Family-Owned & Operated Cedar Ridge™ Distillery (Swisher, Iowa) Wins “Best American Craft Whiskey in Show” at the 2016 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition
Sept. 20, 2016 / Family-owned and operated Cedar Ridge™ Distillery — located in the heart of America’s corn belt in Swisher, Iowa — is delighted that Cedar Ridge Single Malt Whiskey won “Best American Craft Whiskey in Show” (and Double Gold) at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (Aug. 24-25, New York City).
Founder and head judge of the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, Mr. Anthony Dias Blue, says, “In a category loaded with quality products, this one stood out.”
Cedar Ridge Head Distiller Kolin Brighton says: “We are grateful to be recognized by the industry. Our Single Malt is one of my favorite whiskeys to make because we use a solera system, aging different lots in various cask-finishes and then marrying them in our large oak vat for consistency before bottling.”
Jeff Quint, a 9th generation farmer and distiller and the owner of Cedar Ridge Distillery, says: “Cedar Ridge whiskeys are defined by a clean taste profile, which we achieve by fermenting off the grain. In addition, our whiskeys are double distilled to 148-150 proof, vs. the more common 134-136 proof, to further contribute to their pure, approachable character. Lastly, our rick houses are not temperature controlled, allowing our whiskeys to mature in colder and warmer extremes, causing more loss but leaving us with a smoother, more complex taste profile.”
In fact, Cedar Ridge Single Malt Whiskey has received nothing but gold medals since its April 1, 2014 release, from competitions including:
- International Craft Spirits Awards (May 31, 2016)
- Los Angeles International Spirits Competition (May 10, 2016) – judges included Brian Bowden of BevMo!
- Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Spirit Tasting Competition (April 9, 2016) – judges included Julian Cox of Lettuce Entertain You
- North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition (March 18, 2016) – judges included Blair Bowman, Scottish Field Magazine
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition (March 17, 2016) – director of judging Tony Abou-Ganim
About Cedar Ridge Distillery
While Cedar Ridge whiskies are fairly new on the scene, the Quint family started their first winery, which is still operating, on the Mosel River in Germany in the 1700s. In 1881, John Quint emigrated to eastern Iowa, where the family continued to farm and distill. In 2005, Jeff thought, “Why not distill some of our grain commercially?,” and Cedar Ridge Distillery was founded. Cedar Ridge’s three German-made CARL copper stills are small (holding only 40, 100, and 200 gallons each), and the distillery creates just 4 barrels of whiskey each day. Other expressions include Cedar Ridge Reserve Iowa Bourbon Whiskey (Double Gold medal in this show) and Cedar Ridge Malted Rye (Silver medal in this show). All carry SRPs around $45.00/750mL and are available in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Interviews, hi-res imagery, and samples available upon request
Media Contact: Christine Deussen, cdeussen@deussenglobal.com; tel.212-682-2293, x111
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