KWV Brandy awarded historic four Double Gold Medals

KWV Brandy made history when it claimed no less than four Double Gold medals in the esteemed International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2019, in an announcement made last night.

An award from this global competition is regarded as one of the most sought after forms of recognition from the competitive spirits industry. KWV Brandy stood shoulder to shoulder with world-famous spirits in a category which included pisco, calvados, grappa, brandies, Armagnac and Cognac. For the first time in the history of the competition, nine Double Golds were awarded in this category for brands that showed exceptional success in the blind tasting assessment. In a showcase of immaculate craftsmanship, KWV Brandy claimed no less than four of these prestigious awards for its KWV 10, KWV 20, KWV Heritage XO Cognac and KWV Imoya Cognac respectively.

Playing into its reputation of consistent quality, KWV added another two Gold Medals for its KWV 15 and Imoya Brandy, with a Silver Medal for its KWV 12 completing this distiller’s impressive medal run at one of the most rigorous spirits competitions in the world.

Awards Organiser Justin Smith said: “The ISC grows every year, with producers entering a diverse mix of spirits from across the globe who are looking to benchmark their spirits at the very highest level”.

Benchmark quality has been KWV Brandy’s objective since its inception in 1926 when it became the first producer of commercial brandy in South Africa. It has since grown into a name which enjoys global recognition, largely due to its brands featuring as top contenders in all of the major international spirits competitions, rivalling the best in the world.

Master Distiller for KWV Brandy, Pieter de Bod said: “Winning an ISC medal is an outstanding achievement and underlines a producer’s commitment to quality and innovation, a trade which KWV Brandy fully embodies. I am exceptionally proud of my team, and honoured to be associated with such a fine spirit.”

Master Distiller for KWV Brandy, Pieter de Bod

About the ISC:

Now in its 24th year, the ISC is the premier event in promoting outstanding quality spirits from across the globe. The competition is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process, which serves to encourage the high calibre of spirits, designs and campaigns entered into the competition each year. Receiving more than 1,700 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide makes the ISC a truly global competition. It is supported by many of the world's leading spirits producers as the international standard for quality and excellence.

Winning an ISC award is indeed an impressive achievement for any spirit that passes the scrupulous blind assessment from our experienced panel of specialist judges.

For the Tasting Awards, a highly controlled operation is held over fifteen days of intense blind tastings by panels of more than 50 respected and experienced industry professionals. Samples are delivered to the judging area in flights of numbered tasting glasses to ensure the accuracy of the blind tasting. Each judge assesses products according to their age, region and variety which is then determined by the entrant and verified by the chairman.

Such a precise judging process has provided the basis of the strong reputation the ISC has established for rewarding quality and celebrating excellence.

Full results have been released and published on the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) website, www.internationalspiritschallenge.com with the full list of medal winners to be published in the ISC annual results magazine in August.

On 10 July, the world's leading drinks producers and design specialists will gather at The Plaisterers Hall, London for the annual ISC Awards Dinner. Paying tribute to some of the finest spirits, and packaging designs in the world, results for categories are announced with the evening highlights, which include the acclaimed Trophies, Producer of the year, Distiller of the Year, Supreme Champion Spirit and Special Recognition awards.