Winners of the 2023 Canadian Whisky Awards Announced
Canada’s Finest Whisky is Distilled by One of the Country’s Smallest Distilleries
At last night’s Victoria Whisky Festival in Victoria, B.C. , results of the 2023 Canadian Whisky Awards were announced, and for the first time in the thirteen-year history of the awards, an artisan producer has taken the top spot.
The Canadian Whisky Awards’ top spot was captured by “Palm Trees and a Tropical Breeze”, from North Vancouver’s Sons of Vancouver Distillery.
Following a blind tasting by a panel of nine whisky experts, Palm Trees & A Tropical Breeze, distilled by North Vancouver’s Sons of Vancouver Distillery, was named Canadian Whisky of Year, as well as All-Rye Whisky of the Year and Canadian Whisky of the Year, Artisan Producers.
Pendleton Directors Reserve was awarded Canadian Whisky of the Year, Large Producers. Pendleton, which specializes in blending whiskies that are distilled in Canada, also walked away with Blended Whisky of the Year and Ultra-Premium Whisky of the Year, Multi-Market.
“The industry has come a long way in the last few years, and it’s reflected in both the calibre of submissions and the range of expressions,” says Davin de Kergommeaux, chair of the judging panel and author of Canadian Whisky: The New Portable Expert. “In addition to their strong core range of whiskies, distilleries are producing small batches and limited releases, offering an amazing variety of regional profiles. The world has noticed and so has Canadian whisky’s global fan base.”
Other major winners include Crown Royal, Reifel Rye, Two Brewers, Lot No. 40, DEVINE Distillery, and Last Straw Distillery, making a near even split of awards earned by Canada’s largest and artisan distillers.
The Canadian Whisky Awards, held annually since 2010, recognize the very best Canadian whiskies and encourage distillers to maintain the highest quality standards. To qualify, the whisky must be distilled and matured in Canada.
The Canadian Whisky Awards are fully independent of the Canadian whisky industry. Whiskies in competition at are evaluated and scored in blind tasting by an independent panel of whisky experts.
For more information about the awards, visit canadianwhiskyawards.com.