Irish whiskey is the next port of call in our highlights of the Bartenders' Brand Awards results.
Amid the swirl of new Irish whiskey brands joining the category, the BBAs has seen consistent results year to year in its judging. Not least the Category Champion, which was once again Disaronno International’s The Busker.
This time: The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth. With notes of fudge, honeycomb and malt, it took gold in the blind tasting with a score of 43/50. Carrying an rrp of £28, the Triple Smooth also took gold for value for money – the packaging won bronze.
Another relative newcomer, Slane, owned by Brown-Forman, finished second once again. The triple-distilled blend impressed on taste, scoring a silver. It took silver in design and, at under £30 rrp, it took silver medal for value for money too.
Belfast Distillery Company’s McConnell’s Sherry Cask Finish was actually the second-best scoring Irish whiskey in the tasting, scoring 41/50 in the blind tasting. A bronze for design and a silver for value for money (rrp £41.99) made for an impressive showing.
In fourth was The Busker Single Pot Still, scoring slivers in taste and value – at £24 it was the second least expensive in the tasting. Fifth was Dead Rabbit, created by Dublin Liberties distillery and the owners of New York’s eponymous bar.
The Bartenders' Brand Awards follows a three-step process to mirror buying behaviour, with each product blind-tasted, judged on value for money and by design. For more on the methodology behind the BBAs, read more here.