Paul Pacult, the spirits writer/columnist/publisher, is someone I have known and admired, for many years. When he and his team invited me to observe and learn about their recent Ultimate Spirits Challenge, I jumped at the opportunity.

I’ve often wondered about tasting and judging events and the resulting awards from a number of standpoints. Are they impactful? Does the trade or consumers pay attention or care? How sound is the methodology?

So, with the opportunity to get a close and upfront view of a spirits judging, I set out to address these questions.