Tasmania’s first international whisky and spirits competition has been launched, with $10,000 on the line for the best whisky and a world-class judging panel flying in from Scotland and New Zealand.
The Royal Tasmanian Whisky and Spirits Awards is a joint effort between the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania (RAST) and the Tasmanian Whisky and Spirits Association.
Zak Douglas, general manager of business development and strategy at RAST, said the awards had been years in the making.
“To have an international awards locally, I think is a huge advantage for local producers,” he said.
“We want to put Tasmanian whisky on the world stage and this is another step, another vehicle towards doing that.”
The competition features nine major trophies, including best overall whisky in show, best single malt whisky, best gin, best vodka and best other spirit.
Six trophies are open to entrants from across Australia and internationally, while three are exclusive to Tasmanian producers covering best Tasmanian single malt whisky, best Tasmania whisky and best Tasmanian gin.
Douglas said the prizes were believed to be the biggest on offer at any Australian spirits awards.
Tasmanian whisky pioneer Bill Lark has signed on as patron of the awards.
“Tasmania is now an international force in fine whisky, and this new competition will allow Tasmania, and in a wider sense Australia, the opportunity to regularly bench mark its excellence against the best global whisky distillers,” Lark said.
RAST chief executive Scott Gadd said the competition was a natural fit alongside the society’s existing events.
“Whisky and gin produced in Tasmania is of such a quality that it now complements and underlines Tasmania’s reputation as an exemplar destination for exceptional food and wine,” Gadd said.
Chief whisky judge Christopher Coates is travelling from Scotland for the event.
Coates is a whisky writer, filmmaker and judge who has chaired the World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky.
Chief spirits judge Tash McGill, an internationally recognised spirits writer and consultant from New Zealand, has judged competitions including the Super Spirits Awards and the NZ Spirits Awards.
Douglas said having an international competition based locally was a big deal for Tasmanian distillers.
