Lidl whiskey wins gold medal at International Wine & Spirits Competition

Try to say 'worldwide whiskey award' five times fast

It was a good night for Irish whiskey-makers at International Wine & Spirits Competition. The biggest winners on the night were Tullamore D.E.W., who won the Worldwide Whiskey Trophy for its 18 Year Old Single Malt. It's the first time that the award has been won by an Irish whiskey-maker since 2009. Entries for the award were received from nearly 90 countries worldwide. Brian Kinsman, Tullamore D.E.W. Master Blender, commented: "Working on the Tullamore D.E.W. 18 Year Old Single Malt was a two-year mission to craft an extraordinary whiskey that embodies the complex character, subtle sweetness and triple distilled smoothness that define the best of Irish Single Malt. "The quality of the aged stocks is comparable to the very best Highland single malts, but the triple distillation and our four-cask finish are what set this whiskey apart as one of the best in the world." However, there were plenty of silver medals scooped up by Tullamore D.E.W., Jameson, Irish Mist and Redbreast.

Another impressive success story is Dundalgan 10 year-old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, produced by Lidl, which also won a Gold Medal Outstanding in the category of single malt, eight - 12 years old.