New awards: the Whisky 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.
for some time I've felt there was a need for fresh thinking
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 recognise The Wizards as THE symbol of quality for world whisky, but I want to take the best whiskies out to 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
For information contact: Dominic Roskrow 07850 348998
Wales goes organic
Wales has a new distillery - and it's making organic whisky.
The distillery is on an organic farm known for its cheese and has been launched by organic farmer John Savage-Onstwedder, who marketed an organic version of Springbank at the astart of the new Millennium 12 years ago.
In line with that Millennium theme, the new distillery is called Da Mhile, a Scottish gaelic name as opposed to a Welsh Celt one, a reference to the owner's Scottish ancestry. The plan is to have spirit being produced in June.
This is breaking news so a full interview will appear in the next issue.