The Amber List is the definitive annual ranking of the 50 most significant spirits releases of the year, across whisky, cognac and armagnac, rum, and agave spirits. It is owned outright by Spirit & Cask, judged blind, and never for sale.

How it is judged

• A fixed panel drawn from the masthead plus invited independent judges.
• All tasting is blind. No judge knows the bottle's identity.
• No entry fee. The incumbents charge for the privilege of being judged: IWSC £174, San Francisco World Spirits Competition $450. The Amber List charges nothing.
• No sponsored placements. Rankings are never sold. Sponsored work is clearly separated, published in a different section, and labeled.

The annual calendar

• July: nominations open, public nominations plus the masthead longlist.
• September: the shortlist of 100 is published.
• November: blind judging sessions.
• January: ticketed reveal, rotating between Louisville, Speyside, and Cognac. The reveal is a revenue event and a coverage event; sponsors are kept clearly separate from the judging.

First edition

The first edition of the Amber List is MMXXVII. This page is the program announcement; there is no judging at launch. After three years, the Amber List archive will be the only longitudinal, blind-judged, unsponsored ranking in spirits. That archive is the asset, and it starts here.