Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin earns silver in prestigious international competition
A GIN distilled in Northern Ireland by Dr Ulrich Dyer at The Woodlab Distillery has been awarded Silver in the 2019 International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).
The premier experts judging in this prestigious competition, which has been judging wines and spirits and awarding medals to the world’s best products for over 50 years, have awarded Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin 93 points out of 100 and worthy of a silver medal.
Symphonia gin spirits are the brainchild of Dr Ulrich Dyer – a scientist who, after spending 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, turned his skills to producing gin.
Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin is the first in a composition of three handcrafted Irish spirits and are distilled near Benburb in Co Tyrone. The range also includes Symphonia No 2 Apple Gin, a gin made from the PGI protected Armagh Bramley Apple which blends seamlessly with juniper to create a crisp, refreshing spirit. Symphonia No 3 Fruit Cup is a summer fruit drink inspired by the raspberries and strawberries grown in the distillery’s garden.
Speaking about the honour, which was announced today, Dr Ulrich Dyer said; “The International Wine & Spirit Competition is one of the most prestigious competitions which has been rewarding excellence for over 50 years. For Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin to be announced as the Silver winner is a great honour coming from the IWSC which sets the international benchmark for quality.
“Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin is a beautiful harmony of flavours including basil, rose and dandelion flowers – all grown in the grounds of The Woodlab Distillery.
“I have developed some innovative distillation processes, such as vacuum and microwave distillation, to extract flavours and fragrances from ingredients which would be impossible using traditional pot-still distillation. This gives a wider palette of flavours and this allows a greater complexity and subtlety in the taste of these gins. So this is a great coup for Symphonia Gin and I am absolutely delighted.”
The IWSC judging panels are made up of key international influencers and decision makers from the wine and spirit industry.
Key areas of the industry are represented in the judging panels including on-trade, off-trade, specialist drinks writers and critics.
The winners are showcased throughout the year at dozens of international trade shows, at hundreds of consumer tastings and will be presented to over 600 industry professionals at the annual Awards Banquet which is known in the wine and spirit world as the ‘Oscars of the Industry’.
