Another Whisky Championship Upset by a Yorkshire Distillery
2023 has been the year of unprecedented novelties in the global whisky competitions with new, upcoming spirits dethroning established distilleries. In this instant, Spirit of Yorkshire’s Whisky won seven of the 19 gold medals at the 2023 World Whisky Masters Competition.
According to the World Whisky Magazine, Spirit of Yorkshire’s Whisky Distillery entered seven brands into the Europe (excluding Ireland and Scotland): Single Malt category, which awards the top 26 best whiskies with gold and silver medals. The company was among four English companies that won awards.
Spirit of Yorkshire’s Co-founder and master distiller, David Thompson said: “After years of waiting for our spirit to mature into single malt whisky, it is fantastic to know that seven of our whiskies have been recognized by experts in the industry.
“It’s very rewarding to know that the character and maturity of our spirit is generating major excitement in the industry.”
This has been the third whisky championship in which a new distillery outperforms some of the world’s top-selling brands. Yorkshire’s was established in 2018 and has only been selling for about two years. Whisky enthusiasts from over the globe will ly want to taste this and add it to their whisky libraries.
World Whisky Masters Competition is an international whisky tasting and vetting program directed by The Spirits Business. The competition draws distilleries from all seven continents and world regions including Japan and Taiwan. Whiskies are classified based on region and mature types. Some places such as Ireland and Scotland are hosted independently due to their high volume of distilleries and brands.
Spirit of Yorkshire was the brainchild of arable farmer and established brewer Tom Mellor and his long-standing friend and marketing expert David Thompson. The Mellor family has been making beer at its Wold Top Farm since 2013, as well as growing barley on some 500 acres of land.