Results: Denver Spirits competition
I was very impressed with the variety of judges at the Denver Spirits Competition. Our group consisted of distributors reps, bar owners, bartenders, and spirits educators. Spirits were judged double-blind with a 100 point scale. 80 to 85 points being bronze 86 to 91 being silver 92 and over for gold. Tastings were done with the Neat Glass which had these very convenient cardboard covers to keep aromas from interfering with other tastings. All said and done there were 150+ spirits judged in two days. We started off the tasting with 17 corn vodkas in a row which sound a bit dull but it helped hone our skills for the long two-day stretch. Days started off with lighter fare front like vodkas and ended with flavor bombs like cinnamon whiskey. As you can see from the pictures we got some very unique spirits also some of which were good and some were not so good. All in all, I had a great time, was very educational, and I got to meet some cool people. Here are the results…
Best of Show!
- Sazerac Peychaud’s Aperitivo
Best Of Class!
- Whiskey – Distillery 291 Colorado Whiskey Aspen Stave Finnish
- Single Malt Scotch- Laphroaig Lore
- Bourbon – Blanton’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- Rye – Sagamore Spirits Cask Strength Rye
- Tequila – Casamigos Tequila Anejo
- Vodka – Breckenridge Distillery Vodka
- Brandy – E& J Gallo XO Brandy
- Gin – The Independent Distillery Barrel Rested Gin
- Aquavit – Long Road Distillery Aquavit
- Flavored Rum – Hilton Head Distillery Two Traditions Espresso Rum
- Spiced Rum – Louisiana Spirits Bayou Rum Spiced Rum
- Liqueurs and Others – Vapor Distillery Arrest Coffee
- Moonshine – Reg Bordner Kick Back Cove Clear Moonshine
- Pre-mixed Cocktails – Cutwater Spirits Mai Tai
