Top 10 award-winning autumn spirits

Autumn has properly and really arrived for these north of the equator. Whereas pumpkin spiced lattes may be your tipple of alternative throughout the day, we’ve picked some good bottlings to get pleasure from because the nights attract.

From a traditional vodka and two standout white rums to high-quality whiskeys and a ready-to-drink Espresso Martini cocktail, there’s an eclectic mixture of award-winning merchandise so as to add to your house bar this season.

Plus, for anybody abstaining from booze, there’s even a scrumptious alcohol-free choice included under.

Every product was picked from our prime medal winners at this 12 months’s DB & SB Autumn Blind Tasting, securing both a Gold or Grasp medal – the best award accessible.

The competitors required three panels of spirits specialists, who headed to the Ibis Lodge in London Bridge, UK, for the day’s tasting. Forming the primary panel had been: Nicola Thomson, director of Fifteen 71; Julia Nourney, unbiased spirits marketing consultant; Marie Cheong‐Thong, wine and spirits choose, and Wine and Spirit Training Belief (WSET) educator; and Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Enterprise, and chair of the tasting.

David T Smith, spirits marketing consultant and co‐founding father of the Craft Distilling Expo, chaired the second panel. Bernadette Pamplin, spirits author and choose; Dimple Athavia, founding father of All Issues Drinks; and Tobias Gorn, worldwide drinks specialist, joined Smith for the tasting.

Sitting on the third panel had been: Nicola Carruthers, deputy editor of The Spirits Enterprise; Ivan Dixon, unbiased spirits marketing consultant; and Matt Chambers, co‐founding father of the Whisky For Everybody weblog and North London Whisky Membership, who additionally acted as chair.

Proceed scrolling to peruse our collection of prime spirits to pattern this autumn, and tell us what you’ll be consuming within the feedback.

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Worth: £37 (US$51)

British vodka Au takes its title from the periodic desk image for gold, ‘Au’. The vodka is distilled 5 occasions, filtered by charcoal then put by a filter chamber containing gold.

The Grasp medallist was described as “clear and contemporary” on the nostril and “creamy on the palate, with vanilla, a touch of marshmallow and a pleasant warming, peppery nature”.

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Worth: £34 (US$47)

Grasp medallist Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon wowed our judges with its “advanced and massive” flavour profile, with scrumptious flavours of “toffee, espresso and popcorn”.

Bottled at a better ABV of 49.5%, the oak-barrel-aged Bourbon is charcoal-filtered. It’s constructed from a mash invoice containing corn, rye and barley.

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Worth: US$36.99

When it got here to white rum, Ten to One Caribbean White Rum stole the present. The expression blew the judges away with its “estery, grassy” notes mingled with further flavours of “toffee and caramel”.

The makers of this award-winning expression mix unaged column nonetheless rum from the Dominican Republic with high-ester pot nonetheless rum from Jamaica. Ultimate for mixing in cocktails, the rum sits at 45% ABV.

The model not too long ago acquired a lift with backing from singer Ciara, who joined the corporate as an investor, co-owner and director in early October.

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Worth: €400 (US$475)

Havana Membership’s annual Tributo bottlings are at all times extremely wanted – and this 12 months’s launch didn’t disappoint. “Wealthy and scrumptious” Havana Membership Tributo 2021 was completed in white Port casks from the Douro Valley in Portugal, earlier than being bottled at 40% ABV.

It was made utilizing reserves from earlier Tributo releases, and blended with rum taken from a batch of 100 unique casks which have by no means been made accessible commercially.

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Worth: £20 (US$28)

In case you’re on the lookout for one thing deliciously mild and on the sweeter aspect, Parafante Fig Leaf Liqueur might be your preferrred alternative this autumn. The liqueur could be chilled and sipped neat, or blended in a easy cocktail.

At 20% ABV, this completely fits these on the lookout for one thing with a decrease alcohol content material, whereas nonetheless delivering heaps of flavour. The Grasp winner was loved for having “pretty fig notes and a touch of cocoa and white chocolate”.

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Worth: £39 (US$54) for a pack of six

NIO Cocktails has created a Gold-worthy ready-to-drink Espresso Martini, completely mixing Ketel One Vodka and Honest Café Liqueur. Sitting at 28.9% ABV, the cocktail merely requires the addition of ice, and could be delivered straight to your door.

If pre-mixed cocktails are your factor, it’s value being attentive to the model’s Margarita, which additionally secured a Gold medal within the Autumn Blind Tasting.

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Worth: £20 (US$28)

In case you’re participating in Sober October, or just seeking to cut back your alcohol consumption – no matter your cause for abstaining from the laborious stuff, Lyre’s Italian Orange is a scrumptious alcohol-free different.

The Grasp-winning orange ‘spirit’ was likened to “Campari” and supplied notes of “gentian” on the nostril.

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Worth: £19.75 (US$27)

Rapper Kano and The Duppy Share launched their collaborative Duppy White final month – the model’s first Jamaican expression. The partnership is evidently paying off, as our esteemed panel of judges deemed the white rum to be deserving of a extremely coveted Gold medal.

Bottled at 40% ABV, the judges had been taken by the rum’s “funky Jamaican character”, whereas remaining “accessible” to shoppers – excessive reward certainly.

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Worth: £55 (US$76)

The judges had been excited to delve into their samples of Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey, selecting out notes of “treacle, honey and caramel”, plus “peppery and oaky” flavours for added complexity.

The liquid is a mix of whiskeys aged in charred oak barrels for between eight and 14 years. The whiskey is distilled in small batches and is maple-charcoal-filtered.

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Worth: €80 (US$93)

“It was properly balanced, with lovely grainy, fruity notes and the end lingered,” commented Thomson about this Gold medal winner.

Roe & Co Japanese Sugi (46% ABV) got here to market in August this 12 months and makes use of Japanese sugi wooden and a ‘distinctive’ maturation course of to make the 46% ABV Irish whiskey. To craft the liquid, the workforce prolonged the size of the bungs (stoppers) and added 5 of those to every cask. A complete of 10 casks had been laid down. Diageo, proprietor of Roe & Co, stated the sugi wooden provides fragrant and perfumed qualities to the spirit.