Design Award Voted by General Consumers at TWSC 2025
Fontagard, a French single malt whisky from the Cognac region, has been honored with the Design Award in the European Whisky category at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition (TWSC) 2025.
The Design Award is one of TWSC's special prizes, recognizing outstanding label and bottle design. While previous editions were judged by the TWSC executive committee, this year marked the first time the award was determined by general consumer voting.
The judging criteria included bottle shape, label color scheme, and font innovation.
Fontagard Single Malt CGNC, imported and sold by Lead-Off Japan Co., Ltd., won this Design Award in the European Whisky category.
For more information, visit the TWSC Official Website.
About Fontagard: French Single Malt Whisky from Cognac
The distillery is operated by the Grancher family, which has been producing Cognac for four generations since 1878. Fontagard is one of the few distilleries that cultivates its own barley.
Using 100% six-row barley malt as raw material, the whisky undergoes double distillation in Charentais alambic stills—the same type used for Cognac production. The spirit is then aged in carefully selected casks of different types to express unique characteristics in each expression.
To preserve the malt's aroma and whisky's umami as much as possible, the bottling process is non-chill filtered.
Lead-Off Japan Co., Ltd. began importing Fontagard to Japan in August 2024.
Revolutionary Packaging Design
The packaging design represents a harmonious blend of respect for tradition and bold innovation. Its most distinctive feature is an opaque black bottle that defies conventional whisky bottle norms.
The shoulder and base feature delicate cut work reminiscent of crystal whisky glasses, beautifully merging 145 years of history with modern innovation.
The label displays ten dots symbolizing the ten stills operating at the distillery, along with an emblem of the Chimera—a legendary creature from Greek mythology that serves as the distillery's guardian and is cherished across Europe as a protector of buildings. The label is finished with silver hot stamping and embossed varnish, creating a luxurious tactile experience.
The range comes in three colors—blue, red, and yellow—each expressing vibrant individuality within a unified black-based design aesthetic.
Product details: http://lead-off-japan.vino.sub.jp/?eid=316
