Alchemy of gold

Alchemy of Gold magics judges in London
	Tuesday, August 12, 2008 by De Kock Communications
	Alchemy of Gold has wowed another panel of international judges, evaluating South African brandies alongside the best of speciality brandies from France, Spain, Italy, California and elsewhere.
	The newest cache of medals - two gold and four silver - on the 2008 International Spirits Challenge in London, follows on the portfolio's multiple medal success on this year's International Spirit Competition. The golds were awarded to vintage brandy, Van Ryn's 10 Year Old, and potstill, Van Ryn's 12 Year Old Distiller's Reserve, while the silvers went to Van Ryn's 15 Year Old Fine Cask Reserve, Klipdrift Gold, Oude Meester 12 Year Old Reserve and the recently released Oude Meester Demant, all potstills. Commenting on the results, marketing manager for Alchemy of Gold, Karien van Jaarsveld, said: "This is excellent news for local aficionados and enthusiasts. It affirms the standing of our brandies amongst leading authorities who have considerable depth of exposure to the finest produced anywhere in the world. To be ranked with long-established globally renowned brands is high praise indeed. It is also very encouraging to note that the medals have been awarded across a broad stylistic range from the complex, long-aged to the younger, more accessible brandies." She added that the latest achievements were likely to further motivate South Africans to make exclusive brandies a part of their drinking repertoire. "The top end of the brandy market continues to flourish, in part because of the international acknowledgement of world-class quality. However, another very attractive feature is domestically produced connoisseur brandies offer an affordable taste of luxury to South Africans besieged by a volatile currency and rising prices." All brandies in the Alchemy of Gold portfolio are offered through specialty stockists and style bars and fine dining establishments. About Alchemy of Gold Alchemy of Gold is a portfolio of internationally awarded South African connoisseur brandies sold mostly through specialty shops, fine dining restaurants and style bars. These brandies are made in the traditional way perfected in Cognac, using copper potstills and aged in French oak. The collection takes its name from the alchemists of the middle ages. Although best remembered for trying to turn base metals into gold, it was an alchemist who brought the art of distillation to Europe from the Middle East, setting the scene for the tradition for fine brandymaking. There is also a part of brandymaking that is like alchemy, if taken to mean the making of gold. Grapes, nurtured by the elements, are made into wine, distilled, aged slowly in wood and then blended by master distillers to create gold in a glass. The Alchemy of Gold line-up includes: Van Ryn's Collection Reserve - 10, 12, 15 and 20 Year Old Oude Meester - 12 Year Old Reserve, Demant Klipdrift - Klipdrift Gold and Klipdrift Premium Nederburg Solera Potstill Flight of the Fish Eagle