Irish Distillers in awards sweep

IRISH DISTILLERS Pernod Ricard has cleaned up at the International Spirits Challenge competition, winning 15 highly prestigious gold medals.

The medals were awarded for the distiller’s Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve, Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve, Midleton Very Rare and Redbreast.

A spokesman from the International Spirits Challenge said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Irish Distillers. This year there were a higher number of entries across the board making the competition particularly challenging.”

Established in 1995, the strength of the International Spirits Challenge lies in its independence and the diversity and quality of its tasting panels – encompassing blenders, distillers, importers and journalists.

To achieve a medal, a whiskey will have gone through five or six levels of blind tasting.