ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE^® 2023 Results Announced

June 12, 2023 (Hawthorne, NY) – Ultimate Spirits Challenge (USC), since 2010 the world’s most prestigious global spirits competition, today releases the results of the 2023 Challenge. USC 2023 proved to be the fourteenth consecutive year of record submissions. Entries arrived from more than 50 spirit-producing nations.

The judging, held through May and early June, determined 68 Chairman’s Trophy winners, 300 Finalists, and 514 Great Values. As always, USC was conducted at the custom-designed Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC) Evaluation Center, located in Hawthorne, NY.

Says UBC Co-Founder and Judging Director F. Paul Pacult, “Aside from being the largest USC ever, this year’s Challenge was likewise the most global, with an impressive array of quality distillates from places as far away from New York as China, Australia, India, Kazakhstan, and Chile. Virtually all categories saw healthy gains and all whiskey categories.

“Since producers tend to enter their top-shelf marques into USC, it’s clear that they look to us for the most accurate and unbiased data in the industry.”

After undergoing careful analysis through multiple panels, all products are rated on the 100-point scale by the spirits industry’s most renowned judges including buyers, journalists, educators, authors, and bar owners. Spirits scoring 85+ points receive a detailed tasting note. All spirits scoring 80+ points receive an individual results page, which provides all downloadable marketing material.

View complete results at www.ultimate-beverage.com/usc2023results

ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE 2023 CHAIRMAN’S TROPHY WINNERS

READY-TO-DRINK COCKTAIL

Whiskey: Witherspoon Whiskey Old Fashioned

WHISKY – CANADA

Crown Royal Extra Rare 29 Years Old

WHISKEY – IRELAND

Blended: Midleton Very Rare Vintage Release 2023

Single Malt: Teeling Blackpitts Peated

Single Pot Still: Red Spot 15 Years Old

WHISKY –JAPAN

Hayashi 24 Years Old Ryukyu

 WHISKY – SCOTLAND

Blended: Dewar’s 18 Years Old

Blended Malt: Johnnie Walker Green Label

Independent Merchant: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask No. 78.58 Baking easter treats 9 Years Old

Single Malt-Highland: Aberfeldy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finish 15 Years Old

Single Malt-Island: Highland Park 21 Years Old

Single Malt-Islay: Bowmore 18 Years Old

Single Malt-Speyside: Mortlach 16 Years Old

WHISKEY – USA

Bottled-In-Bond: Henry McKenna 10 Years Old Single Barrel

Blended: Old Elk Wheat N’ Rye

Bourbon: W.L. Weller Full Proof

Flavored: Ole Smoky Apple Pie Tennessee Moonshine

Rye: Tumblin’ Dice Rye Small Batch, Barrel Proof 7 Years Old

Single Barrel: Bower Hill Bourbon

Single Malt: Courage & Conviction Sherry Cask

Tennessee: George Dickel Reserve Cask Strength 17 Years Old

Wheat: Bainbridge Battle Point Two Islands Hokkaido Mizunara Cask

Other: Barrell Private Release Whiskey Finished in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Barrel

WHISK(E)Y – WORLD

M&H APEX Dead Sea Single Malt

ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE…No shortcuts. Just honest, impartial judging.

ABOUT ULTIMATE BEVERAGE CHALLENGE

Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC) provides expert evaluation of spirits for producers, importers, and marketers through its innovative annual competition: Ultimate Spirits Challenge. UBC partners are F. Paul Pacult, Sue Woodley and David Talbot.