The 2023 Australian Gin Awards winners announced

The 2023 Australian Gin Awards winners were announced at a Trophy Presentation held at Sydney’s Hickson House last week, showcasing the best of Australia’s craft gin producers.

A team of nine judges nosed, blind tasted and deliberated on every entry across seven categories, with the Best in Class from each type taking home a trophy, as did the Best in Show winner, which this year was awarded to Jones and Smith Distillery for their Epoch Navy Strength Gin.

Mikey Enright, Chairman of the Australian Gin Awards 2023, said it was a pleasure to chair the awards this year as the entries were generally of a very high quality.

“Overall the entries were of a higher standard this year across all categories from Classic, Contemporary, Old Tom, Matured, Navy strength, Flavoured and liqueurs with a gin base.

“All entries were assessed, marked and the best in category was chosen. Once this process is completed we have a round table discussion with all judges and a tasting of the best in categories to determine the Best in Show. This is tough decision because the gins are such high quality at this stage of elimination,” he said.

But there can only be one winner, and Jones and Smith Distillery’s Epoch Navy Strength Gin was the winning entry this year.

“There can only be one ‘=Best in Show, and it was so close this year between the final two. However, a Navy Strength gin was voted the winner by a majority after several tastings,” said Enright.

Having won Best in Class in the Over-Proof/Navy Strength category at the awards in 2022, Jones and Smith took out the top award this year, impressing judges with a “full flavoured, very smooth and a most impressive gin.” The judges also noted the gin had a great nose and palate that “delivers a very well-rounded and well-balanced gin.”

Enright concluded by thanking all of this year's entrants: “Thank you to all who entered this year and I hope you find the comments valuable to the point where you will enter again in 2024 with added enthusiasm.”

Featured image: An ecstatic Tony Jones, Distiller at Jones and Smith Distillery, being congratulated by Judith Kennedy, CEO of The Australian Gin Distillers Association.

For the complete list of trophy winners, visit australianginawards.com.au

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