Since 1991, F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal has reviewed thousands of beverage alcohol products in an independent and advertising-free forum and has printed 90 editions. Founding editor F. Paul Pacult and managing editor Sue Woodley describe the unbiased and candid subscription-only newsletter as a “pander-free zone, free from the demands, implied and overt, of advertising dollars.”
“By not accepting advertising, the Spirit Journal is free from the pressures that publications like magazines and newspapers have to endure,” said Woodley. “For better or for worse, and within the context of contemporary beverage alcohol standards, we have, do and will continue to tell the truth about spirits as we see it.”
In recognition of the spirit brands that have consistently exhibited extraordinary quality over numerous formal reviews, Pacult and Woodley have established a special honor, The Spirit Journal Hall of Fame. Induction will retire specified benchmark spirits from the “Top Spirits” list and place them in the SuperStar Spirits category.
The first five inductees in the 2011 inaugural class are:
• Highland Park 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, Scotland
• Cointreau Liqueur, France
• Midleton Very Rare Blended Irish Whiskey, Ireland
• Nonino Cru Grappa Di Monovitigno Picolit, Italy
• Frapin Extra Grande Champagne Cognac, France
“Among the scores of superlative spirits that have received five stars in the Spirit Journal, these five have come to represent distillation and production at their finest. These spirits are bona fide icons,” said Pacult.
A new number one spirit has been chosen from the list of 2011 Top Spirits in the World from The Spirit Journal: George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Antique Collection 2010 produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
“The selection of a cask strength (71.5% abv) whiskey from the American heartland may come as a shock to many spirits diehards who lean towards traditional European-style distillates. I understand that viewpoint but the time has come to recognize a new standard-bearer for innovation and unswerving overall quality, year after year. The experimental work being conducted by mark Brown and his remarkable team at Buffalo Trace is expanding the horizons, not just of American distilling, but of global distilling at large. It is time to salute the fruits of those homegrown labors.”
