March 2004
CONNEMARA CLEANS UP AT 2004 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION
The most influential spirits industry professionals gathered at the Bay Area’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel the weekend of March 13th and 14th to sip, spit and rank the world’s top spirits at the 4th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Over 450 Spirit Brands were judged at the most comprehensive spirit competition in the US.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition director Anthony Dias Blue, Bon Appétit Wine and Spirits Editor, along with director of judging, F. Paul Pacult, Editor and Publisher of The Spirit Journal, have patterned this event after Blue’s long established San Francisco International Wine Competition, which now in its twenty-third year, will judge thousands of wines from around the world this June. This year, San Francisco World Spirits Competition judges tasted through products in over 60 different spirits classifications. Competition judges represent noted restaurants and hotels, spirit buyers and spirit journalists providing companies with the best palates to review their products.
In addition to the premium awards, spirits companies competed for Bronze, Silver, Gold and Double Gold Medals as well as "Best Of" titles for major categories. Winners in the whiskies category include: Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey as "Best Irish Whiskey" and King's Crest Blended Scotch Whisky as "Best Blended Scotch."
Cooley was delighted with the performance of Connemara beating off a formidable challenge from Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt, Jameson 18 Year Old and Middleton Very Rare to win the Double Gold Medal and Overall Best Irish Whiskey.
This result reinforces management beliefs that Connemara is one of the best whiskies in the World. Cooley was also delighted with the performance of the Connemara 12 Year Old which picked up a Gold Medal at its first Spirits Competition and Tyrconnell which add a Silver medal to its list of awards.
