The best pálinkas are in Vas County

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 02. 19. 10:24

Over the weekend, it was not only in Debrecen that the best pálinka of the year was decided, but the pálinka winners were also announced in Győrvár in Vas County. The 13th Vas County Pálinka and Distillation Competition was held with greater interest than ever before: the number of entries was one and a half times that of last year. HelloVidék not only visited the venue, but also participated in the work of the media jury, so it was able to experience the strict judging system of the competition first-hand.

History and significance of the competition

The Vas County Pálinka and Distillation Competition was founded in 2010 with the aim of providing an opportunity for local pálinka distillers to compete with their products. Over the years, the event has grown and is now not only national, but also international in importance. This year, 262 samples were submitted, which were sent to the competition by private distillers, contract distillers and foreign entrants.

The judging system

The sensory evaluation of the pálinkas was carried out by a 12-member professional jury, which applied a strict 20-point judging method. The jury assessed the purity of aroma, aroma character, purity of taste, taste character and harmony. Based on the scores achieved, the pálinkas were awarded gold (18-20 points), silver (16-17 points) or bronze (14-15 points).

Award winners and special awards

The following category winners were selected in this year’s competition:

Apple category: Győri Likőrgyár Zrt. (Győr) – willow pear pálinka
Bone-shell category: Balázs Horváth (Uraiújfalu) – plum ‘szatmári’ distillate
Berry category: Tibor Reményi (Kőszeg) – black rowan ‘arónia’ distillate
Grape category: András Fukszberger (Vasvár) – kormin grape distillate
Törköly category: Gyula Bakó (Sarród) – pinot noir distillate
Wild category: Birkás Kft. (Győrvár) – wild pear pálinka
Bed category: Győri Likőrgyár Zrt. (Győr) – gypsy cherry pálinka
Other category: Muth Pince (Báta) – kékfrankos rosé wine residue distillate
Special awards:

Media award: Gyula Bakó (Sarród) – aged zweigelt grape distillate

Social jury award: Csalló Pálinka Kft. (Balatonalmádi) – Hungarian apricot pálinka
Best private distiller: Gyula Bakó (Sarród)
Best contract distiller: András Fukszberger (Vasvár)
Best pálinka of Vas County: Birkás Kft. (Győrvár) – wild pear pálinka
Best product of the competition: Győri Likőrgyár Zrt. (Győr) – willow pear pálinka
The art of pálinka tasting

During the competition, we also gained an insight into the professional world of pálinka tasting. According to Gergő Csalló, owner of the Csalló Pálinka Manufactory and an experienced judge, the secret of good pálinka is the right fruit raw material, careful processing and a clean, harmonious taste.