The winners of the 2023 New York World Wine and Spirits were announced last week, shining a spotlight on the pinnacle of excellence among unaged and aged white spirits. In this article, we introduce the 2023 Unaged and Aged White Spirits Finalists and reveal the ultimate champion.
Best in Show Unaged White: Sakura Yamakawa Ryukyu Awamori Koshu
Yamakawa Brewery is particular about creating kuusu/koshu (aged awamori) and is famous for its products. Sleeping and aging quietly while dreaming of making it to 100 years are their 30, 40, and even 50 years old kuusu. During a time of financial hardship, the brewery chose not to sell “young” awamori and instead chose to endure and let their awamori sleep, believing that one day the “Age of Kuusu” would come around. Among the Japanese alcohol sold in 2017, the brewery launched their special reserve kuusu, Kaneyama 1967 (50 years old kuusu at that time), which is said to be the oldest limited sake in Japan. They endeavor to bring the evolved flavor of aged awamori, lost traditions, and their founding principles.
Best in Show Aged White: Pampero Aniversario Rum
The journey of this expression began with the vision of crafting a masterpiece to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the inception of the brand’s iconic rum house. Little did they know that nearly six decades later, this very rum would stand as one of the most highly acclaimed spirits produced, adorned with a remarkable collection of Gold and Double Gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and now the New York World Spirits Competition.
Innovation has always been at the heart of their craft. To create the signature Pampero™ Aniversario, the brand’s founders disrupted conventional rum-making by introducing Sherry casks to complement the array of Bourbon barrels already in use. The result is a rum born from an “Exclusive Reserve,” housing the rarest and most intricate rums.
Pampero™ Aniversario stands as an intense, mahogany-hued premium rum, inviting enthusiasts to savor it neat and discover with each sip a complex palette of aromas and flavors, including notes of wood, sherry, vanilla, caramel, dried fruits, orange zest, and chocolate.
This is a rum of power and complexity, with a captivating profile highlighting woody, vanilla, sherry, cinnamon, dried fruits, chocolate, tobacco, and leather.