Results from the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) reaffirm the strength of Australia’s distilling sector, with entrants receiving notable results across a diverse array of categories. This includes Four Pillars receiving the title of the Best Gin in the World accolade for its Barrel Aged Bloody Underhill Shiraz Gin.
“We always knew this was a special gin made alongside our friend winemaker Sarah Crowe from Yarra Yering,” said Cameron Mackenzie, Head Distiller and Co-Founder at Four Pillars.
“We couldn’t be prouder to wave the flag for Australian gin around the world.”
Four Pillars Barrel Aged Bloody Underhill Shiraz combines Shiraz from Yarra Yering’s prized Underhill vineyard with Four Pillars’ Bloody Shiraz Gin. At this year’s IWSC, judges awarded it 99 points, positioning it as the world’s highest scoring gin and as one of only six products to achieve the near-perfect score.
Other top performers at this year’s IWSC include the 98 point Mt. Uncle Distillery FNQ Iridium X Agave Cask 10 YO Rum, Dune Distilling Co’s 97 point Mediterranean Gin, Naught Distilling’s 97 point Overproof Gin, and the 96 point The Gospel Straight Rye Whiskey. The Gospel Rye Whiskey was Australia’s highest scoring whiskey across all categories and the equal second highest scoring rye whiskey in the world alongside the $1,200 Thomas H. Handy Straight Rye Whiskey. Thomas H. Handy and The Gospel fell two points behind the $2,400 Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye.
According to Co-Founder Andrew Fitzgerald, “The Gospel Whiskey has one mission: to take the distinct taste of Mallee grown rye to the world and continued success like this on the world stage really helps to endorse that mission.
“We’ve spent years defining The Gospel’s unique style of whiskey to craft something distinctly Australian and expressive to the site we source the grain from. We’re not aiming to taste like other whiskeys or fit in with the crowd. It’s unique to us, and I think the judges at the IWSC appreciated its difference.”
The strength of Australia’s gin sector was further established by the diversity of its top three performers, with Dune’s Mediterranean Gin performing strongly in the classic/traditional gin subcategory for its “enticing aromas of vanilla and pepper kick start with a smooth and integrated palate” and Naught’s Overproof Gin performing strongly in the contemporary gins for its “inviting bouquet of menthol and delicate spice, with a refreshing lime zing.”
The Mt. Uncle Distillery FNQ Iridium X Agave Cask 10 YO Rum was described as a standout in the rum agricole subcategory, with judges describing the palate as displaying “symphonic notes of balanced rich oak, creamy stewed apple, plump raisins and a full, satisfying, citrus-driven finish.”
According to Spirit Judging Committee Member Oliver Ward, the Four Pillars Barrel Aged Bloody Underhill Shiraz Gin “has a warm, complex and rich palate of cocoa, licorice and juniper with hints of mint. The levels of both sweetness and alcohol are perfectly judged.” Gin was the biggest category of 2024, with Four Pillars’ $175 product receiving the highest score out of the 760 gins that received a medal from the judging panel. For more information or to purchase, click here.
Australia’s highest scoring whisk(e)y, The Gospel Straight Rye retails at $95. For more information or to purchase, click here.
