JOINT BEST IN SHOW

All judges took part in the final round of tasting to determine the Best in Show. Two gins were neck and neck and no amount of arguing, voting and friendly shouting would put one gin in front of the other. An executive decision was made and both gins, one from a well known successful distillery and one a new comer, were given the joint title. Excellent decision!
Judith Kennedy CEO

CATEGORY 1 – CLASSIC DRY

Never Never Distilling Co.
Southern Strength Gin

THE JUDGES WROTE:
Big juniper, pure and clean.
A good example of using that high ABV% and it works.

CATEGORY 5 – AUSTRALIAN NAVY GIN

Ester Spirits
Strong Gin

THE JUDGES WROTE:
A super gin, full flavoured and great body. We enjoyed the botanical mix. Elevated juniper, a very clean palate and nose at this ABV. Great effort.

BEST IN CLASS

CATEGORY 1 – CLASSIC DRY GIN

Never Never Distilling Co.
Southern Strength Gin

THE JUDGES WROTE:
Big juniper, pure and clean. A good example of using that high ABV% and it works.

BEST IN CLASS

CATEGORY 2 – CONTEMPORARY STYLE

Imperial Measures Distilling
Ounce ‘Signature’ Gin

THE JUDGES WROTE:
Lovely crisp juniper nose, which follows through to a well-rounded palate. Well balanced with hints of spice and cardamom on the finish.

BEST IN CLASS

CATEGORY 3 – MATURED GIN

The West Winds Gin
Sur Lie Gin

THE JUDGES WROTE:
We found this to be an elegant gin on the nose and palate. It was well balanced overall and showed a great deal of finesse in marrying barrel to gin.

BEST IN CLASS

CATEGORY 4 – OLD TOM GIN

Settlers Spirits
Old Tom Gin

THE JUDGES WROTE:
A really well balanced gin, bright and lifted nose. Appreciated the juniper forward nature of this gin and pleasant spice.

BEST IN CLASS

CATEGORY 5 – AUSTRALIAN NAVY GIN

Ester Spirits
Strong Gin

THE JUDGES WROTE:
A super gin, full flavoured and great body. We enjoyed the botanical mix. Elevated juniper, a very clean palate and nose at this ABV. Great effort.

BEST IN CLASS

CATEGORY 6 – FLAVOURED GIN

The West Winds Gin
Wild Plum

THE JUDGES WROTE:
An exceptional example of the category and specifically a ‘sloe-style’ gin.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

It was a great pleasure to be Bill Lark’s temporary replacement this year, due to the Covid 19 travel restrictions. We had two excellent days judging 250 gins across all six categories with a talented and varied judging panel. We managed to deliver written feedback to every entry and I’m delighted to say that 74% of entries won a medal as there were 22 Gold, 67 Silver and 97 bronze medals.

Congratulations to all entrants and let’s keep the Australian Craft gin industry booming.
Mikey Enright Chairman 2020

MEDAL COMPANY GIN NAME
CATEGORY 1. CLASSIC DRY GIN
TROPHY Never Never Distilling Co Southern Strength Gin
GOLD Cape Byron Distillery Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin
GOLD Furneaux Distillery Untamed Gin
GOLD Granddad Jacks Two Pencils
GOLD Magpie Distillery Murrurundi Dry Gin
GOLD Never Never Distilling Co Triple Juniper Gin
GOLD Wildflower Gin Distilling Signature Gin
SILVER Ambleside Distillers Big Dry Gin
SILVER Barossa Distilling Company Generations Gin
SILVER Cavu Distilling Original Dry Gin
SILVER Demoiselle Distillery Afternoon Haze
SILVER Earp Distilling Co. Gin 8
SILVER Finders Distillery Australian Dry Gin
SILVER Hold Fast Distillery Gin
SILVER King Island Distillery King Island Native Gin
SILVER Kings cross distillery/ Odelia Potts Australian dry classic
SILVER Manly Spirits Co. Distillery Australian Dry Gin
SILVER Mother’s Milk Gin Marie Classic Dry
SILVER Newcastle Distilling Co Dry Gin
SILVER Prohibition Liquor Co Prohibition Original Gin
SILVER Prohibition Liquor Co 100 Year Anniversary Gin
SILVER Sandy Gray Whisky Company Artisan Small Batch Gin
SILVER Small Batch Distilling Red Hen Gin
SILVER Spring Bay Distillery Spring Bay Gin
SILVER The National Distillery Company NZ Verdigris
SILVER The West Winds Gin Sabre
SILVER Wild River Mountain Distillery The Wild Bull
SILVER Wild River Mountain Distillery Ghost Gin
BRONZE Animus Distillery Macedon Dry Gin
BRONZE Bathurst Grange Distillery Australian Dry Gin
BRONZE Brisbane Distillery Company Super Juniper
BRONZE Broken Heart Spirits Broken Heart Original Gin
BRONZE Ester Spirits Dry Gin
BRONZE Gypsy Brewing Co The Craft & Co London Dry Gin
BRONZE Gypsy Brewing Co The Craft & Co Collingwood Dry Gin
BRONZE Imperial Measures Distilling Ounce ‘Bold’ Gin
BRONZE Ironbark Distillery London Dry Gin
BRONZE Needle and Pin Spirits Classic Dry Gin
BRONZE Parrot Distilling Co Parrot Foragers Gin
BRONZE Settlers Spirits Juniper 3 Ways Gin
BRONZE Tara Distillery Pot Still Gin
BRONZE That Spirited Lot Distillers That House Pour Gin
BRONZE The Aisling Distillery Classic Dry Gin Pepper Berry
BRONZE The Aisling Distillery Triple Juniper with Elderflower
BRONZE The Antipodes Gin Co Antipodes Gin
BRONZE Unexpected Guest Gin Distillery Bobby’s London Dry Gin
BRONZE White Light Beverages Triple G Gin
BRONZE Winston Quinn Handcrafted Gin Dry Cut
CATEGORY 2. CONTEMPORARY GIN
TROPHY Imperial Measures Distilling Ounce ‘Signature’ Gin
GOLD Antagonist Spirits Hard Cut Gin
GOLD Australian Distilling Co. Melbourne Gin
GOLD Brocken Specter Gin for Tonic
GOLD Happenstance Distillery Happenstance Gin
GOLD Happenstance Distillery Fiesta Gin
GOLD Hellfire Bluff Distillery Summer Gin
GOLD Hellfire Bluff Distillery Piquant Gin
GOLD Styx Brewery Amato
GOLD The Abel Gin Company Essence Gin
GOLD The Abel Gin Company Quintessence Gin
GOLD The National Distillery Company NZ Hemp Gin
GOLD The West Winds Gin Cutlass
GOLD Turner Stillhouse Three Cuts Gin – Distiller’s Release
GOLD Wolf Lane Distillery Tropical Gin
SILVER Ambleside Distillers No. 8 Botanical Gin
SILVER Animus Distillery Ambrosian Gin
SILVER Animus Distillery Arboretum Gin
SILVER Australian Distilling Co. Adelaide Gin
SILVER Australian Distilling Co. Perth Gin
SILVER Australian Distilling Co. Brisbane Gin
SILVER Australian Distilling Co. Sydney Gin
SILVER Brisbane Distillery Company Queensland Dry Gin
SILVER Echuca Distillery Hopwood’s Yuzu & Ginger Gin
SILVER Flowstate Brewers and distillers Craft Gin
SILVER Forty Spotted Gin Distillery Bush Honey
SILVER Forty Spotted Gin Distillery Australian Citrus
SILVER Fossey’s Distillery Fossey’s Original Gin Elixir
SILVER Granddad Jacks Five To Five Mountain Gin
SILVER Happenstance Distillery Fireside Gin
SILVER Hold Fast Distillery Gin
SILVER Ironbark Distillery Cascara Gin
SILVER Lord Howe Island Distilling Co Wild Lemon & Hibiscus
SILVER Manly Spirits Co. Distillery Coastal Citrus Gin
SILVER Maria River Distillery MRD GIN (Australian Botanical)
SILVER Mountain Distilling Company Mountain Gin
SILVER One Drop Brewing Co Australian Native Gin*
SILVER Settlers Spirits Rare Dry Gin
SILVER Stone Pine Distillery Orange Blossom Gin
SILVER Swan Valley Gin Company Diablo 42 Gin
SILVER That Spirited Lot Distillers Ninch Dry Gin
SILVER The National Distillery Company NZ Adorn Beauty Gin
SILVER The Splendid Gin Classic
SILVER Threefold Distilling Aromatic Gin
SILVER Underground Spirits Ad Crescendum Native Gin
SILVER Wild Road Spirits Gin Ne Sais Quoi
SILVER Wild Road Spirits Citrus Mistress
SILVER Wildspirit Distilling Co Bloody Merry Gin
BRONZE 21st Century Distillery Mountain Pepperberry Batch 1
BRONZE ABC Distillery Monsoon Tropical Gin
BRONZE Ambra Spirits Citrus Gin
BRONZE Art of Booze AOB Gin
BRONZE Bass and Flinders Distillery Maritime Gin
BRONZE Bass and Flinders Distillery Orient Gin
BRONZE Bathurst Grange Distillery Blue Mountain Gin
BRONZE Billson’s Beverages Beechworth Gin
BRONZE Brisbane Distillery Company 4101 Carrot & Sage Gin
BRONZE Forty Spotted Gin Distillery Classic Release
BRONZE Granddad Jacks Craft Distillery
BRONZE Gypsy Brewing Co The Craft & Co Distiller’s Cut Gin
BRONZE Hoochery Distillery Argyle Pink
BRONZE Impression Spirits Impression Gin
BRONZE Ironbark Distillery Wattleseed Gin
BRONZE Jones & Smith Distillery EPOCH Signature Dry Gin
BRONZE Needle and Pin Spirits Riverland Dry
BRONZE Newy Distillery Signature Gin
BRONZE Noble Bootleggers Distilling Co Australian Contemporary Gin
BRONZE Styx Brewery Achilles Gin
BRONZE Sunny Hill Distillery Dry Gin
BRONZE The Aisling Distillery Dry Gin Murrumbidgee
BRONZE The Antipodes Gin Co Antipodes Pink Gin
BRONZE Turner Stillhouse Three Cuts Gin – Founder’s Release
BRONZE Twenty Third Street Distillery Signature Gin
BRONZE Unexpected Guest Gin Distillery Clementine’s American Gin
BRONZE Wandering Distillery Odyssey Gin
BRONZE Wandering Distillery Signature Gin
BRONZE Wild River Mountain Distillery 1875 Australian Gin
BRONZE Winding Road Distilling Co. Citrus and Sea Gin
BRONZE Winston Quinn Handcrafted Gin Slim Crop
CATEGORY 3. MATURED GIN
TROPHY The West Winds Gin Sur Lie Gin
SILVER Underground Spirits Shiraz Gin with Tasmanian Pepperberries
BRONZE Australian Liquor Company Ancient Wisdom Barrel Aged Gin
BRONZE Banks & Solander Distillery Endeavour Gin
BRONZE Darby-Norris Distillery Barrel Aged Gin
BRONZE Earp Distilling Co. Gin 8 Barrel Aged
BRONZE Earp Distilling Co. Port Side Barrel Aged
BRONZE Karu Distillery Barrel Aged Gin
BRONZE Manly Spirits Co. Distillery Barrel Aged Gin – Whisky
BRONZE Mountain Distilling Company Barrel Aged Gin
BRONZE Newcastle Distilling Co Bathtub Gin
BRONZE Old Kempton Distillery Barrel Aged Embezzler Gin
BRONZE Prohibition Liquor Co Muscat Barrel Gin
BRONZE Turner Stillhouse Three Cuts Gin – Pinot Barrel Rested
BRONZE Turner Stillhouse Three Cuts Gin – Chardonnay Barrel Rested
BRONZE Twenty Third Street Distillery Barrel Aged Gin
BRONZE Woodwater Distillery MY Gin – Barrel Aged – Batch 1
Old Tom Gin
CATEGORY 4. OLD TOM
TROPHY Settlers Spirits Old Tom Gin
BRONZE Gypsy Brewing Co The Craft & Co The Craft & Co Old Tom Gin
BRONZE Old Kempton Distillery Embezzler Gin
BRONZE Unexpected Guest Gin Distillery Young Tom’s Bathtub Gin
CATEGORY 5. AUSTRALIAN NAVY GIN
TROPHY Ester Spirits Strong Gin
GOLD Fossey’s Distillery Fossey’s Navel Strength Gin
GOLD Karu Distillery Lightning Gin
SILVER Granddad Jacks 65 Miles
SILVER Jones & Smith Distillery EPOCH Navy Strength Gin
SILVER Twenty Third Street Distillery Navy Strength Gin
BRONZE Ambra Spirits Navel Gin
BRONZE Kings cross distillery/ Odelia Potts Australian classic navy strength
BRONZE Lord Howe Island Distilling Co Wolfe Rock
BRONZE Styx Brewery Achilles Gin -Bullock Island
BRONZE The Splendid Gin Mesmeric Distillers strength
BRONZE The West Winds Gin Broadside
CATEGORY 6. FLAVOURED
TROPHY The West Winds Gin Wild Plum
SILVER Broken Heart Spirits NZ Rhubarb Gin
SILVER Gypsy Brewing Co The Craft & Co Gingerbread Gin
SILVER Manly Spirits Co. Distillery Lilly Pilly Pink Gin
SILVER Never Never Distilling Co Ginache Gin
SILVER Parrot Oriental Gin Parrot Oriental Gin
SILVER Press+Bloom Rosé Gin
SILVER Spring Bay Distillery Spring Bay Pink Gin
SILVER Sunny Hill Distillery Pink Gin
SILVER Winston Quinn Handcrafted Gin Slim Crop
BRONZE Cape Byron Distillery Brookie’s Byron Slow Gin
BRONZE Fossey’s Distillery Fossey’s Kaffir Leaf Gin
BRONZE Fossey’s Distillery Fossey’s Shiraz Gin Elixir
BRONZE Grower’s Own Distillery Grower’s Own Saffron Gin
BRONZE Knocklofty Raspberry Garden Gin
BRONZE Logan’s Micro Distillery Shiraz Gin
BRONZE Magpie Distillery Orange & Saffron Gin
BRONZE Maria River Distillery Ginello
BRONZE Newcastle Distilling Co Infusion Gin – Strawberry
BRONZE Settlers Spirits Pink Gin
BRONZE Settlers Spirits Yuzu Gin
BRONZE Swan Valley Gin Company Diablo Saffron Chilli Gin
BRONZE Wildspirit Distilling Co Bloody Merry Gin
BRONZE Winston Quinn Handcrafted Gin Pink Fit

2020 DESIGN AWARD

1st place: Navy Gin
Prohibition Liquor Co.

THE JUDGES SAID:

  • A bottle that is almost flawless in every dimension.
  • Visual impact  – Immediately striking!
  • Brand and design  – Brand consistency at every level.
  • Practicality – All compliances in place.
  • Could it be improved? More tasting information and a serving suggestion please.

Winner of the $5000 CCL Production prize.

2nd place:
Threefold Distilling – Aromatic Gin

Excellent for the general market.

3rd place:
Hoochery Distillery – Argyle Pink

Excellent considering its niche market.

ORDER YOUR MEDAL STICKERS HERE

Please place your medal order before 15 September 2020 to meet the dispatch date of the printed labels by 1 October 2020.
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