Best of Show

By Darryl Barbour, President

Brewers, it was a tough night … a very tough night. The sixteen beers judged the best of their respective categories in the ACT Amateur Brewing Championships were placed in front of the judging panel and it was our job to pick an overall winner. Richard Watkins and Lachie McOrmish from the Wig & Pen, Natasha O'Brien from DB Breweries (New Zealand), Lachlan Kennedy from WIN News, and your own President, had the unenviable job of trying to find one winner from the pool of fantastic beers.

What stood out to the judging panel, overall, was the very (very very) high standard. The beers were all worthy category winners and indeed, all gold medal quality (I know, some just missed out in the comp though!)

Judge Natasha O’Brien from DB Brewery in NZ samples one of the
beers in the Wig and Pen Trophy judging

So where did it end? We were intending to try to reduce the field to three and award a winner and two runners-up. And after reducing the field to 12, to 10, to 8, well… things were getting incredibly tough. We managed to eventually bring it down to five beers that each of the judges were prepared to argue to keep in the top three.. and … well … then we reached the stalemate.

Those five were:

• Dry Stout – Patrick Baggoley
• American IPA – Patrick Baggoley
• Old Ale – Tony Steeper
• Belgian Golden Strong Ale – Craig Webber
• Belgian Golden Strong Ale infused with Vanilla Oak – Craig Webber

Happy with the top five, it was impossible to come to the consensus on which was the next beer to be shortlisted out. After 10 minutes of back and forward, and a few top-ups, we came back to the beer that impressed us most when it first came out, and the one we agreed was the deserving winner, having the overall consensus of the most outstanding beer:

Belgian Golden Strong Ale – Craig Webber.
Well done, once again, Craig.

It was close, incredibly close, and that really impressed me on my first opportunity to sit on a "best of show" table. Every one of those five would easily place well against any commerical example. In fact, I dont think there was one beer that I would not be incredibly happy to have on tap in my shed. What maybe stood out to place Craig's Golden Strong Ale in front was that against even the very best (and typical) commercial examples like Duvel, it simply could not be faulted. From the magnificant clarity, light fluffy head with good retention, a great balance of flavours and a slightly sweet/full mouthfeel that was balanced well by the drying alcohol … Just superb.

WIN journalist Lachlan Kennedy, Wig and Pen owner Lachie McOrmish
and Canberra Brewers president Darryl Barbour taste the rainbow of
beer flavours at the Wig and Pen Trophy Judging

Wig and Pen head brewer Richard Watkins and Wig and Pen Trophy winner
Craig Webber share a tender moment after announcing Craig's win

The other four beers were all assessed by the panel as "highly commended", just pipped at the post, so to speak.

So as the 2010 competition calendar thus draws to a close, I want to congratulate the club members, and especially some of the "newer" members who have brewed some oustanding beers this year. It is great to see some new names amongst the leaderboard at club comps, ACT-ABC and the best of show round — keep it up and bring on 2011!

A big thanks go out first of all to Natasha (out first internaional best of show panellist?), Lachlan, Lachie and Richard. I look forward to having this "home brew" on tap at the 'Wig soon.