Diageo Brands Awarded Top Honors for Superior Quality at the 16th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition

NORWALK, Conn., April 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo brands were recognized across the board for their exceptional quality at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, winning a grand total of 65 medals, more than a third of which were gold or double gold.

Diageo Whisk(e)y brands continued to triumph, earning a total of 43 medals in the Whisk(e)y category, including ten double gold medals.  Johnnie Walker dominated with eight overall medals, including a double gold.  While Bulleit Bourbon, Orphan Barrel and the soon-to-be-launched The Hilhaven Lodge Straight American Whiskey also brought home double gold medals, Diageo scotches fared remarkably well, earning seven of the highly-coveted medals.    A longstanding leader in the category, Diageo is passionate about Scotch and is known for making some of the very best whisky that Scotland can produce.  Diageo is proud to have generations of craftspeople in their coppersmiths, cooperage, distilleries and warehouses who are carrying on their family traditions in whisky making, and sharing their skills, experience and enthusiasm with the next generation.

"The San Francisco Spirits Competition continues to elevate industry standards year after year and it is exciting to see the hard work of our craftspeople recognized at this level," commented Deirdre Mahlan, President, Diageo North America.  "While it's particularly rewarding to consider the achievements of our whiskey brands, we are also deeply proud that our liquids earned honors across categories, including tequila, vodka, rum, gin, liqueurs, mezcal and cachaça."

A full breakdown of Diageo's winning brands at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition is available on request, and all of the double gold and gold medal winners can be found below.

Double Gold:

• Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Caol Ila 12 Year Old
• Glenkinchie 12 Year Old
• Johnnie Walker Blue Label
• Lagavulin 16 Year Old
• Oban Little Bay
• Orphan Barrel 21 Year Old Rhetoric Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Port Dundas 18 Year Old
• Smoky Goat Blended Scotch
• The Hilhaven Lodge Straight American Whiskey

Gold:

• Baileys Pumpkin Spice Cream Liqueur
• Booth's Finest Dry Gin Cask Mellowed
• Buchanan's 12 Year Old Deluxe
• Bulleit Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Clynelish 14 Year Old
• Cragganmore 12 Year Old
• Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky
• Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old
• Johnnie Walker 15 Year Green Label
• Johnnie Walker Black Label
• Johnnie Walker Gold Label
• Mezcal Union El Viejo Mezcal
• Oban 14 Year Old
• Ypióca Cinco Chaves Cachaça

"As Alcohol Responsibility Month, April's a great time to learn more about the importance of enjoying these award-winning brands responsibly," said Guy Smith, EVP, Diageo North America.  "For more information on responsible drinking, visit Diageo's newly-revamped global drinking resource DRINKiQ.com and responsibility.org."

About The San Francisco World Spirits Competition
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the largest, most influential international spirits competition in America, is judged by a prestigious panel of nationally recognized spirits experts. Judging is based on a blind, consensual procedure, ensuring competitive integrity as it remains the nation's most respected spirits competition. For more information about the competition visit https://www.sfspiritscomp.com/.

About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow us on Twitter for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.

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SOURCE Diageo

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