The new, monthly tasting mode of Meininger's International Spirits Award (ISW) has been very well received in the industry and brought the renowned competition around 200 entries at the second themed tasting of the year. On the agenda this time was the world of herbal, bitter, cream and spiced liqueurs, to which the jury awarded a total of 64 medals, 48 of which were gold and 16 silver. In addition, four products were awarded special prizes for their outstanding quality.
Lantenhammer Distillerie from Hausham am Schliersee can feel like one of the big winners of the February ISW tasting, as it won two special prizes. The spirits experts chose the Lantenhammer Coffee Liqueur as the "Liqueur of the Year 2021". The best ingredients, a great balance and a nuanced aroma already brought this top product this special prize in 2020, which it was now able to defend in the manner of a real champion.
The award for the "Egg Liqueur of the Year 2021" also goes to Schliersee. The Raritas egg liqueur refined with orange spirit from Lantenhammer was convincing all along the line, repeated its gold medal from the previous year and with this additional recognition now finally enters the ISW Hall of Fame.
The special prize "Bitter Liqueur of the Year 2021" goes to the Silvio Carta distillery from sunny Sardinia with its Bitteroma Assoluto. The distillery has already attracted attention with its vermouths and bitter liqueurs at the ISW and is now entering its Olympus for the first time with the Bitteroma Assoluto. This pearl in the style of a classic Italian bitters convinces with a wonderful orangy-citrus fruitiness in the nose and a strong, tart bitterness on the palate and inspires all along the line.
Rossbacher also has another reason to celebrate in Vienna, where Rossbacher - Der Starke Kräuter won the title of "Herbal Liqueur of the Year 2021" - for the second time after 2019. The classic from Austria thus impressively demonstrates its consistently high quality and is emblematic of continuity, tradition and class. Spicy and herbaceous, discreetly sweet and slightly berry-like, but tart and strong at the heart, these attributes also impressed this year's jury.
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Alexander Thürer, BRANNT - Magazin für Spirituosenkult, und Christian Wolf, Verkostungsleiter des ISW, stellen die 4 besten Liköre der Februarverkostung vor:
