These Are the Products that Have Won Alimentos de España Awards

Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food recently announced the winners of its prestigious Alimentos de España awards, including the new Best Spirit and the Special Alimentos de España Award.

The award for the Best Spirit with protected geographical indication went to Brandy 1866, Brandy de Jerez Solera Gran Reserva Jerez, by Grupo Osborne. This spirit is backed by the Brandy de Jerez geographical indication. Brandy 1866 is made from the distillation of selected wines in traditional copper stills. It’s aged in sherry casks following the traditional Criaderas and Solera method, which gives it a special salinity in the mouth and a delicate, dry, deep flavor. It’s golden amber in color and has a great aromatic intensity with light notes of vanilla, cocoa, and nuts, which makes it a unique brandy.

The Special Alimentos de España Award went to Don Apolonio Añejo Reserva goat cheese, produced by Quesos Don Apolonio, in Malagón, Ciudad Real. This cheese received the highest organoleptic score in the blind tasting in all cheese categories. This cheese, made from pasteurized sheep's milk, is aged for at least 15 months and is an intense yellow color, which is characteristic of the milk from sheep that graze in the fields of Castilla-La Mancha. This gives it an intense flavor with a deep, aromatic bouquet and a firm, compact consistency. A pleasure in the mouth, according to experts.

The spirits competing for this award were subject to a blind tasting by a panel of experts. They considered not just the taste, but also the producer’s commitment to innovation, the added value offered to local agriculture, sustainability, and its contribution to the image of Alimentos de España.

Spain is a producer of high-quality spirits as well as more than 200 premium cheeses.