With the doors to their West Coast distillery open for just under two years, Reefton Distilling Co. continue to achieve an impressive line-up of awards for their range of premium small-batch distilled spirits.
Having already attained fifteen awards at both the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), and the New Zealand Spirits Awards (NZSA) in both 2019 and 2020, this modern distillery from an age-old town, has struck gold at the 2020 SIP Awards.
Catering to the opinions and palates of the discerning public, the SIP Awards is the only internationally recognized consumer judging spirits competition.
The SIP Awards
The SIP Awards allow brands from around the globe, both big and small, to gain valuable insight on their products and compete in an unbiased competition. Founded in 2009, the goal was to bring people who regularly consume the product together, to decide which brands deserve recognition.
The 2020 Sip Awards were conducted between 10 and 18 July 2020 and due to COVID-19, this was an in-home experience with a record-breaking 482 consumer judges. Each judge received their SIP Awards Tasting Kit directly, allowing them to conduct the blind tasting in the comfort and safety of their own home.
“This is another huge vote of confidence in our products and we are extremely pleased to know that we continue to stand with the best. We all believe that we are crafting something special, but to have this recognition from a blind tasting by consumer judges is significant,” commented Reefton Distilling Co. Founder and Chief Executive Patsy Bass, having made the decision to enter just one product in this renowned international competition, Little Biddy Gin – Classic.
Little Biddy Gin
Created in honour of Reefton legend Little Biddy, a pipe-smoking, gin-toting, 4-foot-tall gold prospector, the Little Biddy Gin range includes native botanicals foraged from deep within the same West Coast rainforest where Biddy once fossicked for gold. This is a uniquely New Zealand gin with a pioneer’s attitude. Distilled from New Zealand botanicals including native Toatoa, Horopito, Tarata, Kahikatea and Rimu, Little Biddy Gin captures the taste of the West Coast rainforest.
Often described as a sipping gin; so good you can drink it straight; Little Biddy Gin is equally good enjoyed in a cocktail.
New Zealand’s Most Exclusive Gin
Not content to rest on their laurels, Reefton Distilling Co. continue to add exciting new products to their Little Biddy Gin range and have just launched a new limited release, Little Biddy Gin – Cask Aged (Bourbon).
Having rested in a rich and flavourful ex. Bourbon American Oak Cask, Little Biddy Gin – Cask Aged (Bourbon) emerges a rich autumnal gold. Vapour infused with thirteen botanicals, five of which are foraged fresh from the West Coast rainforest prior to distillation, the maturation in the cask has further infused this gin with serene notes of sweet vanilla, honeyed maple, warming clove and cinnamon.
Little Biddy Gin – Cask Aged (Bourbon) is Reefton Distilling Co.’s second limited release, and the first crafted by Distiller Beth Scott. Scott, a graduate from the University of Otago who holds a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Food Science, minoring in Marketing, made a career move to take up the role as Distiller at Reefton Distilling Co. just over a year ago. Beth says that she loves working with natural ingredients and the unique characteristics that the different botanicals bring to the flavour of each gin.
“Watching the distilled spirit transform through the ageing process, anticipating, tasting and then deciding that it was ready to be removed from the cask, was an unforgettable experience,” described Scott.
This limited release is New Zealand’s most exclusive gin. Batch limited to only 343 bottles, each signed by Distiller Beth Scott and in a hand-crafted black and gold gift box, Little Biddy Gin - Cask Aged (Bourbon) is available while stocks last at select stores nationally or direct from Reefton Distilling Co.’s cellar door and online store.
