Inver House Distillers collects 15 awards
Date Posted: 29 Jun 08
Posted By: Paul Caffell
Keywords: None
Inver House Distillers, which recently claimed the prestigious title of ‘International Distiller of the Year’, is celebrating further success, having collected an astonishing 15 awards at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2008.
These wins follow hot on the heels of Inver House’s presentation of 13 medals at the recent Scotch Whisky Masters Awards 2008. This multitude of successes makes Inver House Distillers one of Scotland’s most prolific whisky industry award winners this year.
The International Wine & Spirits Competition is unique within the industry as it is completely independently judged, making it one of the most highly-regarded by buyers and consumers alike. Each entry is blind tasted by a panel of high-profile judges from around the world and the awards are presented for the quality of the spirit. The competition’s aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world's best wines, spirits and liqueurs.
The accolades that Inver House has been presented with include coveted Gold best in class medals; Gold medals; Silver best in class medals and Silver medals. Every single product entered by Inver House Distillers collected either a Best in Class, Gold or Silver award – demonstrating the high calibre of the spirit of each brand.
With a reputation for a fresh and innovative approach to Scotch whisky, Inver House Distillers has not only been recognised at the International Wine & Sprits Competition 2008 and the Scotch Whisky Masters, it also recently revealed a 107% increase in pre-tax profits and won ‘World’s best Scotch blended whisky’ for its rare Hankey Bannister 40-Years-Old blend at the World Whisky Awards.
The awards that Inver House Distillers was presented with at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2008 are as follows:
• Old Pulteney 17-Year-Old Gold, Best in Class
• Old Pulteney 12-Year-Old Gold medal
• Old Pulteney 21-Year-Old Silver medal
• Old Pulteney Liqueur Silver medal
• Balblair Vintage 1989 Gold, Best in Class
• Balblair Vintage 1997 Gold medal
• Balblair Vintage 1975 Silver medal
• Balblair Vintage 1986 Silver medal
• anCnoc 12-Year-Old Silver medal
• anCnoc 16-Year-Old Silver medal
• Speyburn Solera 25-Year-Old Gold, Best in Class
• Speyburn 10-Year-Old Silver, Best in Class
• Hankey Bannister 21-Year-Old Gold, best in Class
• Hankey Bannister 40-Year-Old Gold medal
• Heather Cream Silver medal
Karen Walker, marketing manager at Inver House Distillers, commented: “For Inver House Distillers to have been presented with such a high number of awards, so soon after our wins at the Scotch Whisky Masters, is enormously exciting for the whole team and is also testament to the quality of our brands.
“The industry is going from strength to strength and we are absolutely dedicated to supporting the growth of Scotch whisky through innovation and fresh thinking. We are very proud indeed of our brands and these awards serve to bolster the team’s enthusiasm and passion.”
What the judges said*:
• Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky 17-Year-Old (Gold, Best in Class): “Unusual nose with hints of buttery popcorn, mint and toffee with orange marmalade. Fine floral note in the background with some aromatic candle wax. Beautifully textured mouth with more orange notes along with fruitcake, brown sugar and some raisin. “
• Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12-Year-Old (Gold): “Delightful nose with floral lead and malty follow. Hints of sea air. Fairly robust in the mouth with layers of fruit, chocolate and coffee flavours. Great softening oak rounds out the mouth and relieves the robust character.”
• Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Vintage 1989 (Gold, Best in Class): “Very complex nose with citrus, honey, brown sugar, lemon zest and some estery notes. Rich and full in the mouth with malt mingling with nectarine, pear and apple. Soft, full flow leads into very long finish. Delightful, versatile dram.”
• Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Vintage 1997 (Gold): “The mild, well peated nose opens with a distinctly salty tang before giving way to the peat and malt. Seaside aromas fill the background all the time. Soft and smooth across the palate with some pine and minty notes. Fresh and clean with some zesty lemon.”
• Speyburn Single Malt Scotch Whisky Solera 25-Year-Old (Gold, Best in Class): “Light aromatics on the nose but great array of them. Chardonnay, white peach, gentle malt, some buttery notes and hint of fudge. Super floral fragrance in the background with a hint of citrus. Mellow and gentle in the mouth yet still full bodied.”
• Speyburn Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10-Year-Old (Silver, Best in Class): “Light and warm. Complex but pleasing hints of floral notes dance lovingly in the background.”
• Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch Whisky 21-Year-Old (Gold, Best in Class): “Attractive yet busy nose offering wide range of ripe fruits, sweet malt and touches of barley sugar and golden syrup. Beautifully spiced. Graceful and lush across the palate with a fine grainy bite becomes apparent.“
• Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch Whisky 40-Year-Old (Gold): “Gentle but very appealing nose where, peach, plum, citrus, malt and barley sugar mingle and marry. Graceful and full across the palate with all the nose promised revealed in full, complex flavours.“
*Selected tasting notes supplied by the judging panel
Further information about the awards is available at: www.iwsc.net
Ends
For media information, please contact Lisa Mennie or Ines Krieghofer at Burt Greener Communications on 0141 248 6007 or email lisa@burtgreener.co.uk / ines@burtgreener.co.uk
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