On the shores of the historic San Francisco Bay, a panel of esteemed alcohol industry experts recently judged an array of small-batch whiskey, ryes and vodkas. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition’s rigorous, blind evaluation process took place over four days and only a handful of spirits were awarded the coveted “Double Gold Medal” award. To achieve this, each and every judge on the panel had to give the liquor a gold rating. That was no easy feat.
Founded in 2000, the SFWSC has become one of the most respected small-batch spirit competitions in the country. Each year, they see thousands of applications and assemble an impressive judging panel of industry experts from mixologists to buyers, authors, and critics.
LibDib is incredibly proud to announce that 5 of our spirits brands have been awarded a 2020 Double Gold Medal award. It’s an honor to distribute these brands!
LibDib’s Spirits Brands Who Won SFWSC 2020 Medals:
Distillery 291 can be found at the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. Founded in 2011 by former fashion photographer Michael Myers, every spirit is made by hand. As Myers likes to say, everything is done “the Colorado Way.” That means sourcing grains from the Colorado plains, using water collected from Pikes Peak reservoirs, and making everything from scratch.
Distillery 291’s HR Colorado Bourbon is a barrel-aged whiskey made from malted rye, corn and malted barley mash and distilled in a copper pot still. Aged for one year in white oak barrels, it’s a high proof whiskey that still feels smooth, without compromising character or flavor. It’s no wonder this bourbon impressed the judges.
New York City’s oldest distillery— Kings County Distillery— boasts an impressive two alcoholic beverages in their catalogue taking the Double Gold. But that shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s tried any of their delicious spirits. Their Brooklyn Navy Yard distillery boasts traditional copper whiskey stills fabricated in Scotland, wooden fermenters were built locally by Isseks Brothers, and a corn and onsite barley patch. Made from local corn and old world malted mash, their small-batch bourbon has a sweet base with flavors of vanilla and caramel, a deep molasses taste to the middle notes, and a smooth finish with hints of cinnamon and autumn spices. It’s a surprisingly robust whiskey, and one that (as demonstrated by it’s Double Gold Medal) can please even the most discerning bourbon aficionados.
Kings County’s Empire Rye, meanwhile, is aged in charred oak barrels. Its profile offers hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, maple,and mint with a finish of warm bread and holiday spice. It’s a warm, bold rye more than worthy of the SFWSC award.
Hailing from sunny California, Luna Sea Spirits vodka was awarded with top honors. This vodka is distilled five times before being filtered through activated carbon 10 times. This process ensures a clean, crisp experience in every glass.
New Jersey’s Penelope Bourbon was founded by good friends (and neighbors) Mike Paladini and Danny Polise. They’ve made a name offering light, full-bodied spirits. Their award-winning straight bourbon gives, in their words, “a little more heat.” It’s composed of three mash bills made from four grains. The result is an absolutely unforgettable flavor.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that’s certainly true for the flavors of Oak and Eden’s whiskeys. Their unique, bold spirits are made with a secret, in-bottle finishing technique. But, their Double Gold Medal Bourbon and Spire has another trick up its sleeve: a spire of American Oak carefully cut and fired is placed in the barrel as it ages, lending the bourbon sweet, fruity notes with hints of honey.