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Shannon Sharpe's new Cognac beats establishment greats to become the highest-awarded VSOP for taste

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Published
07/27/2022 by

Shay by Le Portier, the new cognac release by Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, wins Platinum - Best in Class at the SIP Awards 2022 seeing Shay by Le Portier placed above all other established cognac greats in the category. This extraordinary award is reserved for 'a distinguished class that earned exceptional marks from judges'. The SIP Awards are the only internationally recognized spirits competition judged by consumers and present a unique award, unaffected by industry bias.

Shay by Le Portier was only released in November 2021 but has already become the highest-awarded VSOP for taste of 2022. It has now won SEVEN prestigious awards for taste and design, beating established brands such as Courvoisier and Rémy Martin, along with newer brands like Branson by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. The remaining bottles of the inaugural release of this award-winning VSOP are now available to purchase here. This is the last opportunity to buy the coveted 'L' closure.

Awards list for Shay by Le Portier:

  • Gold at The Spirits Business Design and Packaging Masters 2021
  • Gold at The Spirits Business Cognac 2022
  • Silver at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2022
  • Silver at the International Spirits Challenge 2022
  • Awarded 93 points at the New York International Spirits Competition 2022
  • Gold at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022
  • Platinum - Best in Class at the SIP Awards 2022

These internationally recognized competitions reward the finest products on the market and attract thousands of global entries from brands such as Martell and Rémy Martin including the oldest and largest of its kind, The San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition has a judging panel made up of the most respected experts in the industry with Gold reserved for 'exceptional spirits that are near the pinnacle of achievement'. Winning Gold saw Shay VSOP placed above Courvoisier, Seifnette, and Camus.

Shannon is well-known for his appreciation of cognac, so when he decided to make his own, he turned to famed spirits expert, Jay Bradley. As the founder of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. - winner of the World's Best Irish Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2022 and creator of The Emerald Isle, an ultra-rare single malt that became the world's most expensive whiskey when it sold at auction for $2million - Jay's innovative crafting methods have been piling up the awards and records globally.

While Shannon knew exactly what he wanted from his cognac, the quality he likes to sip is more commonly found in an XO. So he set Jay on the task of creating a VSOP that drank like an XO. Years of work allowed Shannon and Jay to fine tune this Cognac, creating the same sophistication and complexity found in XO cognacs retailing at $500+, but in a VSOP that retails for $98.99.

As Shannon said, "When I decided to create my own cognac, I knew I had to find someone who really knew about taste and how to build up those layers of flavor I love. And who better to do it than the man behind the world's Best Irish Single Malt? But the flavors I love are in XO cognacs. So for Jay to be able to recreate them in a VSOP proves he was the man to choose. And now the best palates on the planet have recognized that Shay is basically an XO at the price of a VSOP."

Commenting on the awards, Jay Bradley said: "Shay by Le Portier is a gamechanger in the cognac market. Everyone knows Shannon and they all know how much he loves great cognac. So when we first met I knew that with his taste and my knowledge of how to create the incredible layers of flavor he loves, we could make something incredible. When I first tasted Shay by Le Portier, I was blown away by the sophisticated flavors and intense complexity that we'd been able to craft into a VSOP and I knew it was going to smash the competition. With seven huge awards in six months, I'd say we've already done it. Stay tuned though, this is just the beginning."

Shay VSOP is the first release from Le Portier, and the first drop sold out in just a few months. The remaining bottles featuring the inaugural 'L' are being rolled out across the U.S. now and this will be the final chance for collectors to get their hands on the all-important first letter.

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