World's Best Canadian Blended Whisky among six prestigious accolades

TORONTO, March 21, 2016 /CNW/ - Following its top industry nods earned at this year's Canadian Whisky Awards, Corby Spirit and Wine has once again proven that its Canadian Whiskies are some of the world's best, winning six prestigious awards for Gooderham & Worts, J.P. Wiser's and Lot No. 40 at the World Whiskies Awards. The awards, which took place in London, England on March 17, 2016, are the culmination of 3 rounds of blind judging conducted by an international panel of experts. Collectively, Corby's whiskies took home the following honours:

Gooderham & Worts – World's Best Canadian Blended Whisky
Gooderham & Worts – Best Canadian Blended Whisky
Lot No. 40 – Best Canadian Rye Whisky
J.P. Wiser's Hopped – Best Canadian Flavoured Whisky
J.P. Wiser's 18 Years Old – Best Canadian Blended Whisky Age Statement
J.P. Wiser's Legacy – Gold Medal, Canadian Whisky

"Our deep commitment to quality and innovation has helped set Corby brands apart from the competition, especially when it comes to our Canadian whiskies," says Patrick O'Driscoll, President and CEO of Corby Spirit and Wine. "The recognition we received at the Canadian Whisky Awards in January was a proud moment for us, and the fact that we've now been able to replicate these results on the world stage is an outstanding accomplishment. This is a true reflection of the passion we hold for creating quality whisky, and we're honoured to share it with the world."

Gooderham & Worts – revered for its bold, balanced layers of flavour – took home one of the night's biggest honours with World's Best Canadian Blended Whisky. Made true to the tradition that William Gooderham and James Worts started in Toronto's Distillery District in 1832, this distinctive whisky is a premium blend of rye, wheat, barley and corn, and is part of Corby's innovation portfolio. J.P. Wiser's was honoured as well for its specialty batches, including Hopped, Legacy and 18 Years Old. In addition, Lot No. 40, which was also selected as Canadian Whisky of the Year at the 2016 Canadian Whisky Awards, was recognized for its world-renowned rye character.

"The success of our family of Canadian whiskies is both a testament to our passion and dedication to developing quality whisky, and to our history founded on the tradition of grain-to-glass craftsmanship," says Dr. Don Livermore, Master Blender. "There's no better feeling in the world than to have our work recognized on the world stage."

Corby's Hiram Walker facility in Windsor, Ontario is home to the largest distillery in North America, and is one of the only grain-to-glass operations in North America. Corby's award-winning whiskies are entirely Canadian-made from local grains.

About The World Whiskies Awards
The World Whiskies Awards are part of the prestigious World Drinks Awards programme, launched in 2007 with the World Whiskies Awards and World Beer Awards. Presented by TheDrinksReport.com, the world's No. 1 online resource for drinks professionals. The World Whiskies Awards select, reward and promote the best Whisky Taste and Design to consumers and trade across the globe.

About Corby Spirit and Wine

Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a leading Canadian marketer and distributor of spirits and imported wines. Corby's portfolio of owned-brands includes some of the most renowned brands in Canada, including J.P. Wiser's®, Lot No. 40®, Pike Creek®, and Gooderham & Worts® Canadian whiskies as well as Lamb's® rum, Polar Ice® vodka and McGuinness® and Criollo® liqueurs. Through its affiliation with Pernod Ricard S.A., a global leader in the spirits and wine industry, Corby also represents leading international brands such as ABSOLUT® vodka, Chivas Regal®, The Glenlivet® and Ballantine's® Scotch whiskies, Jameson® Irish whiskey, Beefeater® gin, Malibu® rum, Kahlúa® liqueur, Mumm® champagne, and Jacob's Creek®, Wyndham Estate®, Stoneleigh®, Campo Viejo®, Graffigna® and Kenwood® wines. In 2015, Corby was named one of the 50 Best Workplaces in Canada by The Great Place to Work® Institute Canada for the fourth consecutive year, and was also listed for the second time among Greater Toronto's Top 100 Employers. Corby is a publicly traded company based in Toronto, Ontario, and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbols CSW.A and CSW.B. For further information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter (@CorbySW), and Instagram (@CorbySW).

SOURCE Corby Spirit and Wine Communications

Image with caption: "Corby's Canadian Whiskies Earn Global Recognition at World Whiskies Awards (CNW Group/Corby Spirit and Wine Communications)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160321_C8994_PHOTO_EN_647147.jpg