For Immediate Release
February 13, 2006
USBTC Announces 12th Annual Winter Competition Winners
Chicago, IL - The United States Beer Tasting ChampionshipTM (USTBC) recently completed the Winter Competition of its 10th annual competition. A total of 339 beers from 126 breweries were examined across 11 different beer categories. Within each category, the USBTC determined both a Grand Champion and the best entry from each of six U.S. regions: 1) Northeast, 2) Mid-Atlantic/Southeast, 3) Midwest, 4) Rockies/Southwest, 5) California, and
6) Northwest/Pacific.
The USBTC takes a unique approach in that its competition is held in multiple stages. Sequential field trials are conducted wherein judges evaluate beers and select the best to advance to subsequent rounds. This allows beers to be judged in relatively small flights while ensuring that the best beers are still determined through head-to-head competition. All beers were tasted in blinded fashion and judged on a hedonic scale.
The USBTC recognizes that American brewers are continually establishing new beer styles and reviving interest in classic styles. As one way to acknowledge this, the USBTC devotes a single “pull-out” category in each competition to a style currently emerging or enjoying a rebirth. In our most recent event, Belgian Trippel was selected to include in the Winter Competition.
The USBTC Grand Champions were:
Category Grand Champion Company Location Total Beers
Judged
Barleywine Old Ruffian Great Divide Brewing Company Denver, CO 47
Strong/Old Ale Natty Red Eugene City Brewery Eugene, OR 48
Imperial Stout Bourbon County Stout Goose Island Brewing Company Chicago, IL 38
Stout Dragonstooth Stout Elysian Brewing Company Seattle, WA 39
Porter Robust Porter Smuttynose Brewing Company Portsmouth, NH 41
Brown Ale Legend Brown Ale Legend Brewing Company Richmond, VA 27
Scottish-Style Ale Kilt Tilter Middle Ages Brewing Company Syracuse, NY 21
Belgian-Style Ale The Reverend Avery Brewing Company Boulder, CO 26
Belgian Tripel Allagash Triple Allagash Brewing Company Portland, ME 16
Dark Lager/Dunkel Black Bavarian Sprecher Brewing Company Milwaukee, WI 15
Vienna/Marzen Lager Winter Skal Capital Brewery Middleton, WI 36
Spice Beer Red Nose Porter Pike Brewing Company Seattle, WA 32
The regional winners (along with beers receiving honorable mention) from each category were:
Region/ Regional Champion/ Company Location
Category Honorable Mention
Barleywine Wheat Wine Ale Smuttynose Brewing Company Portsmouth, NH
Strong/Old Ale Prelude Special Ale The Shipyard Brewing Company Portland, ME
Imperial Stout Imperial Stout McNeill’s Brewery Brattleboro, VT
Stout Oatmeal Stout McNeill’s Brewery Brattleboro, VT
Porter Robust Porter Smuttynose Brewing Company Portsmouth, NH
Honorable Mention RiverDriver Porter Sea Dog Brewing Company Bangor, ME
Brown Ale Pig’s Ear Brown Ale Woodstock Inn Brewery N. Woodstock, NH
Honorable Mention Brown Ale The Shipyard Brewing Company Portland, ME
Scottish-Style Ale Samuel Adams Scotch Ale Boston Beer Company Boston, MA
Belgian-Style Ale Four Allagash Brewing Company Portland, ME
Honorable Mention Dubbel McNeill’s Brewery Brattleboro, VT
Dunkels Lager Humperdink German Style Black Beer McNeill’s Brewery Brattleboro, VT
Honorable Mention Samuel Adams Black Lager Boston Beer Company Boston, MA
Vienna/Marzen Lager Octoberfest Smuttynose Brewing Company Portsmouth, NH
Spice Beer Wassail McNeill’s Brewery Brattleboro, VT
Honoroable Mention Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Boston Beer Company Boston, MA
Region/ Regional Champion/ Company Location
Category Honorable Mention
Barleywine Old Horizontal Victory Brewing Company Downington, PA
Honorable Mention Old Salty Heavyweight Brewing Company Ocean Township, NJ
Strong/Old Ale Loose Cannon Clipper City Brewing Company Baltimore, MD
Imperial Stout Winter Stout The St. George Brewing Company Hampton, VA
Stout Stony Man Stout Shenandoah Brewing Company Alexandria, VA
Honorable Mention Milk Stout The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery Farmville, NC
Porter Suffern Station Porter Ramapo Valley Brewery Hillburn, NY
Brown Ale Legend Brown Ale Legend Brewing Company Richmond, VA
Honorable Mention Union Amber McKenzie Brew House Chadds Ford, PA
Scottish-Style Ale Kilt Tilter Middle Ages Brewing Company Syracuse, NY
Honorable Mention Old Rag Mountain Ale Shenandoah Brewing Company Alexandria, VA
Belgian-Style Ale Twelve Victory Brewing Company Downington, PA
Honorable Mention Vuuve McKenzie Brew House Chadds Ford, PA
Belgian Trippel Triple Stoudt’s Brewing Company Adamstown, PA
Honorable Mention Merry Monk’s Weyerbacher Brewing Company Easton, PA
Dunkels Lager Saranac Nut Brown Lager FX Matt Brewing Company Utica, NY
Vienna/Marzen Lager BaltoMarzHon Clipper City Brewing Company Baltimore, MD
Honorable Mention Kipona Fest Appalachian Brewing Company Harrisburg, PA
Spice Beer Festive Ale Sweetwater Brewing Company Atlanta, GA
Honorable Mention Christmas Ale Ramapo Valley Brewery Hillburn, NY
Barleywine Behemoth Blonde Three Floyd’s Brewing Company Munster, IN
Strong/Old Ale Winter Ale Summit Brewing Company St. Paul, MN
Imperial Stout Bourbon County Stout Goose Island Brewing Company Chicago, IL
Stout Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout Bell’s Brewing Company Galesburg, MI
Honorable Mention Snake Chaser Stout Lakefront Brewery Milwaukee, WI
Porter Edmund Fitzgerald Porter Great Lakes Brewing Company Cleveland, OH
Brown Ale Rocky’s Revenge Tyranena Brewing Company Lake Mills, WI
Scottish-Style Ale Warped Speed Scotch Ale Lake Louie Brewing, LLC Arena, WI
Honorable Mention Pipers Scotch-Style Ale Sprecher Brewing Company Milwaukee, WI
Belgian-Style Ale Pere Jacques Goose Island Brewing Company Chicago, IL
Honorable Mention Maracaibo Especial Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Dexter, MI
Dunkels Lager Black Bavarian Sprecher Brewing Company Glendale, WI
Vienna/Marzen Lager Winter Skal Capital Brewery Middleton, WI
Honorable Mention Riverwest Stein Beer Lakefront Brewery Milwaukee, WI
Spice Beer Christmas Ale Great Lakes Brewing Company Cleveland, OH
Barleywine Old Ruffian Great Divide Brewing Company Denver, CO
Honorable Mention Horn Dog Flying Dog Brewery Denver, CO
Strong/Old Ale Old Jubilation Avery Brewing Company Boulder, CO
Imperial Stout The Czar Avery Brewing Company Boulder, CO
Honorable Mention Yeti Imperial Stout Great Divide Brewing Company Denver, CO
Stout Zonker Stout Snake River Brewing Company Jackson Hole, WY
Porter Black Jack Porter Left Hand Brewing Company Longmont, CO
Honorable Mention Boulder Planet Porter Boulder Brewing Company Boulder, CO
Brown Ale Ellie’s Brown Ale Avery Brewing Company Boulder, CO
Honorable Mention Leroy Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery Lyons, CO
Scottish-Style Ale Old Chubb Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery Lyons, CO
Belgian-Style Ale The Reverend Avery Brewing Company Boulder, CO
Tripel Tripel New Belgium Brewing Company Fort Collins, CO
Dunkels Lager Kidd Lager The Fort Collins Brewery Fort Collins, CO
Vienna/Marzen Lager Alpinefest Snake River Brewing Company Jackson Hole, WY
Spice Beer Z Lager The Fort Collins Brewery Fort Collins, CO
Region/ Regional Champion/ Company Location
Category Honorable Mention
Barleywine Old Blarney Moylan’s Brewing Company Novato, CA
Honorable Mention Old Dipsea Marin Brewing Company Larkspur, CA
Strong/Old Ale White Knuckle Double IPA Marin Brewing Company Larkspur, CA
Imperial Stout Santa’s Little Helper Pizza Port Brewery Solana Beach, CA
Honorable Mention Ryan O’Sullivan’s Imperial Stout Moylan’s Brewing Company Novato, CA
Stout Steelhead Stout Mad River Brewing Company Blue Lake, CA
Honorable Mention 8 Ball Stout Lost Coast Brewing Company Eureka, CA
Porter Point Reyes Porter Marin Brewing Company Larkspur, CA
Brown Ale Acme California Brown Ale North Coast Brewing Company Fort Bragg, CA
Honorable Mention Winterbraun Lost Coast Brewing Company Eureka, CA
Scottish-Style Ale Kiltlifter Scotch Ale Moylan’s Brewing Company Novato, CA
Belgian-Style Ale Brother David’s Double Anderson Valley Brewing Company Booneville, CA
Trippel Pranqster North Coast Brewing Company Fort Bragg, CA
Dunkels Lager No winner declared
Vienna/Marzen Lager No winner declared
Spice Beer Happy Holidaze Marin Brewing Company Larkspur, CA
Honorable Mention Winter Solstice Anderson Valley Brewing Company Booneville, CA
Barleywine Old Woody Fish Brewing Company Newport, OR
Strong/Old Ale Natty Red Eugene City Brewery Eugene, OR
Honorable Mention Frosty Frog Issaquah Brewery Issaquah, WA
Imperial Stout Imperial Stout Rogue Brewery Newport, OR
Honorable Mention Da Grind Buzz Kona Brewing Company Kailua-Kona, HI
Stout Dragonstooth Stout Elysian Brewing Company Seattle, WA
Porter Mocha Porter Rogue Brewery Newport, OR
Honorable Mention Pullman Porter Coeur d’Alene Brewing Company Coeur d’Alene, ID
Brown Ale Frozen Lake Winter Ale Coeur d’Alene Brewing Company Coeur d’Alene, ID
Scottish-Style Ale Kilt Lifter Pike Brewing Company Seattle, WA
Belgian-Style Ale Biere De Noel Big Sky Brewing Company Missoula, MT
Trippel Rose Hair of the Dog Brewery Portland, OR
Dunkels Lager Siletz Wooly Bully Renegade Brewing Company Siletz, OR
Vienna/Marzen Lager Amber Lager Bayern Brewery Missoula, MT
Spice Beer Red Nose Porter Pike Brewing Company Seattle, WI
Honorable Mention Chipotle Ale Rogue Brewery Newport, OR