The concept of cognac awards offers a great medium to help anyone with their purchasing choices. Medals and awards are only bestowed upon the most deserving of cognacs and are something a producer can be proud of. To impress the most honed and skilled palates of expert judges is the highest honor for any house, large or small.
Choosing a cognac that’s won an award is an excellent guarantee of quality. Such cognacs do not need to cost the earth, as awards are presented in every category, quality and to suit every budget.
There are hundreds of spirit competitions all around the world, however there are of course those which have gained considerable prestige over the years. These elite competitions and the cognacs awarded by them are highly respected and considered as being at the top of their game.
The most esteemed competitions are: International Wine and Spirits Competition; San Francisco World Spirits Competition; World Cognac Awards; The Global Spirits Masters and Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
At each of these competitions a rigorous taste-testing takes place, acting as a neutral third-party to deem which cognacs are truly the most exquisite.
Within a cognac competition categories usually include: Distillery of the year; Best VS; Best VSOP; Best XO and Best Hors d’age. Within each of these categories cognacs can receive an award of Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
In the wider spirits competitions there are also categories for: Importer of the year; Best in Show, White; Best in Show, Whisky; Best in Show, Brandy and Best in Show, Liqueur.
These award shows not only help when it comes to choosing a cognac, but they also ensure that the spirit of competition stays alive within the cognac world. This competitiveness means innovation within the industry continues to flourish and quality continues to thrive.
You can read a number of articles from Cognac Expert detailing multiple award competitions’ results, such as our Best Cognacs of 2012 piece and our 2017 Cognac Awards piece.
However, although the competitions act as an excellent guide, remember, the best cognac is the one you like. So now we’ve given you the run down on the award shows themselves, why don’t you take the time to have a look through the selection of award-winning cognacs that we can deliver straight to your door.
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