Who took home DOUBLE GOLD at the 2023 Singapore World Spirits Competition (SWSC)? The suspense is finally over! 

This annual Competition is organised by Tasting Alliance – which includes the highly-regarded San Francisco World Spirits Competition and New York Wine & Spirits Competition.

Just as Singapore is regarded as a gateway to Asia, the SWSC has greater resonance with Asia-Pacific drinkers even as it accepts spirits from all over the world. A strict blind-tasting methodology is applied here, but the judging panel for the SWSC is composed of many experts familiar with Asian spirits and the market for spirits in APAC. Categories range from American bourbon, French brandy, Chinese baijiu, Korean soju and a range of Australian aged spirits.

From hundreds of entries this year, 44 entries have won the coveted DOUBLE GOLD Award. This award is only given when all judges on a blind-tasting panel unanimously think that a particular spirit deserves the GOLD medal.

Among these awardees, it comes as no surprise when we see familiar brands and distilleries clinching the top medals. This includes established American whiskey brands such as Heaven Hill’s Bottled In Bond Bourbonand Buffalo Trace’s Eagle Rare 10 Year Old. There is also Ireland’s Teeling Small Batch Whiskey. We have Havana Club’s Añejo 3 Años fronting the White Rum category, while the Venezuelan Pampero Aniversariotakes the top medal under the Dark Rum category. The iconic Choya Umeshu Extra Years edition takes home the top medal under the Umeshu category.

We also have two entries proudly distilled in Singapore: Tanglin Gin’s Black Powder Gin takes home the top medal once again (read our review of it!), while Compendium Spirits really blew myself and the judges away with its Ondeh Ondeh Soju this year (I was allowed to shadow judges and taste their spirits).

While these established names continue to shine, what truly adds thrill to the Competition is the spotlight on emerging craft distillers. There are up-and-coming craft distillers who are making some surprisingly high-quality spirits that put them neck-to-neck with the industry greats.

So here are several up-and-coming craft distillers you may not have heard about, but should absolutely be watching closely according to the experts at this year’s SWSC!

Rhum Agricole: Burdekin Vintage Cane Spirit – Australia 

This one would surely intrigue rum enthusiasts. A relative newcomer from the Australian spirits scene is Burdekin Distillery. It is situated at the foot of Mt. Elliot in Queensland’s Bowling Green National Park, by the confluence of rainforests and the Coral Sea.

Interestingly, unlike many of its Australian peers who make rum out of molasses, Burdekin Distillery uses Australian pressed sugar cane and locally sourced spring water to make its rums, creating a spirit that exudes a sweet, funky, grassy note that is sure to excite Martinique rhum Agricole lovers.

The Burdekin Vintage Cane Spirit is double distilled and aged in sustainably produced Pedro Ximénez barrels.

Brandy: DNA Distillery Gold Rakija – Australia

While we’re still down under, we should certainly check out DNA Distillery from Sydney. They were the ones who produced the only rakija I spotted at the Competition. Rakijas are a traditional fruit brandy with a rich history of production in the Balkans, in countries such as Croatia, Albania and Macedonia.

Now, DNA Distillery was founded just a few years back by Australian cousins James Projcevski and Monique Sutevski, who trace their fascinating family history back to five generations of rakija distillers from Macedonia, where their great grandfather began distilling this Macedonian moonshine. Within over a year of operating, the distillery has already grown a following of fans in Sydney and beyond.

DNA Distillery’s Gold Rakija is made from Australian shiraz grapes, and double-distilled in a pot still imported from Poland. This spirit is complex and intense, with malt, citrus, honey and depths of nuttiness.

Whiskies: Tenmile Distillery – Little Rest American Single Malt – New York State

When one think of American whiskies, New York isn’t the first place that would come to mind. Yet just take a short train ride from NYC’s Grand Central, and you could go on an upstate road trip to Tenmile Distillery. Over the past couple of years, the distillery has been receiving praise for its vodka and award-winning gin.

However just this year, one of their first batches of single malt whisky has come of age. Little Rest Single Maltis distilled in a Scottish style using Foysths stills and barley grown locally in New York. As this is Scotch-inspired, this expression also has a delicate aroma, with mellow honey notes and touches of vanilla and cinnamon.

Tequila: Cierto Tequila – Reserve Collection Reposado – Jalisco, Mexico 

One of the hottest tequila brands to roll out across the United States this year is undeniably Cierto Tequila, which has critics singing unanimous praises for it. Made by Master Distillers Enrique Fonseca and Sergio Mendoz, who come from two long lines of agaveros (agave farmers), La Tequileña Distillery sits in the Jalisco Highlands, and uses hand-cut agave that is slow cooked, then distilled in a mixture of alembic copper pot stills and Coffey column stills.

The Cierto Tequila Reposado is described to have an aroma of smoky agave, nuts and papaya, with a smooth and rich palate of butterscotch and milk chocolate.

Baijiu: Shang Yang Tai – Moutai Town in Guizhou, China

The word “Moutai” is a little ambiguous in the realm of baijiu. Speakers often conflate it with the Flying Fairy Kweichow Moutai brand which is regarded more as an offering to business partners, than as a liquour to be enjoyed. In fact, Moutai also refers to Moutai Town, a centuries-old baijiu-producing town in Guizhou Province which birthed many renowned distilleries- including the Flying Fairy brand.

Shang Yang Tai (上阳臺) comes from a similar legacy of baijiu producers, hailing from Moutai Town, and also producing Sauce Aroma baijiu. This brand of premium baijiu has recently become popular in Singapore, just as a local Chinese restaurant operator Putien became appointed the sole distributor for the brand.

Interestingly, it appears that Shang Yang Tai is led by baijiu blenders, rather than distillers. Highly experienced baijiu brewers create the Shang Yang Tai blend by aging and selecting appropriate baijiu stock from various distilleries in Moutai Town. The blenders then work to create a mellow and delicate Sauce Aroma style baijiu.

Liqueur: Arctic Blue – Laku Liquorice Liqueur – Finland 

Arctic Blue Beverages is a relatively young Finnish craft gin distiller that has been receiving recognition for its various lines of gins and liqueurs. One of its more interesting products I’ve had the opportunity to try at the SWSC (the brand was not revealed to me and the judges during the blind tasting) is its Laku liquorice liqueur.

This liquorice liqueur impressively surpasses initial expectations. Instead of being overly cloying and one-dimensional as too many brands of liqueurs are this tastes natural, smooth and very pleasant, with subtle depths of sea salt and notes of herbs and pine balancing out a rich and natural backdrop of liquorice. This was a pleasant surprise, especially when it's one that tastes of liquorice – a flavour that may be an acquired taste for many in Asia.

Looking at the reactions of the judges around me, I knew I wasn't the only one who really enjoyed this liqueur.

2023 Singapore World Spirits Competition – Medalist Results

And there you have it – a taste of a couple of exceptional craft spirit producers to watch according to this year's SWSC. Now, without further ado, here is the complete list of DOUBLE GOLD Winners at the 2023 SWSC! Congratulations to these big winners!

From this pool of DOUBLE GOLD winners, the Best of Class Winners (e.g. Best Soju or Best Straight Bourbon) will be announced on the week of June 18^th – keep your eyes peeled for that!

Whiskies

Tenmile Distillery – Little Rest American Single Malt Whisky – USA

Kinsale Spirit – Wild Atlantic Way IPA – Ireland

Teeling Whiskey – Teeling Small Batch – Ireland

The Sassenach – Blended Scotch – UK

Suekichi Whisky – Pure Malt Whisky – Japan

Kalvelage – Blended Brazilian Whisky – Brazil

Eagle Rare – 10 Year Old Bourbon – USA

Peg Leg Porker Spirits – Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey – USA

Heaven Hill – Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon – USA

Tequila

Black Sheep Tequila – Añejo º Mexico

Cierto Tequila – Reserve Collection Reposado – Mexico

Cierto Tequila – Private Collection Reposado – Mexico

Cierto Tequila – Reserve Collection Blanco – Mexico

Cierto Tequila – Reserve Collection Extra Añejo – Mexico

Cierto Tequila – Private Collection Extra Añejo – Mexico

Brandy

Domaine Du Grand Comte – Napoleon Armagnac – France

Domaine Du Grand Comte – VSOP Armagnac – France

Domaine Du Grand Comte – Hors D’age Armagnac – France

Martell – XO Cognac – France

Rémy Martin – XO Cognac – France

DNA Distillery – Gold Rakija – Australia

Baijiu

Binhe – China

Chuanyu Yijiaqin – China

Intercontinental Panda – China

Longchi Jinding – China

Qingyun Jiujiu – China

Shang Yang Tai – China 

Rum/Rhum

Pampero – Aniversario – Venezuela

Havana Club – Original, Añejo 3 Años – Cuba

Burdekin Rum – Vintage Cane Spirits – Australia 

Gins and Flavoured Gins

Tempus Two – Copper Shiraz Gin – Australia

Wabasso – Conifere – Canada

Tanglin Distillery – Black Powder Gin – Singapore

Colombo No7 Ration – Navy Dry Gin – UK

Settlers Spirits – Yuzu Gin – Australia

Crazy Eights – Barrel-Aged Gin – China

Crafter’s – Aromatic Flower Gin – Estonia

Liqueurs

Choya Umeshu – Extra Years – Japan

Arctic Blue – Laku – Finland 

Soju

Compendium Spirits – Ondeh Ondeh Soju – Singapore

Click here for the full results on the SWSC's official website.

@CharsiuCharlie