Lyon, the capital of French gastronomy, is home to the International Wine, Beer and Spirits Competition Concours International de Lyon.
Each year, with the support of renowned partners such as the Toques Blanches Lyonnaises, the Association des Sommeliers Lyonnais et Rhône-Alpes, the city of Lyon, Only Lyon and the Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the competition tastes thousands of products from multiple countries and awards the world’s best wines, beers and spirits, from everywhere in the world.
The Concours International de Lyon has 160 categories for tasting spirits. Categories include: Whiskeys, Bourbon, Brandies, Soju, Shochu, Baijiu, Gin, Vodka, Rums, Cachaça, punches, cocktails, liquorice-flavoured drinks, creams, liqueurs and sherries.
Judging Criteria
The competition follows strict rules concerning its organisation, optimal storage conditions, classification of spirits based on numerous criteria, blind tasting, verification of the tasters selected, a 100-point marking scale, etc.
To guarantee buyers and consumers a selection of only the best products, the competition awards medals to no more than a third of the samples presented. As a result, a product may obtain a good mark and still not be awarded a medal.
This diversity means consumers can rely on the Concours International de Lyon, its tasting and medals, to guide them in their choices of spirits.
Our Result
It was our first time entering Concours Interntional de Lyon and our VON EST Sangaste Rye Organic Estonian Vodka was well received.
We were pleased to win a gold medal, as well as receive a trophy for being Best Spirit from Estonia in the Competition. Ours was the only vodka among the 21 spirits to be awarded a Best in Competition trophy.
Official Press Release
1,200 tasters from all over the world gathered at the Cité Internationale for the 15th Concours International de Lyon for Wines, Beers and Spirits on the 22nd and 23rd of March 2024. Spirits, in particular, have been drawn once again to this new edition: their registrations have increased.
Under the watchful eye of the Commissioner General and the supervision of an independent inspector, nearly 8,700 samples were judged by our professional tasters and connoisseurs. All samples were tasted in conformity with strict hygiene measures, competition regulations and our ISO9001 certification.
The competition
The competition’s international scope was confirmed by the participation of 49 countries including France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Moldova, South Africa, Turkey, Cambodia, Venezuela, Japan and Burkina Faso.Wines
The wine competition confirmed its success with nearly 5,920 samples tasted. In all, our tasters awarded 1784 Gold and Silver medals. The best wines from each country and for each French designation were also awarded: 32 trophies.Spirits
The number of spirits entries jumped by 24% compared to the previous year. The Rhum arrangé category stood out with 114 samples. 296 spirits were awarded Gold and Silver medals, and 21 trophies were awarded.Beers
With 1,860 samples submitted, the beer competition has established itself as an unmissable showcase of the world’s best beers. The Blond category stood out with 187 samples. A total of 582 Gold and Silver medals were awarded and 16 beers received a trophy.Sommelier Trophy
This year, the competition awarded a Sommelier Trophy to a duo of sommellerie students. The students wrote a complete report on Moldavian wines and their travel project, then explained the reasons for their choice in an oral presentation.A reminder of the figures
Concours International de Lyon, March 27, 2024
A total of 6,000 wines, 1,900 beers and 900 spirits were tasted. 2,660 Gold and Silver medals and 69 trophies were awarded. 49 countries were represented.
Full Competition Results
See the list of all spirit trophy winners at the Concours International de Lyon 2024 spirit trophies webpage.
See the list of all spirit medal winners at the Concours International de Lyon 2024 spirit medals webpage.
Our Detailed Result
See below for our trophy and medal, along with judges’ scorecard:
VON EST Sangaste Rye Organic Estonian Vodka
See our result on the Concours International de Lyon product sample webpage.
Trophy for Best Spirit from Estonia in the Competition
Score for Concours International de Lyon 2024
86 Points – Gold Medal
| Aspect | 10 / 10 |
| Nose – Intensity | 11 / 15 |
| Nose – Quality | 12 / 15 |
| Taste – Intensity | 17.25 / 20 |
| Taste – Quality | 17.75 / 20 |
| Balance – General appreciation | 18 / 20 |
| Total score | 86 / 100 |
Family-run independent organic spirits producer that marries craft with heritage. Distilling has taken place in Estonia since 1485. In 1765 Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, granted Baltic-German nobles a monopoly on it. Manors in the region grew by making their own spirits in small batches. We continue this tradition.
