The 15th Annual Great International Beer & Cider Competition was held on Friday, November 4, 2011, in Providence, Rhode Island, one day before the 19th Annual Great International Beer Festival. Festivals of America produced both events. New England beer newspaper Yankee Brew News was the media sponsor of the competition. Three hundred twenty-five (325) beers and ciders from breweries and cideries across the U.S. and from around the world entered the competition. Fifty-five (55) professional brewers and beer industry journalists acted as judges in a blind tasting format. First, second and third place awards were presented in 27 categories of ales, lagers and ciders. The judges knew only the style and subcategory of each beer and cider.
Since the competition began in 1997, over 2,000 beers and ciders have been judged. The awards were presented during the afternoon session of the beer festival, announced by Yankee Brew News editor Gregg Glaser. On the floor of the festival, held at the Rhode Island Convention Center, over 5,500 beer lovers were able to sample over 230 beers and ciders.
The 16th Annual Great International Beer & Cider Competition and the 20th Annual Great International Beer Festival will take place in November 2012 in Providence. The 6th Annual Great International Spring Beer Festival will take place on April 14, 2012 in Providence — www.beerfestamerica.com.
WINNERS
BELGIAN WHEAT BEER
1) Double White, Southampton Brewing, Southampton, NY
2) Belgian White Ale, Steven’s Point Brewery, Steven’s Point, WI
3) Saison, Trinity Brewing, Providence, RI
WHEAT BEER
1) Hefeweizen, Franklin’s Brewery, Hyattsville, MD
2) Dunkelweizen, Franklin’s Brewery, Hyattsville, MD
3) Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland, OR
GOLDEN ALE
1) 7 Hills Pale Ale, Wormtown Brewing, Worcester, MA
2) East Chop Lighthouse, Offshore Ales, Oak Bluffs, MA
3) Golden Ale, Mayflower Brewing, Plymouth, MA
LIGHT ALE
1) Summer’s End, Gardner Ale House, Gardner, MA
2) White Frog Ale, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
3) Saison, Franklin’s Brewery, Hyattsville, MD
ENGLISH PALE ALE/BITTER
1) OREgasmic Ale, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
2) Winter Storm, Heavy Seas Beer, Halethorpe, MD
3) IPA, Southampton Brewing, Southampton, NY
AMERICAN PALE ALE
1) Drifter Pale Ale, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland, OR
2) North Pleasant Pale Ale, Amherst Brewing, Amherst, MA
3) Juniper Pale Ale, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
AMERICAN AMBER ALE
1) Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Ale
2) Samuel Adams Revolutionary Rye, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
3) Captain Sig’s Northwest Ale, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
INDIA PALE ALE
1) Gone Postal IPA, Amherst Brewing, Amherst, MA
2) Racer 5 IPA, Bear Republic Brewery, Healdsburg, CA
3) Hoponious Union, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Framingham, MA
BLACK ALE/IPA
1) Pitch Black IPA, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland, OR
2) Sublimely Self Righteous Ale, Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA
3) Black Watch IPA, Adirondack Pub & Brewery, Lake George, NY
BROWN ALE
1) Beach Road Brown, Offshore Ales, Oak Bluffs, MA
2) Winterhook, Redhook Brewery, Woodinville, WA/Portsmouth, NH
3) Ahtanum Bomb Brown, Salem Beer Works, Salem, MA
BROWN PORTER
1) Black Butte Porter, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
2) Chocolate Porter, Gardner Ale House, Gardner, MA
3) Praying Mantis Porter, The Hartford Better Beer Co., Hartford, CT
ROBUST PORTER
1) Samuel Adams Holiday Porter, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
2) Pro Am Porter, Wormtown Brewing, Worcester, MA
3) Porter, Narragansett Brewing, Providence, RI
STOUT
1) Chocolate Stout, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
2) Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, Rogue Ales, Portland, OR
3) Oatmeal Stout, Wolaver’s Fine Organic Ales, Middlebury, VT
BOHEMIAN PILSNER
1) Samuel Adams Noble Pilsner, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
2) Old School Pilsner, Gardner Ale House, Gardner, MA
3) Czech Rebel Beer, M
