Pusser's Rum Takes Home Gold at 2021 ISW Awards

Meininger's 2021 ISW Awards

The Competition:

Spirits have been distilled and drunk for centuries now and the occasions to do so are manifold. The choice of spirits is huge, ranging from clear schnapps through to fruit brandies and liqueurs. 

Participation:

The International Spirits Award is the name of a respected and well-organized event. With the help of the special ISW publication in which all winners of gold and silver medals are listed, consumers are provided with valuable orientation support. 

The Tasting Process:

Registered spirits are allocated to groups of judges, each consisting of five to six tasters. Under the leadership of the head judge, the jury blind-tastes the spirits in thematic flights. Each jury member tastes each spirit and makes an objective assessment. Unlike in many other competitions, a comparative assessment is neither made nor openly discussed. This ensures that each spirit is given the full attention it deserves. The results of each jury member are checked for completeness by the head judge on each table before being recorded electronically. The final score is ultimately the average of all submitted assessments.

Rastal nosing glasses are used throughout for tasting, to ensure optimum comparability. Using a 100-point system, each judge rates the samples on the basis of their appearance, aroma, taste and overall impression. Additionally – and this is another special feature of the ISW – the spirits are described according to their aroma using an aroma wheel specially designed for each type of spirit. This shows the flavour profile of the product at a glance and provides real added value for both end consumers and producers alike.

Results: