KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia's alcohol industry is in high spirits following the win of one of its own on the international stage.

The country's blended whiskey, Timah Double Peated Blended Whiskey, clinched the silver medal at the annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which was held in March this year.

It competed in the Other Whisk(e)y category, which welcomes submissions from non-traditional whiskey-producing regions. Timah's win marks the first time a Malaysian-produced whiskey has won an award at the spirits event.

According to the San Francisco World Spirits Competition website, silver is awarded to "outstanding spirits" that display "refinement, finesse and complexity", "among the best examples of their categories".

Timah is a love letter to its birthplace. The name Timah, which means tin in Malay, represents "the enduring symbol of enterprise in Malayan history that led to cascades of development for the country at the dawn of the 20th century", according to the manufacturer, Winepak Corporation.

The spirit, says Winepak, is matured over eight years and holds a gentle earthy peatiness with verdant flavours and light fruity notes.

Timah was not the only Malaysian spirit to be recognised. The D50 Musang King Durian Liqueur from Perak was awarded a bronze in the Fruit Liqueur category.

The bronze is usually awarded to "excellent examples of their categories".