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White Knight’s Battle Royale
Following the successful completion of the exhaustive beer, wine and sake tasting sessions, the Spiritz team embarked on the next challenge. On the afternoon of August 30, Spiritz Magazine hosted a focused blind tasting for white spirits. Over hundreds of brands across gin, vodka, tequila, soju, RTD and liqueur — from craft distilleries to big commercial labels — were judged strictly on tasting metrics with each entry assessed on its technical and sensory merits.
To ensure a high degree of impartiality and credibility, Spiritz assembled a panel of eight expert judges with diverse backgrounds in hospitality, mixology, beverage consulting, and editorial leadership. Among the distinguished jury were Rifaquat Ali Khan Mirza, CEO The Works (Hospisive Advisory Services Pvt Ltd), Kama KM, Founder of The Drinking Safari and The Big Bhang Theory; seasoned mixologist Akash Tomar; and Ravi Punia, Mixologist & Beverage Expert. They were joined by Paritosh Bhandari, Founder of Tipple Brands Ltd.; industry expert Manmeet Kaur; beverages specialist Aparajit Shankar; and Bishan Kumar, Editorin-Chief of Spiritz Magazine, whose editorial perspective provided an industry-aligned framework for the tasting process.
Together, the jury’s assessments guaranteed the fairness and credibility of the selection process, ensuring that only the finest products would emerge victorious.
Before the tasting began, judges participated in a short orientation to align on scoring methodology and sensory expectations. This step ensured consistency in how attributes like aroma complexity, mouthfeel, or balance were assessed across categories. While individual palates bring nuance, a shared understanding of evaluation standards prevents scoring discrepancies and maintains fairness. This calibration process reinforced the integrity of the competition, ensuring that each product, whether craft or commercial, was judged on an even playing field, grounded in clearly defined tasting parameters.
The orientation and tasting session were managed and coordinated by alcobev expert and Spiritz’s Consulting Editor, Sarang Kumar.
A Disciplined Tasting
Every sample bottle was masked and coded, and was identified only by a number. Bottles were handled by a small team of stewards who prepared pours behind screens so judges never saw labels, bottle shapes or branding. That strict anonymity, combined with rotating sub-panels so each spirit got multiple independent reads, was the foundation of a credible blind judging.
To reset palate, judges sipped still water, ate plain crackers or briefly rested between samples. Sessions were broken into runs so palates stayed fresh. That pacing protected judgement quality across a marathon five-hour window.
Across categories the panel repeatedly identified a noticeable rise in technical refinement. Gins showed tighter botanical integration and balance rather than overwhelmed juniper; vodkas exhibited cleaner neutral profiles with fewer off-notes; and several tequilas displayed expressive terroir and subtle ageing characteristics. Soju entries were lauded for clean fermentation character, while liqueurs that balanced sweetness with acidity consistently stood out. RTDs drew attention for their balance, formulation stability and measured sweetness levels that preserved drinkability without masking base spirits.
Celebrating Excellence
A well-conducted blind tasting, such as the one organised by Spiritz, establishes transparent, repeatable benchmarks that enable brands to refine their formulas. It highlights category trends, and signals to trade and consumers which products truly deliver on the palate rather than through marketing.
The Spiritz Achievers’ Awards scheduled on October 29, 2025 will put those benchmarks into the spotlight, recognising quality and innovative products that have pushed the boundaries of taste. Beyond honouring the best in the industry, the awards set the stage for what is to come in India’s growing alcobev market.