Cape Town – KWV took the title of Best Brandy and Cognac Producer in the World at the 2015 International Spirit Challenge (ISC) function in London Wednesday night.
It was the first time in the ISC’s 20-year history that a brandy and not a cognac has won.
KWV’s 20-year old brandy also received the Best Brandy in the World Trophy and the Grand Champion accolade, outscoring Cognac and international brandies, after being judged the favourite of the nine gold medal winners by the tasting judges.
The ISC aims at promoting outstanding quality spirits from around the globe. The competition, which this year saw more than 1 000 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide, is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process.
KWV Master Distiller Pieter de Bod said winning an ISC medal is an outstanding achievement and underlines KWV’s commitment to quality and innovation.
According to the latest Nielsen figures, while brandy volumes shrunk by 7% in the past year, KWV has grown its share to almost 14%.
“We are particularly proud of this achievement and we are seeing good growth across the KWV Brandy range,” said Peadar Hegarty, head of strategy at KWV.
KWV also received three silvers for its 15, 12 and 10 year old brandies in the 2015 ISC awards.