Grappa Riserva Invecchiata is aged for over 2 years in oak barrels, and then passed into American barrels from Tennessee which have been used to age "Tennessee Whiskeys", and are therefore are able to give life to very fine spirits, characterized by intense aromas, malt notes and a persistent aftertaste that closely resembles that of Tennessee Whiskey. 

The 2022 London Spirits Competition successfully took place last week and the results are already out! A competition where all the spirits are judged on the basis of 3 aspects: quality, value, and packaging.  To become a winner, a spirit must showcase excellent standards on all the 3 mentioned criteria. 

A wide range of judges including the country’s top bartenders and spirit buyers were present at the St Mary’s church in London’s Marylebone. Experts from prestigious restaurants, bars, and hotels such as the Ritz, Le Manoir, Gleneagles, the Goring, the Connaught, and Claridges were the judges at this competition. The 5th edition of  London Spirits Competition achieved new heights with a range of vodkas, gins, and whiskeys along with some interesting spirits that entered the competition. 

The 2022 Competition saw 447 entries from the United Kingdom as the top entrant country, followed by 323 products from Australia and 160 from the United States. 771 Gins made Gin the top category entrant followed by Whiskey and Rum.

Top Winners at the London Spirits Competition

Best Spirits of The Year 2022: Bareksten Navy Strength Gin, Norway

Best Spirits of The Year (by Quality): Bareksten Navy Strength Gin, Norway

Best Spirits of The Year (by Value): Samuel Gelston's Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Ireland

Best Spirits of The Year (by Package): Bareksten Navy Strength Gin, Norway

Best Vodka of The Year 2022: Vestal Vodka, Poland

Best Rum of The Year 2022: Rum Nation Panama 21 Aged Years, Panama

Best Tequila of The Year 2022: Tequila Don Fulano Imperial, Mexico

Best Gin of The Year 2022: Bareksten Navy Strength Gin, Norway

Best Whisky of The Year 2022: Spirit Hound Straight Malt Whiskey, United States

Best Brandy of The Year 2022: Grappa Riserva Invecchiata in Botti da Whiskey, Italy

Best Liqueur of The Year 2022: Amaro San Marco, Italy

Best Cognac of The Year 2022: Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula, France

View All Winners Here.

Grappa Riserva Invecchiata in Botti da Whiskey, Italy:  93 Points 

Awards won:  Best Brandy of The Year 2022, Gold Medal.

The intense aroma is characterized by notes of malt and a refined, complex flavor with a persistent aftertaste, which is very reminiscent of the Tennessee Whiskey already contained in these barrels.

 This brandy should be served alone at a temperature of 12 ° C. Also excellent as an ingredient for the preparation of gourmet dishes, such as King Prawns with Tennessee Whiskey Barrel Grappa reduction.

Gavio Riva, floor manager at the Hoxton; Diana Aladzic, head bartender at Soho House; Paolo Perrini, bartender at Claridge’s; Agostino Perrone, director of mixology at the Connaught Hotel; and Daniele Azzaro, bartender at Rocco Forte Hotels, Salvatore Calabrese, bar owner and consultant to the bar industry – these were some of the judges at the 2022 London Spirits Competition who are industry’s best spokespersons and are highly regarded in the hospitality industry. “I’ve been really impressed by the line-up of spirits we’ve tasted so far today, and looking forward to discovering more as the day progresses!”. Said Oliver Eardley, bartender at the Savoy Hotel.

All the spirits are tasted blind by the judges are analyzed on the basis of  three key aspects – quality, value, and packaging, and are scored on a 100-point scale. Spirits that score 90 plus points are awarded a Gold medal while those spirits that get 76 – 89 points receive a Silver. For spirits that score between 65 and 75 points, the bronze medal is awarded.

About London Spirits Competition

The London Spirits Competition is an international spirits competition organized by Beverage Trade Network. The competition looks to recognize, reward, and help promote brands that have successfully been created to tick all the boxes - quality, value, and packaging.

Contact the London Spirits Competition at Brian

Call us on : +44 330 097 0138 | +1 302 803 4758.