Ultimate Beverage Challenge is delighted to announce the third ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE TOP 100 SPIRITS list. This roster of superlative brandies, whiskeys, gins, vodkas, tequilas, liqueurs, rums, baijius, mezcals, and shochus honors a century of the foremost entries from USC 2021.
Said award-winning USC Judging Chairman F. Paul Pacult, who made the final determination of the list, “Every spirit included on the USC TOP 100 list for 2021 scored an aggregate rating of at least 93-points throughout USC’s rigorous, weeks-long process of multistage judging this past May and June. Panels comprised of the world’s foremost spirits authors, educators, bartenders, journalists, and consultants cited these spirits as being benchmarks in their individual categories. The USC TOP 100 SPIRITS of 2021 is an astonishingly diverse and comprehensive list of blue chip spirits, hailing from all corners of the world. All of them are exemplary spirits of world-class quality.“
1. Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 99-points
2. Old Fitzgerald VVS 2020 16 Years Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Whiskey (United States) 98-points
3. Dartigalongue 1989 30 Years Old Bas Armagnac (France) 98-points
4. Redbreast Cask Strength 12 Years Old Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey (Ireland) 98-points
5. Christian Drouin Vintage 1991 Pays d’Auge Calvados (France) 98-points
6. Talisker 18 Years Old Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 98-points
7. Tanqueray London Dry Gin (Scotland) 98-points
8. Mortlach Distiller’s Dram 16 Years Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 98-points
9. Del Maguey Single Village Wild Papalome Mezcal (Mexico) 97-points
10. Glenturret Peat Smoke 10 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 98-points
11. Matsui Shuzo Sakura Single Cask Japanese Malt Whisky (Japan) 97-points
For a printable version of the USC Top 100 of 2021 list click here.
ENTRIES FOR ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE 2022
WILL BE ACCEPTED BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER 2021
We accept all categories of spirits; aperitifs; vermouths; fortified wines such as port and sherry; pre-mixed cocktails; non-alcoholic mixers; non-alcoholic drinks; hard/spiked seltzers, sample bottles not yet in their finished packaging or with final label and products that do not have a US importer or distributor.
Additional information, including entry forms, benefits of entering and list of judges, will be available beginning in early November at www.ultimate-beverage.com. Questions? Please contact us.
Ultimate Spirits Challenge…No Shortcuts. Just Honest, Impartial Judging.