New Orleans Spirits Competition Announces The 2024 Spirits Of The Year Winners

Quality craft counts in the food and drink world, but in the liquor industry, attention to detail takes on a whole new level of importance. On July 25, the New Orleans Spirits Competition (NOSC) presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation handed out its crowns for the 2024 award winners. This year's competition marks the third installation of the prestigious international annual event, showcasing the creme de la creme of high-quality crafted spirits from around the world. 

We're all about Japanese whisky here at Tasting Table, and the NOSC 2024 distillery of the year award went to Kanosuke Distillery. The relatively young distillery was founded in 2017 along the Fukiagehama Beach in Japan and boasts three pot-stills instead of the industry standard two. Tequila lovers, rise up — Tequila Blanco by Cutwater Spirits won the award for agave spirit of the year (the brand is acclaimed for more than just its canned cocktails, which also rock). Cutwater's Joven also took home double-gold at NOSC last year for best mezcal.

Widow Jane Lucky 13 Bourbon Whiskey by Samson & Surrey swept the domestic category for American whiskey of the year, and on the global scale, Ledaig 10 Year Single Malt Scotch by Tobermory Distillery won world whisky of the year with its smoky, non-chill filtered, peated concerto barley mash and 46.3% ABV. Samson & Surrey also snatched gold at last year's NOSC in a totally different class of distilled spirits for its Mezcal Vago Ensamble en Barro. 

Gin of the year went to Nouveau Gin by Distillery of Modern Art for its bold, dimensional, floral palate of coriander, juniper, orris root, and angelica root followed by citrus peel and rounded out by cassia cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorn, and chamomile on the back end. The proprietary blend by Thailand-based Shakara won NOSC's rum of the year award with its unique nut-fruit profile in homage to Southeast Asia's sugarcane agricultural tradition. In an interesting and unexpected turn of events, two spirits tied for the coveted vodka of the year spot: The Community Spirit Vodka and Connoisseur 51 Reserve Organic Vodka by Purity Distillery.

Departing from the classic "big five" spirits, the NOSC also named a specialty spirit of the year, and it's an old classic with a controversial history in the U.S.: Death in the Afternoon Absinthe by Key West Trading Co. Also in the perhaps-unexpected realm, the NOSC named a winner for best no & low elixir of the year: Lucas Bols USA's zero-proof, herbaceous Fluère Bitter bitters alternative.

A panel of industry leaders live-judged the 439 registrants with a series of blind tastings, and "judging" (pun intended) by the tied vodka category, selecting the winners was no easy task. As Imbibe editor and 2024 NOSC judge Paul Clarke told the outlet, "With so many great entries and so many talented producers, determining the best of the best required all the skills this team of veteran judges could bring to the table."