Ultimate Spirits Challenge Announces 2016 Results

By Chilled Magazine

Spirits Also Assessed in USC’s Innovative Cocktail Evaluation.

Ultimate Spirits Challenge®, the world’s platinum standard for spirits competitions, proudly announces the winners and full results for the just-completed 2016 Challenge.

Gabi Porter, Paul Tanguay and Jacques Bezuidenhout discussing a score, industry news

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Porter

Paul Tanguay and Jacques Bezuidenhout discussing a score

Ultimate Spirits Challenge (USC), now in its seventh year, celebrates 40 Chairman’s Trophy winners, USC’s highest award of excellence, along with 157 Finalists. Ultimate Spirits Challenge was held at the specially designed Ultimate Beverage Challenge Evaluation Center in Hawthorne, NY.

Brian Bevalacqua about to take flights to judging panels, Gabi Porter , industry news

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Porter

Brian Bevalacqua about to take flights to judging panels

“One of the many advantages of having our own year-round facility is that instead of having to judge hundreds of spirits entries over a couple of days like other competitions do, we can, by design, break each category down into smaller flights. This means that USC judging panels can focus on each flight with greater in-depth attention and analytical precision, resulting in truer, more accurate assessments. This hyper-focus allows USC to provide useful, extensive and authoritative data to companies for use in building their spirits brands.”
– UBC founder and USC judging chairman, F. Paul Pacult

Gabi Porter, Don Lee and Tad Carducci, industry news

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Porter

Don Lee and Tad Carducci

USC also provides an additional component to the competition with its inclusion of a cocktail evaluation. The judges are able to taste and assess a spirit’s “mixability factor” in several classic cocktail recipes in suitable spirits categories.

Gabi Porter, Paul Tanguay and Jacques Bezuidenhout, industry news

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Porter

Paul Tanguay and Jacques Bezuidenhout

This groundbreaking innovation, employed by no other competition, allows even deeper evaluation of spirits. Recommendations for cocktails, along with complete results, can be found at Ultimate-Beverage.com

USC 2016 – CHAIRMAN’S TROPHY WINNERS


ABSINTHE

Vieux Pontarlier

BAIJIU

HKB Hong Kong

BITTER/AMARO/APERITIF

Bitter: Tempus Fugit Spirits Gran Classico

BRANDY

American: Christian Brothers Sacred Bond

Armagnac: Chateau de Laubade Intemporel N5 25 Years Old

Calvados: Christian Drouin XO

Cognac: Cognac Frapin Extra

Grappa: Nonino Cru Monovitigno Picolit

Pisco: La Caravedo Puro Quebranta

Spanish Brandy: Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva Carta Real Brandy de Jerez

GIN

The West Winds Gin “The Cutlass”

LIQUEUR

Cointreau

MEZCAL

Mezcales de Leyenda Murcielago Durango 2015

RUM

Flavored Rum: Kōloa Kauai Coconut
Rhum Agricole: Damoiseau XO
Spiced Rum: Chic Choc
Unflavored Rum: Privateer “The Queen’s Share”

TEQUILA 100% AGAVE

Blanco: Siete Leguas
Reposado: Blue Nectar Extra Blend
Añejo: El Tesoro
Extra Añejo: Herradura Seleccion Suprema

WHISKY – CANADA

J.P. Wiser’s Red Letter 2015 Edition

WHISKEY – IRELAND

Blended: Midleton Very Rare 2015
Irish Pot Still: Redbreast 21 Years Old
Single Grain: Teeling Single Grain
Single Malt: Egan’s 10 Years Old

WHISKY – SCOTLAND

Blended Malt: Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Years Old
Blended: Buchanan’s Deluxe 12 Years Old
Single Malt: Highland Park Ice Edition 17 Years Old

WHISKEY – USA

American: Clyde May’s Special Reserve
Bourbon: Blade and Bow Limited Release 22 Years Old Kentucky Straight
Rye: Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Style
Single Malt: Westland

WHISKEY – WORLD

Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak Single Malt

WHISKEY – WORLD – FLAVORED

Knob Creek Smoked Maple

SHOCHU

Wapirits Tumugi

VERMOUTH

Dry: Martini Riserva Speciale Ambrato
Sweet: La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Rouge

VODKA

Flavored: Hanson of Sonoma Organic Vodka – Habanero Flavored
Unflavored: Purus Organic

For complete results visit Ultimate-Beverage.com/USC2016Results

Gabi Porter, Sean Kenyon, David Wondrich and Joaquin Simo, industry news

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Porter

Sean Kenyon, David Wondrich and Joaquin Simo

All products are rated on the 100-point scale by the spirits industry’s most renowned judges including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners. The judges for USC 2016 included: Founder/Judging Chairman F. Paul Pacult, Jeff Bell, Jacques Bezuidenhout, Tad Carducci, Gregg Glaser, Don Lee, Francis Schott, Joaquin Simo, Andy Seymour, Paul Tanguay and David Wondrich.

Gabi Porter, USC cocktails - Troy Clarke measuring precisely, industry news

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Porter

USC cocktails – Troy Clarke measuring precisely

All spirits rated 80 points and higher receive an individual results page (accessed by clicking on “more” next to the product name) which provides all downloadable marketing materials for the product – including icons, shelf-talkers (where applicable) and a bottle image for easy consumer identification.

Gabi Porter, Gregg Glaser and Francis Schott evaluating a Cosmopolitan, industry news

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Porter

Gregg Glaser and Francis Schott evaluating a Cosmopolitan

Spirits rated 85 points and higher also receive a tasting note. If a spirit is recommended for the category’s assigned classic cocktail, it is also indicated on this page. USC results are promoted globally via email and web publication to both trade buyers and consumers.

Gabi Porter, Behind the scenes at USC 2016, industry news

Photo Courtesy of Gabi Porter

Behind the scenes at USC 2016

In addition, high scoring products are featured in the Ultimate Beverage Challenge Guide published each year in the October issue of Beverage Media reaching more than 70,000 on- and off-premise spirits buyers.

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