Distilled to Perfection: Fanny's Distillery Wins 3 Awards at the London Spirits Competition

We're used to the odd nervous wait for a competition result. This one delivered three at once. The London Spirits Competition, one of the industry's more demanding judging panels, awarded Fanny's Distillery three medals in a single sitting: Silver for our Single Malt Whisky, Silver for our Single Grain Whisky, and Bronze for our Absinthe, judged on its very first outing.

Our Single Malt took Silver with a score of 91 points. The judges picked out exactly what we were hoping they would: sour fruit and spice up front, a whisper of smoke underneath, and a long finish built on honey, nuts, ginger and peach. It's distilled from Golden Promise malted barley. It was our first single malt release, so a 91-point Silver on debut is not a bad way to introduce it.

The Single Grain scored 90 points for its own Silver, described as floral and spiced, with red fruit and wood on the nose giving way to caramel, almonds and zesty citrus, and a herbal finish that's short but memorable. It's the gentlest, most citrus-forward whisky in the range, and the judges clearly liked the contrast.

Then there's the Absinthe: Bronze at 85 points, on its first competition appearance anywhere. It's distilled from the finest wormwood to a cherished 1855 recipe, and we take it seriously even though absinthe still carries a slightly disreputable reputation in some quarters. A medal on debut suggests the judges took it seriously too.

None of this happens without the basics. Local barley and grain, our own limestone spring water drawn from 1,000 feet below the distillery, and a great deal of patience with Fanny, our Arnold Holstein copper column still. Three medals from one sitting is a good return on that patience.

You can find tasting notes, awards and Amazon links for all three spirits, plus the rest of the range, on our shop page. Or see every medal we've won on the awards page.