Jim Beam Black has received the highest possible award at the 2016 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) this week in London.
The Bourbon Trophy awarded to Jim Beam Black is the highest accolade available in the bourbon category and is presented to only one product each year.
The judges noted that Jim Beam Black bourbon is “a premium bourbon with a more flavourful character made to be sipped and savoured”. Jim Beam Black is aged longer than original Jim Beam bourbon in the same white oak barrels, giving it a taste the judges described as a “full-bodied flavour with smooth caramel and warm oak notes”.
The IWSC, now in its 47th year, judges spirits with dedicated tasting premises, a permanent onsite cellar, and more than 400 global experts who judge products for seven months of the year.
To determine the winners, IWSC judges conduct a double-blind tasting for each entry, which is followed by a chemical analysis to test the liquid’s composition. Spirits that win top awards go through a second round of judging to compete for a trophy. A second brand from Beam Suntory and Amatil’s premium spirits portfolio, Knob Creek Rye, also received the top honours in its category, being awarded the Worldwide Whiskey Trophy.
Matt Shattock, chairman and CEO of Beam Suntory said “We’re especially proud to see expressions from two of our most iconic brands, Jim Beam Black and Knob Creek Rye, lauded as the ‘best of the best’ in their categories this year. This is a wonderful tribute to Master Distiller Fred Noe and our immensely talented team at our distilleries in Kentucky, all of whom work hard to exceed consumers’ expectations every day.”
Jim Beam Black recently relaunched in a premium new-look, rectangular bottle. The update was part of the Jim Beam brand’s global packaging update, the first in over 50 years.
