Gold Medal for Son Tinh Tao Meo Silver Medal for Son Tinh Nhat Da  
The Fifty Best held a blind tasting with 15 members of the spirits judging panel and 10 liqueurs. The judges were informed of the flavours during the tasting, but not the brands. Strict tasting rules were applied. The order of service was established beforehand by lottery. Each of the spirits were poured into fresh glasses from new sealed bottles, and served at slightly above room temperature. Only ice water and neutral, unsalted chips and crackers were available to cleanse the palate.  
The scoring was done on a 5-point system, with 5 as the highest. Double-Gold, Gold and Silver medals were awarded according to a set range of final point scores received from the judges. There were no Bronze medals awarded in this tasting.
 
The tasting notes that follow are summaries of the judges’ opinions, with all replicated commentary eliminated. The states/countries of origin were identified for each brand.
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