthy clay and pepper,” the judges noted.
It was this complexity, balance and ultimately the mezcal’s delicious profile that secured it the Taste Master title.
As the category suggests, the mezcal is made from both Espadín and Cuishe agave, which are cooked over hot stones in earthen pits, and are crushed using a traditional stone tahona wheel. Madre Ensamble Mezcal is bottled at 45% ABV.
Courvoisier XO
Cognac Taste Master 2025
When a spirit has an ultra-premium price tag, there’s an extra level of expectation in terms of the quality and complexity of the spirit. It has to befit the cost. Courvoisier XO showed why it can command an ultra-premium price tag in The Cognac Masters. The spirit impressed with its “good levels of spice, fruitiness and sweetness”.
Tasting notes included “furniture polish aromas, leading to tannins, dried fruit, apricot and raisins”.
The Cognac was created with eaux-de-vie made from grapes grown in the Grande Champagne, Petit Champagne, and Borderies crus of Cognac.
St Agnes XO
Brandy Taste Master 2025
Australian brand St Agnes XO left its mark at last year’s blind tasting.
“Rich and rounded, good body, and depth of flavour. Classic brandy notes: fruity, raisins, warm spice, oak and dryness – impressed,” the judges noted. They added: “It was sweet without being overly sweet; almost like a very, very good dessert wine.” St Agnes XO brandy has an ABV of 40%.
The brandy is made at its eponymous distillery. The site was established in 1910 by Dr William Angove. In 1925, his son, Carl Angove, decided to create a new style of Australian brandy, which aimed to be lighter and delicate in character.
Hwayo 41
Asian Spirits Taste Master 2025
Crafted by Hwayo & Co, the top Asian spirit of 2025 was Hwayo 41.
The 41% ABV soju, as the name implies, was described as “comforting, with hints of vanilla, grain, maybe a little sorghum alongside a little Asian spice and spiced pear”. On the palate, the notes described a “silky smooth” texture, with “vegetal sweet potato, white pepper and vanilla creaminess”.
Hwayo was founded in 2003 with the belief that every Korean dish should be enjoyed alongside a premium craft spirit. Hwayo soju was the answer to that, and is made from rice, merging tradition and innovation through its portfolio.
Mezcal Picante (Lockdown Liquor & Co)
Pre-Mixed, RTD & Hard Seltzer Taste Master 2025
Created by Lockdown Liquor & Co, Mezcal Picante took the top award for its “authentic, fresh and spicy” flavour profile.
The judges praised the 18% ABV ready-to-serve drink for offering “gorgeous lime balanced with light mezcal smokiness”. The Lost Explorer Mezcal is used in the serve, which usually has a Tequila base. It also includes fresh Mexican lime, agave nectar and heat from habanero peppers.
The suggested serve recommends pouring Mezcal Picante into a cocktail shaker with ice, then shaking. Pour into a Tajín-rimmed rocks glass filled with ice, and garnish with a lime wheel.
Mikks Coco Pineapple
Tonic & Mixer Taste Master 2025
“Rich, thick and enjoyable” was how The Tonic & Mixer Taste Master 2025, Mikks Coco Pineapple, was summed up when it secured the top accolade.
The brand’s website describes Mikks Coco Pineapple as the ideal choice for “Piña Coladas that actually taste like vacation”.
The mixer is available in two formats, a 250ml capable of pouring six drinks, and a 750ml bottle serving up to 18 beverages.
German brand Mikks was the brainchild of a bartender, a chef, and a designer. The brand clearly has a knack for creating top-tier drinks options, as three other flavours in its portfolio received Master medals as well.
Scapa 21 Years Old
Scotch Whisky Taste Master 2025
Distilled and aged on the Orkney islands for just over two decades, time and patience has clearly paid off for Scapa 21 Years Old.
The top-scoring Scotch of last year was aged in first-fill American oak barrels on the Scottish island. Bottled at 48% ABV, the whisky was found to be “very nutty on the nose, with some cherry and then some salinity and smoke” .
The judges were also full of enthusiasm for the “well-balanced, complex” profile of the whisky, which also delivered “vanilla, stone fruits and warm spice” flavours.
Rampur Asava Indian Single Malt Whisky
World Whisky Taste Master 2025
India has been generating intrigue with its whisky offerings over the years – and this Taste Master-winning expression is a clear example as to why.
Rampur Asava was matured in American Bourbon barrels and finished in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon casks – a first for the category. The result is a “majestic” single malt, as one judge described this whisky. They continued: “Vanilla and strawberry, and cherry compote. Red apple tart with cardamom and cloves – butterscotch toast. The red fruits get brighter on the palate and crushed black cardamom drives to a long, lingering finish.”
Rampur Asava boasts an ABV of 45%.
Redbreast Cuatro Barriles Edition
Irish Whiskey Taste Master 2025
Four barrels were used to create this award-winning single pot still Irish whiskey.
American ex-Bourbon barrels, Spanish oloroso Sherry butts, Portuguese tawny Port hogsheads, and European virgin oak casks were all used, and the efforts certainly paid off for the Irish Distillers-owned brand.
“Good weight, balance and well-rounded,” were just some of the descriptors used on this whiskey, which is 46% ABV. Each single pot still whiskey in the Redbreast portfolio is made with a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley grown on farms in the Munster region around the Midleton Distillery.
Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey – Batch 3633
American Whiskey Taste Master 2025
Ultra-premium Tennessee whiskey Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Whiskey – Batch 3633 wowed the judges with its complexity.
“Spiced toffee nose, rich and fruity palate with well-controlled spice and liquorice touches. Lots of wood but well-integrated,” noted one of the judges. It was high praise – especially for a whiskey that clocks in at 60.9% ABV, a testament to the skilful distilling and maturation of the liquid.
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey honours Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green, a formerly enslaved man, the first known Black master distiller, who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.
Król I Luxury Organic Vodka
Vodka Taste Master 2025
“Clean and engaging” aroma with a “succulent, creamy, velvety texture, with notes of herbs and citrus”.
This was just a snippet of the tasting notes supplied for The Vodka Taste Master 2025.
The Polish vodka was founded by a father-and-son team, who are striving to create a terroir-driven spirit. Król I is produced in western Poland. The founders work closely with local organic farmers to source the rye to make the vodka, which is distilled five times.
At 40% ABV, additional comments from the judges included: “Really classic – very attractive base spirit, notes of herb and citrus, but all in balance. Textured but not heavy, and a gentle but layered finish.”
Rémy Martin XO
Travel Retail Taste Master 2025
The serving recommendations for Rémy Martin XO are neat, on the rocks, or mixed into an Old Fashioned cocktail.
This is a versatile Cognac – and it successfully demonstrated its adaptability during The Travel Retail Masters, where it was crowned the top spirit of the day.
The Cognac is crafted from eaux-de-vie made in the Petit and Grande Champagne regions of Cognac. It clocks in at 40% ABV.
Tasting notes included “dried apricot, zesty and juicy, mouth-watering”.
Pelo del Perro Espadín, Mezcal Artesanal, Joven
Luxury Spirits Taste Master 2025
This mezcal uses Espadín agave harvested from the Cortés family farm, which takes a minimum of six years to mature.
Once ripe, the agave is roasted in earthen pits, fired with local wood. The roasted agave is left to ferment in the open air for up to another week, which deepens the flavour. An ox-drawn tahona mill is used to crush the agave, which is fermented before distillation.
The mezcal is bottled at 45% ABV, and boasts “chargrilled green tomato and capsicum on the nose, leading to earthy and smoky notes with a pinch of white pepper, citrus, sugar syrup and a slight ashy note”.
Belle de Brillet
Liqueur Taste Master 2025
Belle de Brillet is part of the Rémy Cointreau stable of brands.
At The Liqueur Masters 2025, the liqueur was described as having “a fascinating eaux-de-vie nose, with an abundance of pears – beautifully integrated, complex and perfectly balanced”, the judges said. Belle de Brillet is created from Williams pears, which are harvested and distilled in the Anjou region of France.
The pear eaux-de-vie is blended with Cognac, water, and vanilla sugar, which is crafted with fresh vanilla from Madagascar.
Eighteen pears are required to create one bottle of Belle de Brillet.
Never Never Juniper Freak
Gin Taste Master 2025
For the first time in several years, a new brand claimed The Gin Taste Master title: Never Never.
The Australian distiller showed skill in the Navy Strength arm of The Gin Masters tasting, and secured the highest award available. Never Never Juniper Freak is bottled at 58% ABV.
The gin is made from a base of the distillery’s Triple Juniper Gin, which begins by macerating fresh juniper into Australian wheat spirit for more than 24 hours. The liquid is distilled and more juniper berries are added to the spirit to be distilled (along with other botanicals). Lastly, more juniper is added to the vapour basket, which is postioned overhead in the still.
Perro Verde Ensamble
Design & Packaging Best in Class 2025
Perro Verde Ensamble enjoyed an enthusiastic reception from The Design & Packaging Masters judges.
“Beautiful bottle. Really clever embossed design on the glass shows clearly through the liquid. There’s an elegance to the shoulders and the angle of the sides,” one judge enthused. It was a great example of how less can be more when it comes to impactful packaging designs.
The judges loved how Perro Verde Ensamble delivered a beautifully modern, minimalistic, unique design in the mezcal category. Simple, but effective – and highly deserving of being crowned Best in Class 2025.
