NORWALK, Conn., April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo brands were recognized across the board for their excellence at the 14th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition, winning a grand total of 45 medals, 17 of which were gold or double gold. Johnnie Walker Double Black Label Scotch was awarded "Best Blended Scotch Up to 15 Years" and Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch was awarded "Best Distillers Single Malt Scotch – 13 to 19 Years."  Over the past ten years Diageo brands have earned more than 500 medals at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, more medals than were awarded during the entire 2014 Olympic Winter games in Sochi.

Whisk(e)y was the standout category for Diageo, securing 29 medals in total. In Scotch, Irish and Canadian whisk(e)y, Diageo brands won multiple medals.  Bushmills and Johnnie Walker won six medals each, collecting a double gold and two gold medals each.  Bulleit won four medals including two gold, while Buchanan's received three medals, bringing home two double gold medals and one gold.

Diageo brands also performed well in the vodka, rum, liqueur and gin categories, with most brands winning multiple medals. Smirnoff vodka, the world's number-one selling premium spirit, collected five medals.  In rum, Pampero Aniversario and Captain Morgan 1671 received a gold medal each, and in liqueur, Baileys won two medals, include one gold.  In the gin category, Tanqueray received two silver medals for the brand's London Dry and Rangpur offerings.

"Diageo brands stand for quality and it is an honor to once again be recognized at this prestigious competition, with such a wide array of our brands so well received," commented Larry Schwartz, President, Diageo North America.  "It is exciting to see that both our heritage brands as well as new-to-world innovations are getting the recognition that they deserve."  

A full breakdown of Diageo's winning brands at the 2014 San Francisco Spirits Competition is available on request, and all of the double gold and gold medal winners can be found below.

Double Gold:

• Buchanan's 15 Year Old Master Scotch
• Buchanan's 18 Year old Special Reserve Scotch
• Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey 16 Year
• Johnnie Walker Double Black Label Scotch
• Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
• Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Talisker Distillers Edition 2002 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Gold:

• Baileys Chocolat Luxe Liqueur
• Buchanan's DeLuxe 12 Year Old Scotch
• Bulleit 95 Rye Whiskey
• Bulleit 10 Year Old Bourbon
• Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey
• Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey 21 Year
• Captain Morgan 1671
• Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Scotch
• Jonnie Walker Blue Label Scotch
• Pampero Aniversario Rum

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Windsor, Buchanan's and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray, Guinness, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards Wines.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

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SOURCE Diageo