The results of the Artisan Distillers Canada’s annual Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition were revealed today and among the many distillers honoured at Canada’s only national spirit competition, Ampersand Distilling’s Nocino! was crowned Spirit of the Year.
In the announcement, the competition’s judges noted that Ampersand’s Nocino! achieved a balanced complexity through pronounced aromas of walnut and medium notes of orange peel, nutmeg, coffee, and burnt sugar.
In addition to the Spirit of the Year award, this year’s competition showcased spirits from 19 categories, including a number of new categories, such as Distinction–awarded to spirits that have maintained consistency or improved since the year prior–and Excellence in Terroir–awarded to spirits expressive of place at the highest level.
“This year I am pleased to see spirits from across the country represented in our Best in Class awards, with distilleries in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia all taking Best in Class prizes,” says ADC founder Alex Hamer. “It’s also great to see that even in the face of considerable pandemic-related business interruptions, our distillers continue to produce high quality spirits of every kind.”
Other notable award-winners from across the country include Nova Scotia’s Raging Crow Distillery (Best Flavoured Gin), Ontario’s Last Straw Distillery (Best Traditional Rum), Alberta’s Confluence Distilling (Best Akvavit), and Quebec City’s Distillerie Fils du Roy (Best Bitters).
The Artisan Distillers Canada has also announced that the first annual Artisan Distillers Canada Conference and Trade Show will be held October 19-20 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. More information along with a complete list of competition winners can be found online.
