Discover how whiskey awards are decided and who judges them. Alex Hamer joins us to pull back the curtain on the industry.
Join hosts Joel, Kevin, and Bobby for a candid industry discussion about the spirits world. We explore the specific criteria used in whisky judging, from scale and entry numbers to the hierarchy of medals versus awards. This is a must-watch for anyone curious about what goes on behind the scenes of major competitions.
The conversation also compares the evaluation methods for beer and whiskey, the path to becoming a professional judge, and how the category is growing. We get into the details of media awards and the challenges of evaluating spirits at a professional level. Alex Hamer shares his perspective on these vital topics.
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Alex Hamer
www.instagram.com/cdnwhiskyawards/
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https://spiritforus.ca | Kevin Donde | @spiritforus
Bobby Laevens | @dramsanddrips
Joel Baachus | @scratchnscotch
00:00:00 - Let's Talk Awards
00:08:04 - Favourite Whisky 2002
00:00:32 - Transitioning
00:16:51 - Growing the Whisky Category
00:20:02 - Category Rabbit Holes
00:21:16 - Number of Entries. Scale.
00:23:31 - Canada Corner
00:28:13 - History
00:37:38 - How exactly are the Whiskies selected?
00:43:12 - Number of Judges
00:44:06 - Hierarchy of Awards
00:45:25 - Medals vs Awards
00:54:02 - Refresh our glasses
00:58:07 - Judging in Beer vs Whisky
01:06:08 - Very Easy to Critique
01:09:15 - Bobby needs some Gin
01:12:01 - Waves in Whisky
01:14:40 - How does someone become a judge?
01:19:38 - Answer one leave one
01:21:49 - Media Awards
01:26:07 - Leave a question
01:28:54 - Where can we find you?