OREANDA-NEWS. On 26 May 2009 was announced, that at the competition iTQi Superior Taste Award held in Brussels (Belgium) products by Baltika Breweries simultaneously received five awards. The varieties Baltika ¹7 Export, Uralskiy Ìaster Classic, Baltika ¹9 and Nevskoye Classic were given silver medals in the competition, while Baltika ¹0 Nonalcoholic beer won a bronze medal.

The Superior Taste Award ceremony is held each year in the city of Brussels (Belgium) and is one of the most authoritative competitions for quality of products in the world. Among the jury members of the Superior Taste Award are representatives of prestigious European culinary institutes and the International Association of Sommeliers (ASI). They hold ‘blind tastings’ to test the samples of products entered in the competition. This fully guarantees an impartial result in the voting. The medals of the Superior Taste Award which were established by the International Taste & Quality Institute (iTQi) are given out only to those products which receive the highest scores based on the results of all tastings and tests.

Irina Tlekhurai, Chief Brewer of Baltika Breweries: The quality of products depends on the professionalism of people who know how to correctly set up and regulate the brewing processes. The awards received are, first of all, recognition of the services of hundreds of Baltika employees who every day work on improving the equipment and raw materials. We are proud of the quality of our beer, and it is especially pleasant for us to receive high marks from our European colleagues.

Belgium is rightly considered to be a country with developed beer traditions. Here especially high demands are placed on beer quality. Therefore, it is an honour for brewers not only to win but even to be invited to participate in the competitions carried out in this European country.

This is not the first victory won by Baltika in Belgium. In 2008 and 2009, the Company’s products earned medals at the international competition Monde Selection, including the most prestigious award — Grand Gold — for the beer variety Yarpivo Yantarnoye.

In 2008, 4 varieties of the Company’s beer won medals in the iTQi Superior Taste Award: Yarpivo Yantarnoye, Baltika ¹3 Classic, Baltika ¹9 Extra and Àrsenalnoye Extra.