Judging Spirits

[Charles@AEppelTreow]

The Great Lakes Cider and Perry Association just held their ('our' - I'm an officer) annual competition. In its wake, we are looking for ways to improve next years contest.

We have a category for apple and pear eaux de vie and brandies, but we are finding that our style and judging scoresheets for these products could use some improvement. Would anyone involved in brandy judging/evaluatation care to contribute suggestions, tips, templates or other help?

[robertbirnecker]

Hey Charles,

We hold a sensory seminar twice a year with about 80 samples, at least half of them fruit based spirits. It's essentially a shortened version of the training for spirits judges in Austria and Germany. My colleague Dr. Klaus Hagmann and I will conduct the next one in May. Please send me a quick e-mail if you are interested so I can put you on the list. We can also talk about scoring options and such with you. Also, being based in Chicago I'd be happy to help you judge.

All the best,

Robert

--------------------------------------------------------

Kothe Distilling Technologies Inc.

5121 N. Ravenswood Ave

Chicago, IL 60640

http://www.kothe-distilling.com

info@kothe-distilling.com

(773) 295 4454

[Tom's Foolery]

Hey Charles,

We hold a sensory seminar twice a year with about 80 samples, at least half of them fruit based spirits. My colleague Dr. Klaus Hagmann and I will conduct the next one in May.

Robert

Robert-

The seminar sounds great. I remember meeting Dr. Hagmann at your seminar in May 2009. You have a great resource to share with Charles.

Charles-

Send me your email address and I can send you the tasting sheet that I have used. While it is not perfect, it is designed for apple brandy so it could be a helpful starting point for you.

By the way, I enjoyed meeting your dad at the Great Lakes Cider competition earlier this year at Uncle John's Cider Mill. My favorite was your naturally-conditioned hard cider.

Tom

Tom

[fotoski]

Dear Charles,

First congratulations on your apple brandy. It is a very nice spirit.

Here are some of the judging guidelines we used for aged fruit spirits at the judging last spring at the ADI conference. For eau de vies, I suggest slanting the scoring more toward the aromatics more and less emphasis on other aspects.

Apple brandy presents some interesting problems because most American apple brandies have not been in the barrel as long as their European counterparts. It is not fair to judge our apple brandies against the style of a Calvados. An interesting new style of apple brandy is emerging in America.

Cheers,

Drew

Appearance 10 points

10 - Exceptional color, clear

8 - Bright color, clear

6 - Typical

4 - Dull or hazy

2 - Cloudy with sediment

Aromatics 30 points

30 - Outstanding - Unique and extraordinarily complex

26 - Excellent - Highly complex

22 - Very good - Distinguishable

18 - Good - Typical

14 - Acceptable - Simple but not noticeable

10 - Deficient - Slight off odor or medicinal

6 - Poor - Noticeable off odor

0 - Undrinkable - Strong unpleasant off-odor

Flavor 30 points

30 - Outstanding - Extraordinarily complex, balanced and unique mix of alcohol, fruit, congeners and
 elements of aging

24 - Very Good - Complex and balanced taste

18 - Good - Typical

12 - Deficient - Slightly unpleasant out of balance taste

6 - Poor - Unpleasant, bitter, feinty or monolithic

0 - Undrinkable - Highly unpleasant

Mouth Feel 10 points

Is it smooth and round or hot and rough?

Does it roll pleasantly across the palate or make the mouth pucker or flinch?

10 - Outstanding - Very smooth and round, expands the palate

8 - Very Good - Smooth and round, rolls softly across the tongue

6 - Good - Typical

4 - Deficient - Slightly unpleasant

2 - Poor - Hot or bitter, makes the mouth pucker

0 - Undrinkable - Highly unpleasant

Finish 10 points

10 - Outstanding - Unique, intense, complex, warm, long and lingering.

8 - Very Good - Lingering, warm and pleasant

6 - Good - Pleasant, medium length finish

4 - Deficient - Short duration or slightly feinty

2 - Poor - Unpleasant or very feinty

0 - Undrinkable - Strong unpleasant off taste

Balance 10 points

Do all the components (appearance, taste, flavor, finish, mouth feel) integrated to make a cohesive spirit?

10 - Outstanding- Uniquely distinctive and integrated combination of all components

8 - Very Good - Components combined in a way that compliment each other

6 - Good - Qualities are all consistent for this style of spirit

4 - Deficient - Out of balance but shortcomings are outweighed by successes.

2 - Poor - Very out of balance, one characteristic outweighs the rest

0 - Undrinkable - Elements of the spirit are out of coordination.

[Charles@AEppelTreow]

Dear Charles,

First congratulations on your apple brandy. It is a very nice spirit.

Here are some of the judging guidelines we used for aged fruit spirits at the judging last spring at the ADI conference. For eau de vies, I suggest slanting the scoring more toward the aromatics more and less emphasis on other aspects.

Apple brandy presents some interesting problems because most American apple brandies have not been in the barrel as long as their European counterparts. It is not fair to judge our apple brandies against the style of a Calvados. An interesting new style of apple brandy is emerging in America.

Cheers,

Drew

Thanks for this example, Drew. (And I'm not sure whose apple brandy you've had - I only got my first one in the barrel last Saturday :-) And thanks for the other followup contacts from various people. Our group has much more experience with 'hard' cider and perry. We want to credibly extend the competition to include apple and pear spirits - and are certainly willing to learn and take advice. The specific examples are great - and we'll educate ourselves so we can educate our judges, much like we do for the cider/perry.

We are considering moving the competition from December to April to match the typical artisan cider production cycles and align with UK cider comps. At the moment, we don't know if that means a 4 month lead to the next comp - or 16 month. I will certainly post here when the Association schedules the next competition, expo (we do a MI located version of Colrain Cider Days) or training/education seminar.

And Drew - I actually prefer american apple brandies. I think the clean, wine-like fermentation that most american ciders get by far makes up for their youth. Most (not all) Calvados tastes like concentrated examples of cider fermentation faults to me. And I know that's how they're supposed to be - the cider and perry is the same way.