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.
*Please note: There is a minimum order of 1000 stickers.
