A great-value spirit is not necessarily the least expensive spirit. It is one that delivers the right level of quality, character and drinking experience for its recommended retail price.

At the London Spirits Competition, value is assessed only after the judges have completed the blind quality tasting. Judges first determine how good the spirit is without knowing its brand, packaging or price.

Once the quality score has been entered, the spirit’s recommended UK retail price is revealed and the judges move on to the value assessment.

Every spirit receives a separate value score out of 100. Entrants can view this score in their Entrant Zone after the results are released.

Quality Is Assessed Before Price Is Considered

The first stage of judging is conducted blind. Judges assess the quality of the liquid without seeing its bottle, label or brand and without considering its price.

During this stage, the panel evaluates characteristics such as:

- Aroma and flavour
- Balance
- Structure and texture
- Complexity
- Category expression
- Alcohol integration
- Finish
- Overall drinking experience

Each judge then enters an individual quality score out of 100.

Only after the quality assessment has been completed and the judges have submitted their quality scores is the recommended UK retail price shown to them. This prevents price from influencing their initial assessment of the spirit.

An inexpensive spirit does not receive additional quality points simply because it is affordable. Equally, a premium-priced spirit is not assumed to be better because of its price. Every spirit must first establish its quality independently.

Once the Quality Score Is Finalised, Judges Assess Value

After the judges have completed the blind tasting and entered their quality scores, they are shown the spirit’s recommended retail price in the UK.

The same panel then assesses whether the quality, category expression, production method, origin and overall drinking experience justify that price.

Judges also consider normal price expectations for the spirit’s category and positioning. For example, a £50 single malt whisky may represent excellent value, even though £50 would be considered a premium retail price for some other spirits categories.

The judges discuss their assessments when necessary and enter a separate value score out of 100.

Which Price Do the Judges See?

The value assessment is based on the spirit’s recommended retail price in the UK, as supplied by the entrant.

This gives the judges a clear commercial reference point and allows them to consider how the spirit would be positioned for UK consumers.

For producers that are not yet selling in the UK, the entered price should represent the realistic recommended retail price at which the spirit is expected to reach the UK market. It should reflect the intended UK positioning of the product rather than simply its distillery-door price or domestic retail price.

The price should take into account the product’s expected route to market and the commercial costs associated with selling it in the UK.

Providing an accurate recommended UK retail price is important because judges assess whether the spirit delivers an appropriate experience at that specific price point.

Who Assesses the Spirit’s Value?

The same panel that assesses the spirit’s quality also evaluates its value.

The London Spirits Competition is judged by professionals with direct experience in the UK spirits trade. Its judges include spirits buyers, importers, distributors, retailers, bartenders, bar managers, beverage directors, consultants and other senior industry professionals.

These judges regularly make commercial decisions about which spirits to buy, import, distribute, list, recommend and serve. They understand how a spirit’s quality must relate to its price, category, target customer and intended market position.

Each table also has a designated Head Judge. The Head Judge guides the panel discussion, ensures that different opinions are considered, and helps maintain consistency throughout the assessment.

What Does Value Mean?

Value is the relationship between the quality of the spirit and the price the consumer is expected to pay.

Judges are effectively asking:

Does this spirit deliver an appropriate or better-than-expected drinking experience at its recommended UK retail price?

This does not mean that less expensive spirits automatically receive higher value scores. A low-priced spirit that lacks balance, character or enjoyment may offer poor value.

Conversely, a premium spirit can receive a high value score when its quality, complexity, distinction and overall experience justify its price.

Value is always considered within the context of the spirit’s category, production method, age, style and intended positioning.

What Do Judges Consider When Awarding the Value Score?

Judges use their commercial experience and the quality assessment already completed to consider several connected factors.

Quality in relation to price

The central consideration is whether the spirit’s quality justifies its recommended UK retail price.

A spirit may offer strong value when it performs above the level normally expected at its price. A more expensive spirit must demonstrate sufficient quality, complexity, refinement, individuality or provenance to support its premium positioning.

Category expectations

Price expectations vary significantly between spirits categories.

The expected value proposition of a vodka, gin or liqueur will be different from that of a long-aged whisky, cognac, premium tequila or limited-production rum.

Judges assess each spirit within its relevant category rather than comparing every entry with the least expensive product in the competition.

A £25 gin and a £100 whisky can both receive excellent value scores, provided each delivers an experience that justifies its price within its respective category.

Production method and age

Some spirits require longer production periods, specialist ingredients, extended maturation, particular cask types or more complex production methods.

Judges may consider whether these characteristics are expressed clearly enough in the final liquid to support the stated price.

An age statement or expensive production process does not automatically create value. The quality and drinking experience must still justify what the consumer is being asked to pay.

Intended consumer

Judges consider who is likely to buy the spirit and what that customer would reasonably expect at the stated price.

An accessible everyday spirit should offer reliability, enjoyment and a clear expression of its category. A premium or luxury spirit may need to provide greater complexity, individuality, refinement, provenance or distinctiveness.

The question is whether the intended consumer would feel satisfied with the experience after purchasing the product.

Market positioning

Judges consider whether the recommended UK retail price is consistent with the quality of the spirit and its intended position in the market.

A spirit may be technically sound but positioned at a price that creates expectations it does not fully meet. Another may deliver a level of quality that makes its price particularly compelling.

The value score indicates how convincingly the spirit’s quality and price work together.

Overall drinking experience

Consumers ultimately experience value through what is in the glass.

Judges consider whether the spirit is enjoyable, balanced, and complete. They assess whether it delivers what its price appears to promise and whether a consumer would be likely to purchase it again.

Depending on the category, the spirit may be intended to be enjoyed neat, over ice, with a mixer or in a cocktail. Judges consider whether it provides a convincing experience for its intended use and consumer.

Competitive relevance

The judges’ experience of buying, listing and serving spirits allows them to consider how the product may perform alongside comparable products available in the UK.

The competition does not require a direct comparison with one specific competing brand. Instead, judges apply their knowledge of the category and market to determine whether the spirit offers a credible and competitive proposition at its recommended retail price.

Premium Spirits Can Still Offer Excellent Value

Value should not be confused with affordability.

A £20 spirit and a £100 spirit can both receive strong value scores, but they must justify their prices in different ways.

The £20 spirit may succeed by offering clean production, balance, clear category expression and an enjoyable experience that exceeds expectations at that price.

The £100 spirit may justify its price through complexity, precision, maturation, provenance, rarity, structure, length, individuality or an exceptional overall drinking experience.

A premium price must be supported by something meaningful in the liquid. Age, scarcity, an elaborate production story or an established category reputation cannot compensate for a spirit that does not deliver sufficient quality.

The relevant question is not simply, “Is this spirit inexpensive?” It is:

Is the spirit worth the price being asked?

Value Is Not Based on Production Cost Alone

The value assessment is based on the experience delivered to the consumer, not simply the cost of producing the spirit.

A product may use expensive ingredients, specialist equipment, rare casks or a lengthy maturation process. These factors may support its story and positioning, but judges must still determine whether the results can be experienced in the glass.

Consumers do not assess value based only on how much a spirit costs to make. They consider whether the quality, character and overall experience justify the retail price.

The judges approach the value assessment from the same commercial perspective.

How the Value Score Is Decided

After the blind quality assessment has been completed and the recommended UK retail price has been revealed, each judge considers the relationship between the spirit’s quality and its price.

Each judge enters a separate value score out of 100. The panel can discuss the assessment when scores differ significantly or when the product’s pricing and positioning require further consideration.

The Head Judge leads this discussion, ensures different opinions are considered, and helps the panel assess the spirit consistently within its category and price point.

Once all judges have entered their individual value scores, those scores are combined and averaged to produce the spirit’s final value score.

Final Value Score = Total of all judges’ value scores ÷ Number of judges

For example, if four judges enter value scores of:

- Judge 1: 90
- Judge 2: 92
- Judge 3: 89
- Judge 4: 91

The final value score would be:

(90 + 92 + 89 + 91) ÷ 4 = 90.5

Entrants can view their separate value score in the “My Results” section of the Entrant Zone after the results are released.

What Happens After the Value Score Is Entered?

Once the value assessment has been completed, the blind-tasting glasses are removed, and an unopened example of the spirit’s complete original packaging is brought to the table.

Only at this stage do the judges see the spirit’s brand, bottle, closure, label design, and complete presentation.

They then assess the packaging and enter a separate packaging score out of 100.

The judging process therefore follows three clearly defined stages:

1. Quality: The spirit is tasted blind and receives a quality score out of 100.
2. Value: The recommended UK retail price is revealed, and the spirit receives a value score out of 100.
3. Packaging: The original bottle and complete presentation are shown, and the spirit receives a packaging score out of 100.

This order is important. The liquid must first establish its quality. Its price is then considered in relation to that quality. Only after both assessments have been completed can the packaging influence the judges’ evaluation.

How Value Contributes to the Overall Final Score

The London Spirits Competition gives Quality twice the weight of Value and Packaging.

The overall final score is calculated using the following formula:

Final Score = (Quality Score × 2 + Value Score + Packaging Score) ÷ 4

This means:

- Quality accounts for 50% of the overall final score
- Value accounts for 25% of the overall final score
- Packaging accounts for 25% of the overall final score

For example, if a spirit receives:

- Quality Score: 90
- Value Score: 88
- Packaging Score: 86

The final score would be:

(90 × 2 + 88 + 86) ÷ 4 = 88.5

This weighted formula ensures that Quality remains the most important part of the result while still recognising the importance of Value and Packaging in the real spirits market.

A spirit cannot succeed on a low price alone. It must first demonstrate genuine quality and then show that its quality represents good value at the recommended UK retail price.

Image caption: Screenshot of the detailed score breakdown available under “My Results” in the Entrant Zone. Entrants can see how each spirit performed across Quality, Value and Packaging, together with its Final Score and Award.

What the Value Score Tells Entrants

The separate value score gives producers a useful indication of how experienced UK spirits professionals view the relationship between their spirit’s quality and intended retail price.

A strong quality score combined with a lower value score may suggest that the product’s price or market positioning should be reviewed.

A strong value score may indicate that the spirit delivers more than judges expected at its stated price and could offer a particularly competitive proposition.

The value score can help entrants consider:

- Whether the intended UK retail price is realistic
- Whether the spirit’s quality supports its positioning
- Whether the product is targeting the right consumer
- How competitively it may perform within its category
- Whether its price and commercial proposition are properly aligned
- Whether its age, origin, or production method creates sufficient value in the glass
- Whether the market position accurately reflects the drinking experience

From the 2027 competition, entrants will also receive expanded feedback designed to provide more useful commercial direction, including insights into how their spirit may be marketed and sold more effectively.

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A Commercial Assessment Grounded in Quality

The London Spirits Competition’s value assessment reflects how spirits are considered in the real market.

Buyers do not assess quality, price, and positioning in isolation. They must decide whether a spirit delivers the experience its target consumer expects and whether it can compete credibly at its intended retail price.

By completing the blind quality assessment before revealing the price, the competition ensures that the spirit is judged fairly in the glass first. The value assessment then considers whether that quality justifies the recommended UK retail price.

The value score forms 25% of the overall final score and provides entrants with a clear, separate measure of their spirit’s price-to-quality proposition.

The fundamental question for every spirit is:

At its recommended UK retail price, does this spirit deliver genuine value to the consumer?

Also Read:
How London Spirits Competition Judging Really Happens: Quality, Value and Packaging Explained
How Judges Assess Quality at the London Spirits Competition
How Judges Assess Packaging at the London Spirits Competition