After four weeks of tasting by almost 100 judges, the 2014 Bartender’s Best Award results are in.
If, in recent months, you had to wait a little longer than normal for a cocktail in London’s bars, it is probably because half the bartenders were judging the Bartender’s Best Awards (BBA).
Over a four week period, 80-odd bartender judges, along with 18 senior judges, blind-sampled and rated all of the brands entered to the BBA’s; a Herculean task at the best of times – more so when the judges are bartenders working shifts in busy bars.
The BBA team have pulled it off however, and the results are in: an announcement was made at London’s NOLA bar yesterday evening (27th October, 2014).
Congratulations to the brands who have won their categories, and to everyone who put their effort and considerable time into making these, the first bartender-judged spirits awards happen – a resounding good job.
Category Winners
- Fortified Wine: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
- Bitters: Bitter Truth Creole Bitters
- Liqueur: Bitter Truth Golden Falernum
- Vodka: Belvedere Unfiltered
- Gin: Geranium 55
- Cognac: Pierre Ferrand 1840
- Rum: Appleton 21yo
- Whisky: Chivas 25yo
- Tequila: Tapatio Blanco
Sub-category winners
Absinthe
- Premium: Maison Fontaine
Vermouth
- Dry/white: Mancino Blanco
- Sweet/red: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
Bitters
- Aromatic: Bitter Truth Creole Bitters
- Spiced: Dale Degroff’s Pimento bitters
Vodka
- Standard: Absolut
- Premium: Belvedere Pure
- Luxury: Belvedere Unfiltered
Flavoured Vodka
- Standard: Ketel One Citron
- Premium: Absolut Craft Herbacious Lemon
Blanco Tequila
- Standard: El Jimador
- Premium: Tapatio
Reposado Tequila
- Premium – Olmeca Altos
Extra Anejo Tequila
- Luxury – Don Julio 1942
Japanese Whisky
- Standard: Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve
- Premium: Hibiki 12yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
- Standard: Chivas 12yo
- Premium: Johnnie Walker Platinum
- Luxury: Chivas 25yo
Peated Scotch Malt
- Premium: Lagavullin 16yo
Unpeated Scotch Whisky
- Standard: Auchentoshan 3 wood
Bourbon
- Standard: Bulleit Bourbon
- Premium: Old Forester
- Luxury: Hudson Four Grain
American Rye Whiskey
- Standard: Bulleit Rye
- Premium: High West Double Rye
- Luxury: Hudson Manhattan Rye
London Dry Gin
- Standard: Hayman’s
- Premium: Geranium
- Luxury: Ford’s Gin
Old Tom Style
- Premium: Hammer & Son Old English
High Strength Gin
- Premium – Geranium 55
Aged Gin
- Burrough’s Reserve
Sloe Gin
- Premium: Plymouth Sloe Gin
White Rum
- Standard: Cana Brava
- Premium: St Nicholas Abbey
- Overproof: Wray & Nephew
Golden Rum
- Standard: Plantation Guatemala
- Premium: El Dorado 15yo
- Luxury: Appleton 21yo
- Overproof: Plantation
Cachaca
- White: Abelha
- Gold: Abelha
Cognac
- Standard: Pierre Ferrand 1840
Liqueur
- Fruit: Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
- Spiced: Bitter Truth Golden Falernum
- Herbal: Licor 43
- Floral: Bitter Truth Violet Liqueur