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This is one Secret Island you would like to escape to take a swig. Goa's golden liquid Secret Island has now been endorsed by a prestigious award. This single-malt whisky brand from Goa-based Cheers group recently bagged a gold medal at the Spirits-International-Prestige (SIP) Awards 2024 in California, USA.
It’s a major feat for the local distiller, which started out as a small Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) unit and bottling plant on a rented premise in 2008. Secret Island, priced at Rs8785 ($105) for 700 ml bottle, pipped more than 1,300 brands from 56 countries to clinch the medal.
It’s a major feat for the local distiller, which started out as a small Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) unit and bottling plant on a rented premise in 2008.
“It’s a moment of great pride for our Secret Island single-malt whisky to get international accolades and receive grand global recognition at major international spirits competition" says Dr Mohan Krishna, founder of Cheers group.
This distilled alcobev from the topical State has an alcohol strength of 46 per cent and is leisurely aged with a smooth and flavourful profile. The reason Secret Island’s win is laudable is because SIP contestants are judged by consumers, rather than by industry experts, and therefore the award is considered unbiased. Over 300 judges, who do not belong to spirit industry, choose the winners.
It’s a moment of great pride for our Secret Island single-malt whisky to get international accolades and receive grand global recognition at major international spirits competition
Dr Mohan Krishna, founder of Cheers group.
Indian-origin Secret Island bagging the gold medal is a testament to its super-fine Indian craftsmanship and the world-class quality that it delivers to keep its commitment of purity, precision and finest ingredients to its consumers.
The whisky’s topical fruit notes and its subtly spicy flavour could have won the hearts of the judges. Cheers group’s single-malt whisky brand excelled in the competition as 302 judges evaluated Secret Island on the basis of quality, aroma, taste and the finish.
The whisky’s topical fruit notes and its subtly spicy flavour could have won the hearts of the judges.
“These awards are a true honour and testament to the very reason Secret Island single-malt was launched in India and in International markets - to be a luxury brand of choice, while continuing to offer a super-premium experience to our consumers world-wide" says Ashwin Balivada CEO of Cheers group, who has done his masters from Cambridge University.
The Cheers group, India’s super-luxury spirits conglomerate with an international portfolio of signature brands, has garnered close to 200 prestigious awards. These broad range of ultra-premium spirits brands are valued at around Rs600 crores.
With so many successful award-winning premium single-malt whisky brands under its arms, the spirits group has many strategic international capital funds vying to pick up stake in it.
“It’s a huge honour to be recognised at the SIP Awards because it’s the only competition out there where the judges are the real valued consumers,” says Dr Divya Balivada, global creative director of Cheers group, who has done her MBA from Edinburgh University Scotland.
It’s a huge honour to be recognised at the SIP Awards because it’s the only competition out there where the judges are the real valued consumers
Dr Divya Balivada, global creative director of Cheers group.
Its show-stopper decanter looks like a combination of fine art and a magical bliss. “For the home entertainer, this unusual decanter can’t beat for its conversation of the whole whisky experience. The bottle comes in a luxury wooden travel case,” says statement issued by the spirits group.
It further adds; “the Secret Island decanter comes with an element of surprise: the gentle curvature of the base amplifies the sculptural quality of the Craftworks. Absolutely, a great whisky at a stunning price — escape to the ‘Secret Island’. Cheers!”.