Six Shortlisted for Finals of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards

Press release issued 5th February 2009

Finalists have been selected for the prestigious Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Awards.
A panel of expert judges, including industry representatives, whisky writers and specialist retailers gathered at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh last week for a blind tasting of the 43 entries for the 2009 Awards, one programme highlight of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which runs from 1st - 10th May.

The entries, all distilled in Scotland's Whisky Country, Speyside, were divided into three categories.

In the '12 years and under' class judges selected the Glenfiddich 12 Years Old and the Speyburn 10 Years Old to go through to the final.  The Glenlivet 16 Years Old Nadura and Aberlour 18 Years Old were judged the best in the '13 to 20 year old' class, while a 21-year-old Glenfiddich and Linkwood Portwood 26 Years Old came out top in the 21 Years and Over category.

Panel judge Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, hosted the first round of blind tasting at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

He said: "Once again this year's competition saw a fantastic display of Speyside malts and everyone who attended enjoyed sampling the fine whiskies.  It was an honour to be asked to judge again and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

"I hope many people get to sample the extensive range available in the region during the festival in this special year of Homecoming."

The six finalists will now go to a public vote at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in May, a unique judging process which has helped the awards gain international recognition since their inception in 2005.

Visitors to the festival can book tickets to take part in the final judging of the single Speyside malts, and the winners will be announced at the opening dinner and dance to be held at the Balvenie Maltings in Dufftown on 1st May.

Festival Chairman Jim Royan said: "The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards' first heat was judged by a highly experienced panel, with many of the experts commenting on the unique nature of the entries.

"This means that the publicly judged finals offer a really exciting opportunity to 150 people to taste some of the finest whiskies in the world."

Tickets to take part in the judging or to attend the opening dinner where the winners will be announced, are available from www.spiritofspeyside.com.