Best of Show Awarded to Sran Spirits, LLC Daru – Canadian Whiskey, Premium
January 4, 2021 (Santa Rosa, Calif.) — Winners have been announced for the 2021 Craft Distillers Spirits Competition, which took place in Santa Rosa, Calif., in December 2021. Taking the top spot this year is Sran Spirits’ Daru Canadian Whiskey, which one judge described as “smooth, elegant, sophisticated, soft floral, sweet fruit — a gold medal winner for sure!” At the end of the competition, Daru took a double gold medal as well as Best of the Best honors.
According to the company website (daruwhiskey.com), Sran Spirits was started by two brothers, who were inspired by their father’s history of making spirits in his native India. Daru is an Indian-inspired whiskey with a 100% Canadian corn blend that gives it a uniquely sweet and fruity taste. Aged for a minimum of three years in Canadian oak barrels, Daru also undergoes filtration through activated charcoal, creating a remarkably smooth palate with touches of vanilla throughout.
Debra Del Fiorentino, who owns, manages and produces professional competitions in the wine, cider and spirits categories, established the Craft Distillers Spirits Competition in 2017 to give smaller producers a place to shine. Any distiller that is bonded and sells its spirits publicly can enter, no matter where in the world it’s headquartered. The 2021 competition saw the number of entries nearly triple over its predecessor, continuing the expansion experienced each year since its founding.
“As a fairly young competition, we’re still experiencing growth in our entry pool as word gets out,” says Del Fiorentino. “It’s absolutely the right time to spotlight small producers, many of which are struggling for survival right now. Any support we can offer to keep these amazing craft distilleries in business is definitely worth our efforts.”
The competition is judged by fellow distillers; qualified members of the media; spirits and distilling educators and researchers; and retail buyers. This mix of experts gives the results professional weight and increases marketing opportunities for medal winners. A full list of gold medal winners and above follows this announcement. Del Fiorentino also thanks competition sponsor, Neat glassware (www.theneatglass.com).
The next Craft Distillers Spirits Competition will take place December 14-15, 2022; deadline for entry is December 6, 2022.
For more information, visit Wine and Spirit Competitions Management and Production at https://www.winecompetitions.com
