Tinberry Distilling Co. has a lot to brag about after winning Double Gold twice this year at international spirit competitions. When browsing gins proudly sporting badges that boast Bronze, Silver, Gold or Double Gold from a plethora of local or international competitions, you may be wondering what some of these terms mean – and no, Double Gold isn’t just winning Gold twice! Much rarer, you may find an elusive Platinum or Trophy award. So pour yourself a G&T and let’s dig into some industry basics.
One of the most well-known global spirit competitions is the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), which was established in 1969 and is considered one of the world’s leading wine and spirit contests. The IWSC uses a rigorous scoring system that involves multiple rounds of blind tastings by a panel of experts. The judges evaluate each spirit on its own merit, taking into account factors such as appearance, aroma, taste, and overall quality. The spirits are then given a score out of 100, with the highest-scoring entries receiving gold medals and other awards.
Another notable global spirit competition is the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), which was founded in 2000. The SFWSC and other competitions use a similar scoring system to the IWSC, but can also include Trophies like “Best in Class” where spirits are judged against others in their specific category, such as Contemporary, London Dry or Barrel-Aged. “Best in Show” and other trophies can recognise standout gins, whole distilleries and individuals up and coming in the industry, too.
Both the IWSC and SFWSC award various medals to the top-scoring spirits, such as Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Double Gold is awarded to entries that receive a unanimous Gold rating from the entire panel. Even rarer, if an entry receives Double Gold for three consecutive years, they are awarded Platinum. While the scoring requirements may vary slightly between competitions, these awards are highly coveted by distilleries, as they can help to increase the profile and sales of a spirit.
Closer to home, we also have plenty of awards recognising Australian spirits, including the Australian Gin Awards, Australian Distilled Spirit Awards and Royal Australian Spirit Awards.
Noteworthy judges at these spirit competitions include industry experts and renowned spirits writers. For example, the IWSC boasts a judging panel that includes Master Distillers, Head Distillers, and Chief Executives from some of the world’s leading distilleries.
In addition to recognising the best spirits in the world, global spirit competitions also serve as a valuable learning opportunity for both judges and consumers. Through these competitions, judges are able to gain a deep understanding of the various styles and flavours of spirits from around the world. And for consumers, these competitions provide a wealth of information about the quality and characteristics of different spirits, allowing them to make more informed purchasing decisions.
Overall, these awards recognise the best gins in the world and help consumers choose the best gins to try. Don’t be disheartened if your favourite gin doesn’t have a raft of awards under its belt yet – with so many bottles out there, scores are only given to distilleries choose to submit for judging. But, if you are looking to try something new from abroad, be sure to check out some of the winners of these prestigious awards!
