The House of Van Ryn’s is celebrating its second consecutive year of victory on an international stage after once again winning the Worldwide Brandy Trophy at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London.

The Van Ryn’s 12-Year-Old Distiller’s Reserve, produced at the Stellenbosch-based distillery, was selected as the finest potstill brandy at the 47^th annual edition of the IWSC, one of the most respected wine and spirit competitions in the world which sets the international benchmark for quality.

Entries into the competition are received from nearly 90 countries worldwide and each sample is judged according to its class.

Judges said the Van Ryn’s 12-Year-Old had a “stand out nose packed with ripe and dried fruit where apricot, pear and mango are most expressive”. The palate was described as being fruity and well backed by lots of floral notes, and the finish as being “long lasting, character-filed”.

Van Ryn’s, founded in 1845, is focused on producing mature potstill brandies of international excellence and has won the IWSC trophy for Best Worldwide Brandy seven times in the past 12 years.

“Other fine brandies from the Van Ryn’s stable did not escape the judges’ notice, with the Van Ryn’s 15-Year-Old Fine Cask Reserve and 20-Year-Old Collector’s Reserve both collecting Gold medals, meaning they are superior examples which set the standard for potstill brandies,” said Liezl Dippenaar, Global Marketing Manager for Van Ryn’s.  “We are proud that the Van Ryn’s brandies will be flying the South African flag when they are showcased at the Awards Banquet in November at the Guildhall in London, along with other top performing products from around the world.”