A kind of magic – here come the Wizards

The world’s best non-Scotch whiskies are set to be given a new platform with the launch of a genuinely new, exciting tasting event. The Wizards of Whisky (The WOWs) will showcase whiskies from around the world with a unique three-pronged promotional approach.

One – world whiskies entered in to the Wizards will be judged in region-specific categories by the very best world whisky judges Two – the winning whiskies will be given the opportunity to take part in a 12 date consumer whisky tasting tour. Three- winning whiskies will be offered the chance to be included a five miniature Wizards whisky pack sold on line by the Whisky Tasting Club.

The new awards are the brainchild of leading world whisky writer Dominic Roskrow. He is uniquely qualified to showcase world whiskies. He publishes his own on-line world whisky magazine The World Whisky Review, has written extensively on global whiskies in his last three books, The World’s Best Whiskies, 1001 Whiskies To Try Before You Die and The Whisky Opus, and he added a section on world whisky to Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion when  he updated it four years ago. In the last two years he has launched The World Masters and Irish Masters for The Spirit Business, and he covers world and Irish whiskey for The Whisky Advocate.

He was the first writer to argue  that areas such as Australia and Asia deserved their own judging sections rather than be lumped together as ‘rest of the World.’ Launching the awards through his company True Spirit, Roskrow said: “The Wizards are launched through love, not money. World whisky is a passion of mine and I am genuinely excited by the new distillers from right across the planet bringing fresh thinking to the whisky category.

“I have been involved with judging various awards in recent years, and have for some time felt there was a need for fresh thinking. Not only do I want the industry and whisky lovers alike to recognised The Wizards as THE symbol of quality for world whisky, but I want to take the best whiskies out t= o the public and promote them, and through my links with The Whisky Tasting Club to give people the chance to taste them for themselves.”

The awards, which will cover every region of the world except Scotland, and including America, Ireland and Japan, will be held in September and whiskies will be judged by a new and exciting panel of judges who, unlike many of the other awards events, have extensive and specialist knowledge of world whisky.

Entries are now being sought, and the closing date for entrants is August 31, 2012, and whiskies will be judged by three different panels of judges over two days, with each panel specially selected for their knowledge of specific areas of world whisky and featuring retailers, writers and whisky experts.

Whiskies will be considered for a top award of a Wizard, or for a gold medal. There are no limits as to how many Wizards and golds can be awarded in each category. From each of the seven world regions represented in the awards, one whisky will receive the title of Grand Wizard. and from these seven one will be selected as the World Wizard of Whisky

Whiskies will be judged in the following categories:

American whiskey – bourbons
American whiskey – other styles
American whiskey – craft and specialist
Irish whiskey – blends
Irish whiskey – single malt
Irish whiskey – pot still
Japanese whisky – single malt
Japanese whisky – blends
Japanese whisky- blended malts
Canadian whisky
Australasian whisky – cask strength
Australasian whisky- under 50% ABV
Asian and African whisky- cask strength
Asian and African whisky- under 50%
European whisky
Elsewhere

Samples to Dominic care of Hogworts? – Ed.