I
think being a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the
highlight of my work year. The recently concluded event is the largest spirit
competition in the United States and is widely considered the most prestigious
of its type.
Now
in its sixth year, the two-day competition is the brainchild of authors and
spirits authorities F. Paul Pacult and Anthony Dais Blue. Paul is a widely published
writer and the editor of the critically acclaimed Spirits Journal. Anthony Dais Blue is a Bon Appetit contributing editor and the author of
numerous books on cocktails and wines.
What
I find fascinating about these two industry giants is their total lack of
pretense and snobbery. If any individuals have the right to take themselves
seriously it's F. Paul Pacult and Anthony Dais Blue, and frankly, it's a marvel
to me that they don't.
The
competition is held in two elegantly appointed meeting rooms at the Mandarin
Oriental Hotel. The 20 judges are divided into panels of four. In addition to
Pacult and Blue, this year's roster included spirits authorities Richard
Charleton Hacker, Stephen Beal and Sean Ludford; authors and master sommeliers
Steve Olson and Doug Frost; noted mixologists Dale DeGroff, Tony Abou-Ganim and
David Wondrich, and restaurateurs Julio Bermejo and Audrey Saunders.
This
year just over 700 spirits and liqueurs from 52 countries were submitted for
evaluation. Stringent measures are taken to prevent the judges from even
accidentally learning the identity of a brand being evaluated. The organizers
and support staff squawk noisily if a judge happens near the area where the
participating products are staged and prepared for review. I regretted making
that mistake.
The
tasting flights usually consist of between ten and twenty products, which are
positioned in front of each judge in covered glasses marked only with a letter.
Each flight consists of spirits falling within the same category.
Then
the real work kicks in. Each spirit is nosed in succession, the impressions of
which will correspond closely to how the spirit will taste on the palate. Once
completed, it's back to the beginning of the line for a slow and methodical
evaluation of each spirit's taste and the character of its finish.
After
the panel's four judges have finished with their evaluations, each entry is
discussed in turn and medals are awarded. Medals range from bronze through
gold, with the option to award a product no medal. The coveted Double Gold
medal is awarded when the four judges agree that the product is a consensus
gold medal winner. Only a tenth of the products entered in the competition
earned this distinction.
At
the end of the competition, the judges convene and choose between the double
gold winners in each category to select the "Best of Show" captions. Once
again, this year's honorees are magnificent, the short list of which includes:
•
Best of Show - White Spirit -- Plymouth Gin
•
Best of Show - Whisk(e)y -- Laphroaig 30 Year Old Single Islay Malt
•
Best of Show - Liqueur -- Green Chartreuse
•
Best of Show - Tequila -- El Tesoro Paradiso
•
Best of Show - Fruit Liqueur -- Grand Marnier Cuvée Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire
•
Best of Show - Irish Whiskey -- Jameson 12 Year Old
•
Best of Show - Blended Scotch -- Johnny Walker Green Label
•
Best of Show - North American Whiskey -- Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond Rye
•
Best of Show - Rum -- Ron Matusalem 10 Year Old Clasico
•
Best of Show - Vodka -- Zyr
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