Courvoisier Cognac XO Wins “Spirit Of The Year” At 2020 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge

Courvoisier Cognac XO has been awarded “Spirit of the Year” at the 2020 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge. The annual competition is one of the oldest and most revered of its kind in the United States.

Last year, Courvoisier Cognac XO was awarded 93 points and a Gold Medal, but this year’s batch impressed judges even more, rocketing up to 96 points, receiving Double Gold, and winning this year’s biggest award for a single spirit. It retails for $150 USD. Courvoisier Cognacs took home two other Golds during the competition: their VSOP received 92 points and the VS scored 90.

Elsewhere at the 2020 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge, Cierto Tequila took home “Distiller of the Year” for the second year in a row. The Elevated Spirits Company-owned brand won 9 awards in total, including three Double Golds medals and five Golds. This award comes immediately on the heels of the brand’s Extra Anejo winning Best Tequila at this year’s World Tequila Awards.

Find a full list of this year’s winners in the Spirits category below:

Bib & Tucker    

    Bourbon Whiskey  Small Batch #21 USA  $55.00  Gold  90 points

Branson    

    Cognac VSOP  France  $69.00  Gold  91 points

Cierto    

    Tequila  Añejo, Reserve Collection  Mexico  $375.00  Double Gold    95    points

    Tequila  Añejo, Private Collection  Mexico  $350.00  Double Gold    94    points

    Tequila  Extra Añejo, Reserve Collection  Mexico  $475.00  Double Gold    94    points

    Tequila  Extra Añejo, Private Collection  Mexico  $450.00  Gold    93    points

    Tequila  Reposado, Reserve Collection  Mexico  $275.00  Gold    93    points

    Tequila  Reposado, Private Collection  Mexico  $250.00  Gold    93    points

    Tequila  Blanco, Private Collection  Mexico  $150.00  Gold    92    points

    Tequila  Blanco, Reserve Collection  Mexico  $175.00  Gold    90    points

Courvoisier    

    Cognac  XO  France  $150.00  Double Gold  96 points

    Avant Garde  Bourbon Cask Spirit  France  $40.00  Gold  93 points

    Cognac  VSOP  France  $35.00  Gold   92 points

    Cognac  VS  France  $25.00  Gold  90  points

Cylinder    

    Vodka  Ultra-Premium  USA  $25.00  Gold  91 points

Eagle Distilleries    

    Arak Haddad  Gold Label  Jordan  $15.00  Gold  90 points

    Arak Haddad  Crystal  Jordan  $20.00  Silver    

Eastern Kille Distillery     

    Barrel Finished Gin  USA  $30.00  Gold  91 points

    Coffee Liqueur  USA  $25.00  Silver    

    Michigan Straight Rye Whiskey  USA  $35.00  Silver    

Enemigo    

    Tequila  89 Añejo Cristalino  Mexico  $65.00  Gold  92 points

    Tequila  Zero Zero Extra Añejo  Mexico  $150.00  Gold  90 points

Familia Camarena    

    Tequila  Añejo  Mexico  $30.00  Gold  93 points

    Tequila  Reposado  Mexico  $19.00  Gold  91 points

    Tequila  Silver  Mexico  $17.00  Gold  90 points

Ginstr    

    Stuttgart Dry Gin    Germany  $35.00  Gold  93 points

Gray Whale    

    Gin  USA  $35.00  Double Gold  94 points

Hecate    

    Coffee Liqueur  USA  $30.00  Double Gold  94 points

    Cacao Liqueur  USA  $30.00  Gold  92 points

High Noon    

    Grapefruit Hard Seltzer  USA  $2.50  Gold  91 points

    Black Cherry Hard Seltzer  USA  $2.50  Gold  90 points

    Watermelon Hard Seltzer  USA  $2.50  Silver    

Highclere Castle    

    London Dry Gin  United Kingdom  $39.99  Gold  92 points

Jagermeister    

    Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur  Germany  $24.99  Gold  91 points

Juniper Grove    

    Atrium Gin  USA  $41.99  Gold  90 points

    American Dry Gin  USA  $39.99  Silver    

Kikori    

    Whiskey  Japan  $49.99  Doube Gold  95 points

Luksusowa    

    Potato Vodka  Poland  $14.00  Silver    

Lyre’s    

    Italian Orange  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Gold  93 points

    Aperitif Rosso  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Gold  92 points

    Coffee Originale  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Gold  91 points

    Aperitif Dry  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Gold  91 points

    Dark Cane Spirit  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Gold  90 points

    Orange Sec  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Gold  90 points

    American Malt  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $36.00  Gold  90 points

    Amaretti  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Gold  90 points

    White Cane Spirit  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Silver    

    Spiced Cane Spirit  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Silver    

    Dry London Spirit  Non-Alcoholic  Australia  $21.00  Silver    

Masterson’s    

    Straight Rye Whiskey  10 year old  Canada  $70.00  Silver    

Octavio    

    Tequila  Reposado Cristalino      $44.95  Gold  90 points

Pinnacle    

    Vodka  USA  $12.99  Gold  93 points

Redemption    

    Bourbon  Barrel Proof, Batch No. 003  USA  $100.00  Double Gold  94 points

    Rye  Barrel Proof, Batch No. 002  USA  $100.00  Gold  93 points

    Bourbon  Batch No.  27  USA  $30.00  Gold  91 points

    Wheated Bourbon  Batch No. 002  USA  $45.00  Gold  90 points

    High Rye Bourbon  Batch No. 123  USA  $30.00  Gold  90 points

    Rye    Batch No. 259    USA    $30.00    Silver    

Roaming Man Edition 9    

    Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey  Cask Strength, Small Batch  USA  $49.99  Double Gold  94 points

Signature Reserve    

    Tennessee Straight Whiskey  4 year old  USA  $18.99  Gold  93 points

    Canadian Whisky  Aged 8 years  Canada  $18.99  Gold  92 points

    Vodka  Ultra-Premium  USA  $18.99  Gold  90 points

Source One    

    Vodka  USA  $31.99  Gold  90 points

    Vodka  Oak Sherry Cask  USA  $34.99  Silver    

Steinmetz    

    Sipping Bourbon  Barrel 1  USA  $69.99  Gold  93 points

The Bad Stuff    

    Tequila  Extra Añejo, Reserva Especial, Estate Grown  Mexico  $199.99  Double Gold  94 points

Uncle Nearest    

    1856 Premium Whiskey  USA  $59.95  Gold  93 points

    1884 Small Batch Whiskey  Eady Butler Batch  USA  $54.99  Gold  92 points

Yuzuri    

    Yuzu Liqueur  Japan  $45.00  Gold  90 points

The San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge, founded in early 1982, is a commercial wine & spirits competition on a mission to recognize excellence in the commercial production of adult beverages. To ensure the best possible results, they recruit wine professionals from across the industry, including producers, sommeliers, and media and marketing professionals. They take great pride in the skill, professionalism, and integrity in their judges.

1 COMMENT

  1. This cognac drink looks terrific, and I want to know how much this will cost me. I need to buy this for an upcoming party, and I think my mates will purchase this too. I’ll share this link with them now.

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