NYISC 2010 Results

INTRODUCING THE MEDAL WINNERS FROM THE DEBUT OF THE

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS COMPETITION

This is the year that the face of spirits competitions changes

November 22, 2010, New York, NY – The New York International Spirits Competition, which welcomed 187 submissions from 28 countries in 47  categories had only 1 Double Gold, 13 Golds, 36 Silver and 45 Bronze Medals. The NYISC also awarded a “Distillery of The Year” and “Importer of The Year” This is the first major international spirits competition to be judged solely by members of the trade who have purchasing power through their stores, bars, distribution networks and their resulting ability to make a direct impact on brand sales.

Held at the Brandy Library earlier this month this year’s judging panel included buyers from the top retail stores, restaurant and bar owners, distributors and importers who all donated their time and palates without hesitation or compensation.

Additionally, what sets this competition apart from others where members of the media are included in the judging process is the fact that the New York International Spirits Competition judges evaluate spirits within their categories at pricing parity.  So, for instance, a whiskey that retails for $50 will be judged with other whiskeys in that price range and not be put up against whiskies that go for $100.

While keeping to the philosophy that “like should be compared with like” when it comes to pricing, the competition also strives to only award the crème de la crème in a category, instead of handing out medals to every entrant. Only the truly stand-out brands end up in the winner’s circle and then, accordingly, find themselves placed up on wine and liquor store shelves and on the city’s best back bars. In addition to considering similarly priced bottles against similarly priced bottles, each spirit was sampled for appearance, aroma, taste, mouth feel, and finish. Each panel conferred on their choices to come to a unanimous decision.

Spirits landing on these shelves are carrying awards designated as either: Double Gold, Gold, Silver, or Bronze though not every bottle entered received a medal, as is common practice with many other competitions. A Bronze medal indicates it is something a judge would consider carrying; Silver medals designate the spirit that judges really liked; Gold medals are affixed to brands that the judging panel believed was worth promoting to their customers; Gold award winners were re-tasted by all panelists to establish which brands may be eligible to receive a ‘Double Gold’ endorsement in its pricing.

IMPORTER OF THE YEAR

PREISS IMPORTS

DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR

DELAWARE PHOENIX DISTILLERY

SPIRITS CATEGORIES AND MEDAL WINNERS

Whiskies

Blended Irish Whiskey Less Than $40

Slane Castle-Bronze

Blended Scotch Whiskey 10 Year And Younger & Less Than $40

Fort Glen-Bronze

Blended Scotch Whiskey 11-20 Years Less Than $40

Dewars 12 Year-Bronze

Blended Scotch Whiskey 11-20 Years $40-70

Dewars 18 Year-Silver

Black Bull 12 Year-Bronze

Distillers Single Malt 10 Years And Younger & Less Than $40

Laphroaig 10 Year-Gold

Springbank CV- Gold

Distillers Single Malt 11-20 Years & $40-70

Balvenie Carribean Cask-Gold

Glenlivet Nadurra Cask-Gold

Glendronach 14Yr Virgin Oak Finish-Gold

Benriach 12 Year-Silver

Kilkerran- Silver

Laphroaig Quarter Cask-Silver

Glendronach 12 Year-Bronze

Distillers Single Malt 11-20 Year & $71-100

Benriach 15 Yr Cask 7165-Gold

Laphroaig 18 YR- Silver

Distillers Single Malt 11-20 Year & $101+

Balvenie Peated Cask- Silver

GlenDronach 15 Year 1995 Cask 2045-Bronze

Single Malt Irish Whiskey 10 Year & Younger $40-70

Slieve Foy-Bronze

Small Batch Bourbons 10Yr and Younger & $40 Less

Woodford Reserve- Silver

Basil Hayden- Bronze

Straight Bourbon 10 Year and Younger & $40 Less

Old Forrester- Bronze

Aged Craft Distillery Less Than 2 Year & $40 Less

Catoctin Roundstone Rye- Silver

Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey- Silver

Balcones Blue- Bronze

Balcones Rumble- Bronze

Rogue Oregon Single Malt-Bronze

Aged Craft Distillery Less Than 2 Year & $41-70

Balcones True Blue- Bronze

Unaged Craft Distillery Less Than $40

Catoctin Organic Mosby Spirit-Silver

Unaged Craft Distillery $41-70

Rye Dog-Gold

Vodkas

Unflavored Vodka Less Than $25

Finlandia Vodka- Silver

Hudson Feruss- Bronze

Unflavored Vodka $26-40

Bootlegger 21 New York Vodka- Gold

Comb Vodka- Silver

Silver “CHINGGIS” Mongolian Vodka- Silver

Moses Vodka- Silver

Twenty 2 Vodka- Bronze

666 Voka- Bronze

Bee Vodka- Bronze

Peabody Jones Vodka- Bronze

Unflavored Vodka $41+

42 Below Vodka- Bronze

Flavored Vodka Less Than $25

Finlandia Grapefruit- Silver

Stolichynaya Blueberry- Silver

360 Vodka Cola Double Chocolate- Silver

Stolichynaya Blakberi-Bronze

Stolichynaya Gala Apple- Bronze

Stolichynaya Razberry- Bronze

360 Vodka- Vanilla

Flavored Vodka $26-40

Hangar One Pear- Gold

Hangar One Mandarin- Silver

Hangar One Rasberry- Bronze

Gin

Gin $26-40

Cardinal Gin- Silver

Comb Gin- Bronze

Wild Kis Gin- Bronze

Gin $41+

Oxley Gin- Gold

Gin Craft Flavored Gin $26-40

Rogue Pink Gin- Bronze

Rum

Rum White $25 Less

Santa Teresa Claro- Silver

Siesta Key- Silver

Rum Dark $25 Less

Bacardi Select- Silver

Bacardi 8- Bronze

Rum Dark $26-40

Vizcaya VXOP-DOUBLE GOLD

Rum Dictator 12 YR- Bronze

Rum Dark $41+

Rum Dictator 20 Yr- Silver

Rum Gold $25 Less

Cruzan 9- Silver

Santa Teresa Gran Reserva- Bronze

Rum Gold $26-40

Santa Teresa 1796- Silver

Rum Spiced $25 Less

Sailor Jerry- Bronze

Rum Liqueur $25 Less

Isla-N- Bronze

BRANDIES

Cognac XO $151+

‘Cognac Hors D’age Bache-Gabrielsen- Bronze

Eau-de-Vie $30 Less

Williams Crist- Silver

French Grape Brandy $30 Less

Marquis de Villard- Bronze

Pisco $30 Less

Don Alvaro- Gold

Other Brandies $30 Less

Staldjanska Muscat Matured Rakia- Bronze

Liquers

Absinthe $41+

Walton Waters- Gold

Coffee Liqueurs $25 Less

Fair Cafe Liqueur-Silver

Cream/Dairy Liqueurs $25 Less

Amarula – Bronze

Molly’s Irish Cream- Bronze

Fruit Liqueurs $25 Less

Pama- Bronze

Fruit Liqueurs $26-40

Crème Yvette- Silver

Ventura Limoncello- Silver

Herbal/Botanicals $25 Less

Sugar Maple Liqueur-Bronze

Herbal/Botanicals $26-40

St. Germain- Silver

Unlisted Spirit $26-40

Jaan Liqueur- Silver

Tequila

Blanco $30 Less

Ambhar Plata- Silver

Corzo- Bronze

Sauza-Bronze

Blanco $31-50

Herradura- Bronze

Reposado $30 Less

El Ultimo- Silver

Reposado $31-50

El Jimador- Silver

Ambhar- Bronze

Reposado $51+

Milagro Select- Gold

Anejo $30 Less

Sauza- Bronze

Anejo $31-50

El Ultimo- Gold

Milagro- Silver

Anejo $51+

Milagro Select-Silver

Judging Panel:

Bek Allen                              Partner -Hush Cocktails

Miguel Aranda                     Mixologist – Apotheke

Flavian Desoblin                 Owner – Brandy Library

Ray Deter                              Owner – d.b.a

Eben Freeman                     Beverage Director – Altamarea Group

Courtenay Greenleaf          Tequila Librarian of La Biblioteca – Richard Sandoval Restaurants

Chris Hiatt                            Slope Cellars of Brooklyn

Katherine Ramos                Drink Up NY

Raphael Reyes                      Mixologist – 1534

David Roth                            Beverage Director- Feng Asian Bistro

Erin-Elizabeth Williams    Partner – Hush Cocktails

For more information:

Adam Levy

info@nyispiritscompetition.com

V. (201) 747-7111

F. (917) 338-0163