Early Deadline
30 Nov 2024
Judging
Date
26 & 27 March 2025
Winners Announcement
22 April 2025
30 Nov 2024
26 & 27 March 2025
22 April 2025
ENSO, a delicate blended whisky is the first release within the ENSO Japanese whisky range. The whisky is a handcrafted pot still blend aged in American oak barrels with subtle hints of caramel and vanilla that give way to fruity and floral aromas. ENSO is well balanced to work perfectly on its own, on the rocks, or in making cocktails and other favorite long drinks. ENSO translates from Japanese to ‘circle’ or 'cycle’. It hails from Kiyokawa, within the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan. ENSO was crowned with a Gold Medal and Best in Show By Country awards at the 2021 London Spirits Competition.
“This is a great expression, really well balanced, rich, smooth and silky, lots of fruits, dark chocolate coming through,” quoted Anna Sebastian, Bar Manager at the Artesian Bar, Langham London, Langham Hotels & Resorts.
“Beautiful honey notes with hints of melon and sweet vermouth. A bit of toasted oak and brioche in the middle. Finish is medium with hints of prunes,” said Andrei Marcu, Bar Manager at Coupette, London.
Enso Blended Whiskey
London, April 12 – Spirits from all over the world participated in the fourth annual London Spirits Competition, which took place in London on March 17, 2021. Spirits were judged on the basis of three primary criteria – quality, value, and packaging – and then scored on a 100-point scale. Spirits that scored 90+ points were awarded Gold medals, spirits that scored 76 to 89 points were awarded Silver medals and spirits between 65 and 75 were awarded Bronze.
The primary reason for using three criteria rather than just one was to focus on the overall drinkability of each spirit. As a result, the judging panel ranked spirits not just by how they taste, but also their overall presentation and appearance in the bottle. In addition, judges assessed spirits on their relative value in relation to their peers, and the quality they offer, as determined by retail pricing.
Staff at the London Competitions
The London Spirits Competition is organized by Beverage Trade Network, which organizes alcohol beverage industry events all over the world. The goal of this event was to judge spirits the way consumers assess them.
At the judging session, judges tasted and scored spirits on a blind basis before seeing bottles and marking them for on-shelf appeal as well as value for money. This enabled them to come up with an overall score that reflects their overall drinkability.
These are the results highlights from this year’s competition
Spirit Of The Year - Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka by Ramsbury Brewing & Distilling Co. Ltd
Vodka Of The Year - Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka by Ramsbury Brewing & Distilling Co. Ltd
Rum Of The Year - Rum Nation by Rum Nation International
Tequila Of The Year - IZO Tequila Extra Anejo Cristalino by Belzmart Group, Llc Dba Izo Mezcal
Gin Of The Year - Botanic Australis Navy Strength Gin by Mt. Uncle Distillery
Whisky Of The Year - Dingle Distillery Fourth Single Pot Still Release by The Dingle Distillery
Brandy Of The Year - St-Rémy Signature by St-Rémy
Liqueur Of The Year - Muyu Vetiver Gris by De Kuyper Royal Distillers
Cognac Of The Year - A. de Fussigny Grande Champagne VSOP by A De Fussigny Sas
Distillery Of The Year - De Kuyper Royal Distillers from Netherlands.
United Kingdom - Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka
Netherlands - Muyu Vetiver Gris
Australia - Botanic Australis Navy Strength Gin
Italy - Rum Nation
Ireland - Dingle Distillery Fourth Single Pot Still Release
France - Eau De Vie De Poire Williams Vrp
Japan - Enso Japanese Blended Whisky
United States - Legent Bourbon
Canada - Georgian Bay Vodka
Germany - Mahiki White Coconut
Mexico - IZO Tequila Extra Anejo Cristalino
Best Spirit By Quality - Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka
Best Spirit By Value - Eau De Vie De Poire Williams
Best Spirit By Package - Muyu Vetiver Gris
Click here to see the full results
For more information on the London Spirits Competition, please see: www.londonspiritscompetition.com
For more information on Beverage Trade Network, please see: www.beveragetradenetwork.com
Call for domestic and international submission is now open for London Spirits Competition. Enter your spirits and give your brand a global boost. Register now to save on early bird pricing before November 30, 2024.