A golden era for the world's best spirits & distillates: World Spirits Award & Festival 2012 at the GAST in Klagenfurt from Peachy Deegan's Linkedin Friend Wolfram Ortner in Europe
A golden era for the world's best spirits & distillates:
World Spirits Award & Festival 2012 at the GAST in Klagenfurt
More products, more categories, more distilleries, more countries, more medals,
more Spirits of the Year, more awards - and more success: this was the sum total
of the WSA 2012. Wolfram Ortner successfully ran the ninth edition of the top-quality
award ceremony and exhibition at the GAST in Klagenfurt from 11 to 14 March 2012.
For the first time in the history of the WSA, eight awards were handed out -
four for the title of "Distillery of the Year" and another four for the winning
spirits in the individual groups.
The superstars of 2012 were - for the second time in a row - the German distillery
Hubertus Vallendar which won two awards and the title "Distillery of the Year".
The Tyrolean distillery Christoph Kössler was named "Distillery of the Year"
and also secured the winning position in the cigar distillates category, thereby
winning its sixth and seventh consecutive award.
One award - "Distillery of the Year" - went to the Dutch distillery Herman Jansen
for its genever products.
The Tyrolean distilleries Gerhard Maas and Günter Oberhofer, as well as the Swiss
cherry distillery Arnold Dettling, came out at the top of their groups, winning
three additional World Spirits Awards.
The Austrian distilleries Zweiger (egg liqueur), Günter Oberhofer (Granny Smith
apple), Kössler (barley cigar distillate) and Maass-Brand (blackcurrant liqueur)
received the title "Spirits of the Year 2012" for the outstanding quality of
their products. Two titles went to Switzerland - Arnold Dettling AG (wild cherry)
and S. Fassbind AG (Crčme Brūlée Cream) - and one to the Australian Inner Circle
Distillery (Inner Circle Rum Grey).
35 distilleries were classified into the various categories (from fruit brandies
to whiskies, grappas and rums) with 21 of them being awarded the title of "World-Class
Distillery", 7 being named as a "Master-Class Distillery" and 6 as a "First-Class
Distillery" - one distillery received the title "Recommended".
75 participants and distilleries from 30 nations (islands) took part in the "World
Spirits Award 2012", submitting 391 spirits for consideration. 331 medals were
awarded - 22 double golds (7 of them Spirits of the Year), 229 golds, 115 silvers
and 10 bronze medals. 11 products received the title of "Best in Category". The
results are based on the WOB 100 point evaluation system, which is specially
tailored to the world of spirits. An experienced international jury of tasters
ensured an objective assessment.
www.world-spirits-guide.com
