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Edward Snell – Whisky from South Africa

Edward Snell founded a trading company in Durban in 1848, from which the oldest spirit company in South Africa developed over 160 years. Following an eventful history, the company is now once again in the hands of the family. Besides their own brands they also sell numerous local and international drink brands, mostly in various markets in Africa and the Middle East.

The wide range of products includes whisky, brandy, vodka, rum, gin, tequila and cognac. One outstanding label is Firstwatch Whisky with its new look, a striking, square bottle design. Consumer demand for a whisky with an American taste profile has been perfected over time and is presented today as a balanced blend of the finest imported rye and grain. Whether pure, on the rocks or mixed – its diversity makes it popular with many different target groups and successful in one of the largest spirit segments in South Africa.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Firstwatch Whisky.

Seri Pervas: Homage to the tradition of trade

After being declared a free port in 1719, Trieste became the most significant port in Austro-Hungary and by 1900 it was the fourth-largest city in the empire after Vienna, Budapest and Prague, characterised by the profile of the steam ships that transported goods from the continent to the rest of the world. These also included Seri Pervas, a large-wheeled wooden steamer built in 1839 that travelled along the Danube into the inland areas and out to sea.

At the beginning of 2020, two brothers came up with a line of spirits as a homage to the trade history of the city. They brought the name of the ship back to life to trace the history of the merchants. Their great-grandfather Vittorio travelled to America on the transatlantic ships Vulcania and Saturnia and brought back exotic products that were not available in Europe. Deals were often made by handshake at the ports and sealed with a toast. This is how a modern line of spirits with gin and amaro emerged through artisanal production. Everything is made with passion and pride in Trieste, as can be read on the bottles. Local raw ingredients are carefully selected and enriched with spices. The design was also chosen with reference to the historical era, which was characterised by scientific and technological innovation, cultural dynamism and the emergence of world trade. Pharmaceutical discoveries laid the foundation stone for modern medicine and alcohol was part of many remedies. All of this led to the selection of a bottle as could be found in all pharmacies back then, as well as to the thick paper label and font from that time.

At the World Spirits Award, silver was awarded to Seri Pervas Amaro.

Mosgaard Whisky: Danish whisky in Scottish tradition

Near the southeast coast of the island of Fünen, Gitte and Jes Mosgaard have converted an old farm into a craft distillery. It is their mission to combine taste, design and high-quality organic products from Denmark with a new interpretation of Scottish tradition. And so, an old variety of barley is grown in a national park on the west coast and malted on the farm to ensure the right fruitiness and sweet, malty flavour. The distillation plant was handmade in Portugal according to their own designs. “Thousands of hammer blows have formed raw copper plates to achieve the products’ specific flavour profile – as clean as nature.”

For the fermentation process, the usual double fermentation period is observed to avoid unstable yeast and undesirable aromas. The climate is very important during the maturation period, whereby the nearby coast and clean air have an influence. The wooden barrels are manufactured according to the desired flavour profile. The oak comes from sherry barrels or from large port wine and bourbon barrels. The whiskies are available in two varieties: as a fruity single malt with a clean malt flavour and as a peated version, whereby the barley malt is dried over peat smoke.

In 2018, Mosgaard was named the best Danish distillery and, in 2019, the best Danish whisky distillery. The outlook for exports is good, as organic Danish foodstuffs are highly attractive on international markets.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Single Malt Whisky Peated Bourbon Cask, and silver for Single Malt Whisky Oloroso Cask and Single Malt Whisky Pedro Ximenez Cask.