E. León Jimenes received a gold medal from a panel of high-profile spirits industry judges. E. León Jimenes scored highly in three different categories – Quality, Value, and Packaging – in order to take home a medal in the competition.
Winning a gold medal at the USA Spirits Ratings Competition is not only an ultimate seal of approval but also shows that E. León Jimenes is a high-quality spirit with a broad consumer appeal.
One of the guiding principles of the USA Spirits Ratings competition is that all spirits that receive medals in the competition should be those that consumers actually want to buy, whether it is shopping for a spirit at a retail liquor store, or ordering a spirit off a bar menu. As a result, the USA Spirits Ratings competition has created an entirely new 100-point rating system that takes into account three different criteria (Quality, Value, and Packaging) rather than just spirit-making technique or overall taste.
To receive a gold medal at the USA Spirits Ratings competition, a spirit needs to score at least 90 points.
“We’re honored and proud that our E. León Jimenes rum scored so highly on the various factors that determine the drinkability of a spirit. Our focus is put into bringing a unique experience to the palate of the consumers, as we have been working with pairings in which flavors play an important role in the whole process of consumption of our product.
Sid Patel, CEO and Founder of Beverage Trade Network, emphasized on the importance of finding spirits that score highly across all three categories rather than just one, “We feel that it offers a broad, comprehensive approach to evaluating spirits the same way that consumers and trade buyers do.”
“Increasingly, consumers are thinking of spirits as brands, just like they would of any other product they find in the supermarket,” said Patel. “That’s why it was so important to include Packaging & Presentation as a key judging criteria – it means that the spirit is being created with a specific type of customer or demographic in mind.”
The judging panel included spirits industry professionals with commercial buying expertise. It also included professionals from leading retail chains, wholesalers, distributors, specialty retailers, and casual and fine dining establishments.
The inclusion of so many high-profile judges ensured that spirits that were awarded medals in the competition were those with a high degree of commercial appeal.
