Three Washington breweries entered the competition and all three won medals. With nearly 3,000 breweries in the USA, winning such accolades is bit of a crap shoot these days and I’m not sure how much anyone cares about medals anymore. That said, I still like to give a shout-out to our local breweries when they make noise on a national platform.
I recently learned that three Washington breweries brought home medals from the Best of Craft Beer Awards. In fact, only three of Washington’s breweries submitted beer and all three won multiple medals. Kulshan Brewing brought home two medals, Valholl Brewing brought home five, and Icicle Brewing (blog sponsor) brought home a whopping seven medals, most of them gold.
The tasting competition was held in late January in Bend, Oregon. While this isn’t the Great American Beer Festival, which sees several hundred breweries submit beer for the competition, 60 breweries from across the country submitted as many as 10 beers each for the Best of Craft Beer Awards. The competition adhered to the BJCP (Beer Judging Certification Program) guidelines and was judged by industry leaders.
Since the awards were held in Bend, it is easy to understand how Oregon breweries submitted the most beer. Nineteen of Oregon’s breweries submitted beer, so nearly one-third of the breweries were playing on the home field. It’s a blind tasting, so that doesn’t really matter.
Icicle Brewing:
Gold for Oktoberfest
Gold for Helles
Gold for Kolsch
Gold for Dunkel
Gold for Biere de Garde
Silver for Wood Aged Beer
Silver for Robust Porter
Kulshan Brewing:
Silver for Irish Red
Gold for Imperial Stout
Valholl:
Silver for Dunkel
Gold for Belgian Dubbel
Gold for Belgian Golden Strong
Silver for ESB
Bronze for Scotch
Here are the complete results:
American Amber
Gold: Full Sail Brewing Company – Full Sail Amber
Silver: Boneyard Beer – Diablo Rojo
Bronze: Hopworks Urban Brewery – Organic DOA
American Pale
Gold: Deschutes Brewery – Red Chair NWPA
Silver: Roadhouse Brewing Company – Veil of Composure
Bronze: GoodLife Brewing Company – Mountain Rescue Dry Hop Pale Ale
American IPA
Gold: Roadhouse Brewing Company – Rhombus
Silver: Breakside Brewery – Breakside IPA
Bronze: Worthy Brewing Co. – Worthy IPA
Imperial IPA
Gold: Roadhouse Brewing Company – Brain Dead IPA
Silver: Boneyard Beer – Hop Venom Double IPA
Bronze: Boneyard Beer – Notorious Triple IPA
American Lager
Gold: Full Sail Brewing Company – Full Sail “26” Cascade Pilsner
Silver: Ruhstaller – Gilt Edge
Helles
Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Cross Cut Lager
Silver: Full Sail Brewing Company – Full Sail Session Lager
Bronze: Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Gold Leaf
Vienna Lager
Gold: Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Outpost – Vienna Lager
Silver: Triple 7 Brew Pub – Triple 7 Oktober Fest
Bronze: Millstream Brewing Company – Schild Brau Amber
Oktoberfest/Marzen
Gold: Icicle Brewing – Dirtyface Amber
Silver: Faultline Brewing Company – Oktoberfest
Bronze: Bootstrap Brewing – Bootstrap Oktoberfestbier
Dark Lager
Gold: Full Sail Brewing Company – Full Sail Session Black
Dunkel
Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Drumfire
Silver: Valholl Brewing Company LLC – Valholl Dunkel
Schwarzbier
Gold: Chocolate City Beer – Cerveza Nacional de la Capital
Silver: Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Outpost – Schwartzbier
Bronze: Stevens Point Brewery – Point 2012 Black Ale
German Pilsners
Gold: 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Pub Beer
Silver: Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Pivo
Bronze: Breakside Brewery – Breakside Pilsner
Bohemian Pilsner
Gold: Oskar Blues Brewery – Mama’s Little Yella Pils
Maibock
Gold: Full Sail Brewing Company – Full Sail LTD 4 Pale Bock
Doppelbock
Gold: Full Sail Brewing Company – Full Sail LTD 6 Black Bock
Silver: Bend Brewing Company – Doppelbock
Baltic Porter
Gold: Oakshire Brewing – Bippy’s Baltic Porter
Silver: Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Danzig
Bronze: Burnside Brewing Co. – Iville Krushu
Weizen/Hefeweizen
Gold: Faultline Brewery Company – HefeWeizen
Silver: Elk Mountain Brewing – Wild Wapiti Wheat
Bronze: Burnside Brewing Co. – Thundarr The Bavarian
Roggenbier
Gold: Chocolate City Beer – 8th and I Rye
Belgian Dubbel
Gold: Valholl Brewing Company LLC – Poulsbo Abbey Dubbel
Silver: Roadhouse Brewing – Brother
Belgian Tripel
Gold: Adelbert’s Brewery – Tripel B
Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Gold: Valholl Brewing Company LLC – Poulsbo Abbey Golden Strong Ale
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Gold: Crux Fermentation Project – Doublecross
Silver: Elevation Beer Company – Apis IV
Bronze: Adelbert’s Brewery – Black Rhino
Old Ale
Gold: Bend Brewing Company – Outback X
Silver: City Star Brewing – Mule Kick
Bronze: Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Outpost – Kilt Flasher
English Barleywine
Gold: Ruhstaller – The Di Gregorio
Silver: Pelican Brewing Company – Stormwatcher’s Winterfest
Bronze: Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Tectonic Barleywine
American Barleywine
Gold: Deschutes Brewery – Deschutes Brewery’s Class of ’88 Barleywine
Silver: Mad River Brewing Company – John Barleycorn Barleywine
Bronze: Quaff ON! Brewing Company – Quaff ON! Barleywine
Witbier
Gold: Millstream Brewing Company – John’s Generations White Ale
Silver: Ballast Point – Wahoo
Bronze: River North – River North White
Cream Ale
Gold: Roadhouse Brewing Company – Family Vacation
Silver: Prairie Fire Brewing Co, LLC– Prairie Fire Cream Ale
Bronze: Public House Brewing Company – Rod’s Cream Ale
Blonde/Golden Ale
Gold: Pelican Brewing Company – Kiwanda Cream Ale
Silver: Bootstrap Brewing – 1956 Golden Ale
Bronze: Worthy Brewing Co. – Easy Day Kolsch
Kolsch
Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Khaos Kolsch
Silver: Mankato Brewery – Mankato Original
Bronze: Faultline Brewing Company – Kolsch
American Wheat
Gold: Bull Ridge Brew Pub – Haymaker Hefeweizen
Silver: Prairie Fire Brewing Co, LLC – Prairie Fire Wheat Ale
Bronze: Deschutes Brewery – Chainbreaker WIPA
American Rye
Gold: Peticolas Brewing Company – Rye’t On
Silver: Three Creeks Brewing Co. – Raptor Rye IPA
Bronze: Engine 15 Brewing Company – Rye of The Tiger
Altbier
Gold: Chocolate City Beer – Cornerstone Copper Ale
California Common
Gold: Atlas Brew Works – District Common
Saison
Gold: Adelbert’s Brewery – Philosophizer
Silver: Roadhouse Brewing Company – Sacred Creed
Bronze: Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. – Provisions
Berliner Weisse
Gold: Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Berliner Metro Weiss
Silver: 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – German Sparkle Party
Flanders Red or Brown
Gold: 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Sour Brown
Silver: Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. – Viejo Rojo
Bronze: Boneyard Beer – Femme Fatale
Biere de Garde
Gold: Icicle Brewing Company – Lifeguard
Silver: River North Brewery – J. Marie
Bronze: Base Camp Brewing Company – Summer of St. Martin
Fruit Lambic
Gold: 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Apricot Crush
ESB
Gold: Bootstrap Brewing – Flagstaff Amber
Silver: Valholl Brewing Company LLC – Spotty Dog ESB
Bronze: Mother Road Brewing Company – Painted Racer
English Pale
Gold: Faultline Brewing Company – Pale Ale
Silver: Peticolas Brewing Company – Royal Scandal
Bronze: Burnside Brewing Co. – Stock Ale
English Mild
Gold: Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company – Ale of Fergus
Silver: Public House Brewing Company – Bird and Baby Mild
Irish Red
Gold: Ballast Point – Piperdown
Silver: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Red Cap Red
Bronze: Hillcrest Brewing Co. – Crotch Rocket
English IPA
Gold: Pelican Brewing Company – Silverspot IPA
Silver: Full Sail – Full Sail IPA
English Brown
Gold: Mother Road Brewing Company – Twin Arrows
Silver: Three Creeks Brewing Co. – Back Country Brown
Bronze: Prairie Fire Brewing Co, LLC. – Prairie Fire Brown
Scottish Heavy
Gold: GoodLife Brewing Company – Scottish Heart
Silver: Pelican Brewing Company – MacPelican’s Ale
Bronze: Peticolas Brewing Company – Great Scot!
Scotch
Gold: Bend Brewing Company – Scottish Heart
Silver: Oskar Blues Brewery – Old Chub Scotch Ale
Bronze: Valholl Brewing Company LLC – Kilted Viking
Cascadian Dark Ale
Gold: 21st Amendment Brewery – Back in Black
Silver: Boneyard Beer – Armored Fist
Bronze: Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Wookey Jack
American Brown
Gold: Engine 15 Brewing Company – Nutsack Imperial Brown
Silver: Pelican Brewing Company – Doryman’s Ale
Bronze: Smith Rock Brewing Company – Crooked River
Brown Porter
Gold: Back East Brewing LLC – Porter
Silver: Boneyard Beer – Black 13
Bronze: Deschutes Brewery – Black Butte Porter
Robust Porter
Gold: Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. – Porter
Silver: Icicle Brewing Company – Priebe Porter
Bronze: Fenton Winery & Brewery – Lights Out Wheat Porter
Specialty/Hybrid Beer
Gold: River North Brewery – Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle
Silver: Base Camp Brewing Company – White Squall
Bronze: Breakside Brewery – Breakside Bourbon Barrel Aged Aztec Ale
Rauchbier
Gold: Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company – Smokehaus Lager
Smoked Beer
Gold: Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. – Smoke Mai Bock
Silver: Base Camp Brewing Company – Rauch The Boat
Wood Aged Beer
Gold: River North Brewery – Avarice
Silver: Icicle Brewing Company – Oak Aged Lifeguard
Bronze: Bend Brewing Company – Raven
Sweet Stout
Gold: The Dayton Beer Company – Mad River Milk Stout
Dry Stout
Gold: Breakside Brewery – Breakside Irish Stout
Silver: Public House Brewing Company – Revelations Stout
Bronze: Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company – Ramsey’s Draft Stout
Oatmeal Stout
Gold: Millstream Brewing Company – Back Road Stout
Foreign Extra Stout
Gold: Pelican Brewing Company – Tsunami Stout
Silver: Hopworks Urban Brewery – Organic Motherland Russian Imperial Stout
Bronze: Bootstrap Brewing – Worthog Stout
American Stout
Gold: Mother Road Brewing Company – Lost Highway
Silver: GoodLife Brewing Company – Pass Stout
Bronze: Calapooia Brewing Co. – Devil’s Hole Stout
Imperial Stout
Gold: Kulshan Brewing Co. – Reisterbrau Russian Imperial Stout
Silver: Bend Brewing Company – Big Bad Russian
Bronze: River North – Anniversary Ale #1
Herb/Spice Beer
Gold: Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. – Saison Savoureuse
Silver: Elevation Beer Company – Senorita
Bronze: Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. – Autumn Provisions
Pumpkin Beer
Gold: Stevens Point Brewery – Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale
Silver: 21st Amendment Brewery – He Said, Belgian Tripel
Bronze: Hinterland – Saison Farmhouse
Fruit Beer
Gold: Bend Brewing Company – Ching Ching
Silver: Bend Brewing Company – Lovely
Bronze: Chocolate City Beer – Mister Mayor 2nd Term
Coffee Beer
Gold: Three Creeks Brewing Co. – Bullet Proof Coffee Stout
Silver: Hinterland Brewery – Luna Coffee Stout
Bronze: GoodLife Brewing Company – Coffee Brown
Chili Beer
Gold: Burnside Brewing Co. – Sweet Heat
Silver: Calapooia Brewing Co. – Chili Beer
Bronze: Bootstrap Brewing – Backfire Chili