The San Francisco World Spirits Competition

celebrated its 1Oth Anniversary in March with a record number of entries, topping last year’s high mark by 17 percent. The competition’s founder and Executive Director, the tasting panel magazine’s Anthony Dias Blue,  celebrated the anniversary by introducing mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim as the new Director of Judging. Abou-Ganim joined as a judge in 2OO5. Together, Blue and Abou-Ganim organized panels of spirits professionals to evaluate the entries representing 58 countries and six out of the seven continents (only Antarctica was missing). Inviting the largest number of judges to-date in the history of the competition, 3O spirits professionals tasted through 1O24 spirits in 82 classification categories and awarded 131 Double Gold Medals, 189 Gold Medals, 347 Silver Medals, and 25O Bronze Medals. Double Gold occurs when all judges on a panel agree that the spirit is Gold, which then upgrades that selection to Double Gold status.

2O1O Best in Show Awards
the tasting panel magazine

Distillery of the Year The Glenmorangie Distillery, Scotland
Importer of the Year Moët Hennessy USA
Best in Show-White Trago Silver Tequila, Mexico
Best in Show-Whisky Isle of Jura Single Malt Scotch, Scotland
Best in Show-Brandy Père Magloire 2O Year Old
                                                  Vintage Calvados, France
Best in Show-Liqueur Grand Marnier 1OOth Anniversary, France

Best Vodka Chase, England
Best Flavored Vodka Rain Organics Cucumber Lime, Kentucky
Best Gin Beefeater 24, England
Best Rum Vizcaya VXOP Solera, Dominican Republic
Best Extra-Aged Rum Pusser’s 15 Year Old,
                                                Nelson’s Blood, Trinidad
Best Cachaça Leblon, Brazil
Best Reposado Tequila Trago, Mexico
Best Añejo Tequila A tie El Jimador, Mexico and
                                              Mujer Bonita, Mexico
Best Mescal El Zacatecano Añejo, Mexico
Best Bourbon Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight
Best Canadian Whisky Seagrams VO, Canada
Best Irish Whiskey Bushmills 16O8, Ireland
Best Blended Scotch The Grand Bark Equinoxe, Scotland
Best Single Malt Scotch Ardbeg, Corryvreckan, Islay, Scotland
Best Armagnac Comte de Lauvia 21 Year Old, France
Best Pisco Pisco O Torontel, Peru
Best Cream Liqueur Godiva White Chocolate, Belgium

additional results can be found at sfspiritscomp.com.