The results are in! Our team is proud to announce that, Azuñia Black Extra-Aged Añejo Tequila, and Hue-Hue Coffee Rum, were named Finalists with scores of 94 and 92, respectively, in the 10th Annual Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
Winners are divided across 15 different liquor categories, from amaro to whisk(e)y, evaluated blindly "by panels in multi-stages assessments to remove any inherent or individual bias." Hailed as one of the most "credible and relevant" competitions in the beverage industry by Forbes, Ultimate Spirits Challenge has set out to create a higher standard of evaluation for spirits that provides accurate, meaningful, and useful results in recognizing the quality of beverage alcohol products. The panel of judges, which selects the Ultimate Spirits Challenge Winners, is comprised of the most renowned names in the industry. Judges include "America's foremost spirits authority" F. Paul Pacult, Master Mixologist aka King Cocktail, Dale DeGroff, Liquid Productions Spirits Consultant Tyler Hudgens, New York Times Spirit Writer, and Editor Clay Risen, Wine and Spirits educator and journalist Tess Rose, along with other accomplished and respected beverage directors, bar managers, bartenders, consultants and restaurateurs in the industry.
A spirits competition with integrity
According to its mission statement, "Integrity is the cornerstone of the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Winning hard-won accolades and relevant scores awarded by the most respected and experienced authorities in the industry translates into . . . confidence from buyers and consumers that the results achieved are accurate and reliable."
Not the first award, and won't be the last
Over the past few years, Azuñia Tequila has received numerous awards and high scores for its entire lineup of estate-crafted, premium tequilas including top honors from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge's 'Great Value' for its Azuñia Blanco Organic Tequila and the highest possible score in its category, the 'Chairman's Trophy' for its Azuñia Añejo Tequila; in addition to being designated 'World's Best' tequila in the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for Azuñia Reposado Organic Tequila. Hue-Hue Coffee Rum (pronounced "way-way") is made with free-trade, single-origin coffee beans from Guatemala and roasted in Portland by Portland Coffee Roasters. It's proud to add the 'Finalist' award to its other 'Best of' awards, for both Rum and Flavored Rum categories, from the LA International Spirits Awards and American Distilling Institute (ADI) Awards.
"The Azuñia and Hue-Hue teams stay true to traditional processes and hold the rare talent of capturing flavors and place in a bottle. They are the epitome of craft."
"These wins mark a great leap in recognition of Eastside Distilling on a national scale. The Eastside team is determined to continually deliver high-quality, award-winning spirits in the years to come," reiterated Block.
Industry media, spirits enthusiasts, and fans can follow the #UltimateSpiritsChallenge on social to join the Internet Celebration. Find the full list of the Ultimate Spirits Challenge winners of 2020 and the past years at https://www.ultimate-beverage.com/.
More about our premium craft spirits Visit Azunia.com for more information about premium, estate-crafted Azuñia tequila, or CoffeeRum.com to learn why Hue-Hue Coffee Rum is "way-way" good.