We are delighted to announce that Hel Above Coffee Liqueur has received a Great Taste 2026 1 Star Award from the Guild of Fine Food.
The award recognises Hel Above as a coffee liqueur that delivers fantastic flavour, adding further independent recognition for our Yorkshire-made, coffee-first approach.
What a Great Taste 1 Star Award means
Great Taste is organised by the Guild of Fine Food. Products are assessed through blind tasting, allowing judges to evaluate flavour without being influenced by branding, bottle design or marketing.
The Guild of Fine Food describes a Great Taste 1 Star Award as recognising food or drink that is “simply delicious” and “delivers fantastic flavour.”
Hel Above received this recognition in 2026 based on the quality and flavour of the liquid itself.
That matters to us because Coffee Spirit Co was founded on the belief that a great coffee liqueur should begin with the quality of its coffee—not simply with sweetness, packaging or the addition of a generic coffee flavour.
Hel Above award results
Great Taste joins a growing collection of independent awards for Hel Above. Each competition uses a different judging system, so the results should not be treated as directly equivalent.
Taken together, however, they show consistent recognition across both food-and-drink judging and specialist international spirits competitions.
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Great Taste | 1 Star Award |
| 2026 | International Wine & Spirit Competition | Gold – 95 Points |
| 2025 | International Spirits Challenge | Bronze |
See the wider record of independent recognition received across the Coffee Spirit Co range on our Awards and Recognition page .
Why Hel Above is different
Hel Above is made using real brewed coffee and our controlled Cold-Filter Brew process . We brew the coffee as coffee before it is blended with spirit and the remaining ingredients.
This approach allows us to manage extraction deliberately rather than simply leaving coffee beans or grounds in alcohol and relying on time alone to create the finished flavour.
Treating the coffee as a brewed ingredient gives us greater control over balance, sweetness and recognisable coffee character.
We explore the difference between brewing, maceration and other production methods in our guide to what “cold brew” actually means in coffee liqueur .
Hel Above product facts
| Product | Hel Above Coffee Liqueur |
|---|---|
| Great Taste result | 1 Star Award, 2026 |
| Alcohol | 22% ABV |
| Coffee method | Real brewed coffee produced using a controlled Cold-Filter Brew process |
| Made in | Yorkshire, England |
| Best suited to | Espresso Martinis and other coffee-led cocktails |
| Dietary information | Suitable for vegans and vegetarians |
Made for a better Espresso Martini
Hel Above was developed for drinks in which the quality and structure of the coffee matter. It was built to retain recognisable coffee character when shaken with espresso, spirit and ice.
It is therefore particularly well suited to the Espresso Martini, rather than being designed as a general-purpose sweet liqueur that happens to carry a coffee flavour.
The aim was not simply to make a sweeter or stronger liqueur. It was to produce one that still tastes distinctly of coffee after dilution and mixing.
For practical guidance, see our Espresso Martini recipe and technique guide .
You can also explore our guide to choosing the best coffee liqueur for an Espresso Martini , including the roles played by sweetness, alcohol strength and real brewed coffee.
Great Taste judges’ comments
Independent recognition for coffee-first production
No award replaces tasting a product for yourself, and different competitions assess products using different criteria.
Recognition from Great Taste, the IWSC and the International Spirits Challenge nevertheless provides meaningful independent support for the quality and consistency of Hel Above.
It also supports the wider argument behind Coffee Spirit Co: that coffee liqueur improves when coffee is treated as a serious ingredient and brewed with the same care expected in speciality coffee.
Read more about that argument in our guide explaining why many coffee liqueurs do not taste strongly of coffee .
Frequently asked questions
What does a Great Taste 1 Star Award mean?
A Great Taste 1 Star Award recognises a product the Guild of Fine Food describes as simply delicious and delivering fantastic flavour.
Which Coffee Spirit Co product won Great Taste in 2026?
Hel Above Coffee Liqueur received a Great Taste 2026 1 Star Award.
Is Hel Above made with real coffee?
Yes. Hel Above is made using real brewed coffee produced through Coffee Spirit Co’s controlled Cold-Filter Brew process.
What is Hel Above best used for?
Hel Above was developed particularly for Espresso Martinis and other cocktails in which recognisable coffee flavour is important.
Where is Hel Above made?
Hel Above is a Yorkshire-made coffee liqueur developed by Coffee Spirit Co.
Thank you
This award would not have been possible without the coffee professionals, production partners, bartenders, retailers and customers who have supported Coffee Spirit Co.
We are proud to see a Yorkshire-made, coffee-first liqueur recognised by Great Taste, and we will continue working to demonstrate how much better coffee liqueur can be when the coffee is treated properly.
Judges’ tasting notes
"A very tasty and well-made coffee liqueur."
"The quality of the coffee is obvious."
"A good solid coffee liqueur with notes of coffee, dark chocolate and a hint of caramel on the nose."
"The palate is well balanced with a nice creamy quality and well-judged use of vanilla."
"We were also impressed by the mouthfeel and length on the finish."
"The overall mouthfeel is soft and delicate."