Ultimate Spirits Challenge Winners Announced

March 25, 2015 – The Ultimate Spirits Challenge competition led by Spirit Journal editor F. Paul Pacult has announced its 2015 winners in whiskies, along with vodkas, gins, rums, and other spirits. 33 Chairman’s Trophy winners were selected, along with 162 finalists. The competition also awards “tried and true award” status (T&TA) to spirits that have received at least 85 points from the judging panel in two Ultimate Spirits Challenge competitions since 2010, along with “great value” awards (GV) to spirits that have “a favorable relationship between their price and final USG score.”

This year’s winners in the various whisky categories:

American Whiskeys

American: Lone Elm Texas Wheat
Kentucky Straight Bourbon: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Years Old (T&TA)
Rye: Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight 6 Years Old (T&TA)
Tennessee: George Dickel No. 12 (GV, T&TA)

Irish Whiskeys

Blended: Jameson 18 Years Old (T&TA)
Irish Pot Still: Redbreast 15 Years Old (T&TA)
Single Malt: Bushmills 16 Years Old (T&TA)

 Scotch Whiskies

Blended Malt: Sheep Dip (T&TA)
Blended: Dewar’s 18 Years Old (T&TA)
Single Malt: Aberlour A’bunadh Single Malt (GV, T&TA)

Canadian Whiskies

Tap Rye Sherry Finished 8 Years Old (GV)

French Whiskies

Armorik Single Malt Sherry Finish (T&TA)

Welsh Whiskies

Penderyn Single Malt (T&TA)

This year’s judging panel was led once again by F. Paul Pacult, and included James Conley, Tad Carducci, Dale DeGroff, Gregg Glaser, Geoffrey Kleinman, Douglass Miller, Dan Nicolaescu, Steve Olson, Will Shine, Francis Schott, Andy Seymour, and Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, MW.

Complete results are available at the competition’s web site.

Links: Ultimate Spirits Challenge Results