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World Spirits Award
by Wolfram Ortner

Simply the Best in Spirits

The registration form for the “World-Spirits Award” can be found in the Internet under
www.world-spirits.com – we would also be happy to mail you the details: office@world-spirits.com

Registration forms	Rules

1.      Fruit brandies (pure distillates without external alcohol, added aroma or sugar) 

1.1.            Cigar brandies - only 100% distillate (see Category 1) wood aged

Requirements for cigar distillates – distillates that go well with cigars: 100% distillate, high density, intense aroma, a sweet essence, matured in a wooden barrel (recommended), higher alcoholic contents (c. 50% vol), good overall balance of the product and a perfect marriage with cigars. 

1.2.            Coffee brandies - only 100% distillate (see Category 1) wood aged

Requirements for coffee distillates: 100% distillate, high density, intense aroma, a high degree of sweetness from the extract or wood, good overall balance of the product and a perfect marriage with coffee. 

The groups: Kernobst (KERB), Steinobst (STEB), Beerenobst (BERB), Trauben- bzw. Wein (VINB), Wildfrüchte (WILB), Getreide (GETB), Kaffee-Destillate (KAFG), Zigarren-Destillate (ZIGG), Sondersorten (SONB). 

In the categories 1 OBB and 2 OBS, we distinguish or group by exact variety (e.g. apple – Jonathan) within the species (apple) and the family (pome), so please enter the exact variety with its species and family on the application. 

The listed varieties are a selection only - should the variety you would like to enter not be among them, please list them in your application form as "diverse / other varieties" and list the group instead of an abbreviation. 

Grappe or whiskeys - as long as they fit the rules for category 1 - may also be entered in the category OBB. In this case, you would be listed among the marcs or korns.

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 5 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 20 distilleries within the category

2.  Fruit spirits/brandies - blends from fruit, wine, wild fruits, grain (with external alcohols and/or sugar added, as well as aromatic additives) 

The groups: Kernobst (KERS), Steinobst (STES), Beerenobst (BERS), Trauben- bzw. Wein (VINS), Wildfrüchte (WILS), Sondersorten (SONS) 

In the categories 1 OBB and 2 OBS, we distinguish or group by exact variety (e.g. apple – Jonathan) within the species (apple) and the family (pome), so please enter the exact variety with its species and family on the application. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 5 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 20 distilleries within the category 

3. Cognac  

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 20 distilleries within the category 

4. Armagnac

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 5 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 20 distilleries within the category 

5. Brandy Jerez and other grape brandies 

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 10 distilleries within the category 

6. Calvados 

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 10 distilleries within the category

7. Gin & Vodka  

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 5 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 20 distilleries within the category 

8. Grappa  

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 5 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 20 distilleries within the category 

9. Marc 

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 10 distilleries within the category 

10. Grain brandy and other grain products   

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 3 products within two groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 10 distilleries within the category 

11. Herbal spirits, Liqueurs & Exotic   (ouzo, pastis, absinthe, bitter aperitifs ...) 

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 10 distilleries within the category 

12. Rhum and Cachaca  

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 5 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 20 distilleries within the category 

13. Tequila  

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 4 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 15 distilleries within the category 

14. Whiskey – Bourbon USA  

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 15 distilleries within the category 

15. Whiskey – Irland  

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 10 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 5 distilleries within the category 

 16. Whisky – Scotch  

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 4 products within three groups
Award: at least 20 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 20 distilleries within the category  

17. Whisky Worldwide - all others 

The family designation is the same as the designation of the species – they are distinguished only by their abbreviation. 

Requirements for:
Distillery qualification: submission of at least 5 products within two groups
Award: at least 10 products within one group
Title ”Spirits of the Year”: at least 5 products for one variety or group
Title “Distillery of the Year”: at least 10 distilleries within the category 

Concerning whiskies, the tasting is performed according to regions (e.g. Highlands, Lowlands, Islay, Islands, Speyside) or according to the variety, such as with apples (Gloster, Reinette, Jonathan ...). After that, the individual group ratings are summarized and the results will be published for whiskies or apples in their entirety. 

The organizer reserves the right to reclassify the spirits if necessary, when the registration of a submitting party is not clear, allowing arbitrary classification. 

Moreover, groups can be complemented or deleted if there are too few samples submitted - in this case, the category or group is assigned to fruit spirits, for example, or "similar" products (consequently, these samples unfortunately cannot receive an award, but naturally medals). Classification also takes place, provided that the preconditions according to the rules are fulfilled. 

The award for the best group or best category is only presented by the organizer provided that there is no division of a product into groups. 

In order to make it possible for the organizer to present an award for a certain category, at least 30 products must have been submitted in that same category. The results will not reflect the total number of submitted samples, since only the "winners of medals" are published. 

There will be no awards for individual varieties, just medals. 

Subject to alterations

Date: August 1^st, 2004

General Terms and Conditions of the World-Spirits Award

• By signing the entry form you are declaring the correctness of the information submitted and are consequently liable for possible misrepresentation.

• In the case of offenses, the penalties for non-performance are not contestable and, if necessary, will be legally claimed by us.

• Should it turn out in the case of subsequent inspections that identical products have been submitted, the medal will be denied and a penalty for non-performance of contract will be imposed.

• All the distillates awarded with a distinction in the category of fruit brandies (100% distillates without sugar, aromatic additives, external alcohols), will be analytically examined for their sugar content and authenticity. Should a 100% distillate be found to have sugar or aroma additives added, and has been declared by the participant in the category of "without sugar", all of the costs of the analysis will be at the expense of the participant. This is especially applied when award-winning products are found to be not identical with those products found on the market. In this case, a penalty of EUR 2,000 for non-performance will be imposed in order to cover the necessary investigations and/or costs. If the costs should exceed the amount of EUR 2,000, the exceeding costs will also be charged or, if necessary, collected through legal proceedings.

• At the contest all the samples in the category of "fruit brandy" will be investigated regarding their sugar and alcohol content.

• Distillates which are awarded medals will be analytically examined through random sampling after the publication of the results, as well as in the case of suspicion of "mistakes". If differences are found, additional research will be initiated by the organizers. If the suspicion is confirmed, the costs of further investigations will be at the expense of the respective producer and are, above all, applied in the case of suspected aromatic additives – the costs are up to EUR 3,000.

• Each variety submitted must be constant in quality. The submitting of fractions is not allowed - the entire output per variety has to be blended. We recommend that the entire quantity per variety be diluted at once, in order to assure only minimal differences at the inspection.

• The purchase of bottles for inspection will take place anonymously. If deviations which are contrary to the rules should arise (declarations on the purchased bottles must be identical to those on the registration form – in sugar content, alcohol ...), the company will initially be warned and granted the possibility of correcting complaints within a year, after which more detailed inspection will be carried out. Five of the company's products will be acquired from the market, analyzed and compared. The costs for the additional purchase and the ensuing ten analyses will be at the expense of the producer. Moreover, a subsidy of 500 Euros will be charged for the training of World-Spirits tasters.

• If within a year these measures bring about no changes, the producer's identity will be made public at a World-Spirits press conference and the corrected results will be published in various media. Cost: between 2,000 and 3,000 Euros.

• It is possible to have products tasted which were not submitted for the award, and in order to serve only informational purposes. These tastings are carried out approximately every two months, and the applicant will receive a textual assessment which can be used for product descriptions, however it is not permitted to be used for advertising in connection with the trademark of "World-Spirits"!

• The awarded "World-Spirits" medal, and advertising carrying the trademark "World-Spirits Award", can be used by producers for advertising purposes. For spirits granted an award, the respective medals should be stated on their price list. Producers can acquire World-Spirits Award adhesive labels depicting the medals for their bottles only in those quantities stated on their registration forms.

• If an applicant produces printed material or advertising media in which the winning of a medal or an award is stated, distinctions regarding the "World-Spirits" Award have to be stated including the information about the vintage year (stating the variety and vintage year of the product), e.g. "World-Spirits Award Gold – Cherry 2004", or in the case of classifications, "World Spirits 1^st Class Distillery 2004". Regarding "special uses", we request a short consultation.

• Concerning copyright infringement, the organizer grants a one-month-period after written notification to correct the possible "erroneous use". If this request should not be honored, legal steps will be taken.

• Samples which are submitted too late cannot be returned and remain with the organizer for tasting purposes.

• If the payments for the award contest are not effected in due date, the samples will not be further processed, will not be rated, and will also not be returned to the submitting party.

• Provided that the applicant is within the realm of medal winning, they are obliged to exhibit at the "World-Spirits Festival" and see to it that the booth remains occupied during the entire exhibition. Participants not awarded medals can also exhibit, since the costs for it are paid with the tasting charge. If an awarded participant should not come, the organizer reserves the right to claim compensation amounting to 1,500 Euros. 

• Place of jurisdiction: Spittal/Drau

Bad Kleinkirchheim, August 15^th, 2004