The Choya Aged 3 Years Extra Fruit Umeshu wins Double Gold and named Best in Class and Best in Show Fruit Liqueur at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Choya is delighted to announce that The Choya aged 3 Years Extra Fruit Umeshu has won a Double Gold medal at this year’s prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  Its distinctive flavours have been recognised in two categories with The Choya aged 3 Years Extra Fruit Umeshu scoring a near perfect 97 out of 99 points and being voted Best in Class Fruit Liqueur and Best in Show Liqueur.

This year saw a total of 267 liqueur entries with Choya coming out on top being awarded the highest honour at the competition, The Best in Show Liqueur.  It cements The Choya aged 3 Years Extra Fruit Umeshu as the best liqueur across all liqueur categories which is an incredible achievement. Sitting alongside this is the Double Gold medal which is only awarded to a small percentage of entries. 

Double Gold medal winners are selected by the most trusted blind judging panels in the world. Awarded to the entries that receive a Gold medal rating by all members of the judging panel; these are among the finest products in the world. Out of thousands of entries over the course of the year, only a small percentage are awarded Double Gold medals.  This year the competition had close to 5,500 entries including, but not limited to, over 300 Vodkas, 450 Gins, 280 Rums, 450 Tequilas, 500 Bourbons, 260 Scotch Whiskies, 200 Brandies, and 250 Liqueurs. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was led this year by President, Amanda Blue and Chief Judge, Jeffrey Morgenthaler. 

Kensuke Suzuki, General Manager, Choya comments, “We are delighted to have been recognised as the No 1 liqueur at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  We are particularly pleased that The Choya aged 3 Years Extra Fruit Umeshu has been voted Best in Class Fruit Liqueur and Best in Show as well as being awarded a Double Gold out of a strong field of other contenders. Choya has an exciting future in a category that is becoming more and more popular with the rise in craft liqueurs and artisanal flavours that has elevated the liqueur category.”