ENSO, a delicate blended whisky is the first release within the ENSO Japanese whisky range. The whisky is a handcrafted pot still blend aged in American oak barrels with subtle hints of caramel and vanilla that give way to fruity and floral aromas. ENSO is well balanced to work perfectly on its own, on the rocks, or in making cocktails and other favorite long drinks. ENSO translates from Japanese to ‘circle’ or 'cycle’. It hails from Kiyokawa, within the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan. ENSO was crowned with a Gold Medal and Best in Show By Country awards at the 2021 London Spirits Competition. 

“This is a great expression, really well balanced, rich, smooth and silky, lots of fruits, dark chocolate coming through,” quoted Anna Sebastian, Bar Manager at the Artesian Bar, Langham London, Langham Hotels & Resorts.

“Beautiful honey notes with hints of melon and sweet vermouth. A bit of toasted oak and brioche in the middle. Finish is medium with hints of prunes,” said Andrei Marcu, Bar Manager at Coupette, London.

Enso Blended Whiskey

London, April 12 – Spirits from all over the world participated in the fourth annual London Spirits Competition, which took place in London on March 17, 2021. Spirits were judged on the basis of three primary criteria – quality, value, and packaging – and then scored on a 100-point scale. Spirits that scored 90+ points were awarded Gold medals, spirits that scored 76 to 89 points were awarded Silver medals and spirits between 65 and 75 were awarded Bronze.

The primary reason for using three criteria rather than just one was to focus on the overall drinkability of each spirit. As a result, the judging panel ranked spirits not just by how they taste, but also their overall presentation and appearance in the bottle. In addition, judges assessed spirits on their relative value in relation to their peers, and the quality they offer, as determined by retail pricing.

Staff at the London Competitions

The London Spirits Competition is organized by Beverage Trade Network, which organizes alcohol beverage industry events all over the world. The goal of this event was to judge spirits the way consumers assess them.

At the judging session, judges tasted and scored spirits on a blind basis before seeing bottles and marking them for on-shelf appeal as well as value for money. This enabled them to come up with an overall score that reflects their overall drinkability.

These are the results highlights from this year’s competition

By Spirits Types:

Spirit Of The Year - Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka by Ramsbury Brewing & Distilling Co. Ltd

Vodka Of The Year - Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka by Ramsbury Brewing & Distilling Co. Ltd

Rum Of The Year - Rum Nation by Rum Nation International

Tequila Of The Year - IZO Tequila Extra Anejo Cristalino by Belzmart Group, Llc Dba Izo Mezcal   

Gin Of The Year - Botanic Australis Navy Strength Gin by Mt. Uncle Distillery

Whisky Of The Year - Dingle Distillery Fourth Single Pot Still Release by The Dingle Distillery

Brandy Of The Year - St-Rémy Signature by St-Rémy

Liqueur Of The Year - Muyu Vetiver Gris by De Kuyper Royal Distillers

Cognac Of The Year - A. de Fussigny Grande Champagne VSOP by A De Fussigny Sas

Distillery Of The Year - De Kuyper Royal Distillers from Netherlands.

Country Category Winners:

United Kingdom - Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka

Netherlands - Muyu Vetiver Gris

Australia - Botanic Australis Navy Strength Gin

Italy - Rum Nation

Ireland - Dingle Distillery Fourth Single Pot Still Release

France - Eau De Vie De Poire Williams Vrp

Japan - Enso Japanese Blended Whisky

United States - Legent Bourbon

Canada - Georgian Bay Vodka

Germany - Mahiki White Coconut

Mexico - IZO Tequila Extra Anejo Cristalino

By Judging Category:

Best Spirit By Quality - Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka

Best Spirit By Value - Eau De Vie De Poire Williams

Best Spirit By Package - Muyu Vetiver Gris

Click here to see the full results

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For more information on the London Spirits Competition, please see: www.londonspiritscompetition.com

For more information on Beverage Trade Network, please see: www.beveragetradenetwork.com