For the second year running, microbreweries dominated the trophies at the Royal Adelaide Beer Show. There was a changing of the guard, however, with McLaren Vale based craft brewery Goodieson (pictured above) the star of the show, picking up a swag of gongs as Lobethal Bierhaus had done in 2011. Other winners included Feral), whose Hop Hog did its usual trick of rocking up, winning Champion Ale, then heading off to quench the thirst of more Aussies, and Nail Brewing. The latter’s Clout Stout added to its own collection of top awards with the Champion Stout title. The awards are good timing for the WA duo, with Feral and Nail having recently moved into a brand new 5,000 litre brewery from which they will start distributing widely across Australia from August.
Goodieson, which is run by husband and wife team Jeff and Mary Goodieson, was named Champion South Australian Brewery, Champion Small Brewery and took out Champion Exhibit and Champion Wheat Beer for its Wheat Beer. Victoria's Tooborac Hotel & Brewery won the Champion Porter title for its Blacksmiths Porter, while Champion Reduced Alcohol Beer, Champion Lager and Champion Large Brewery were won by the pride of SA, Coopers.
This was the second year for the awards run by the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society, with 90 entries judged over two days. This year also saw the introduction of a Media Choice award chosen by an all-female panel drawn from SA’s TV, print and radio media. The winner was Clout Stout, a beer that is only brewed once a year. Just 600 numbered 750ml bottles have been packaged, with the first released in Perth last week and the remainder making their way across Australia from this week. First brewed to celebrate Nail Brewing turning ten in 2010, it is a 10.7 percent ABV Russian imperial stout, the big brother to Nail Stout, itself a serial award winner.
Full list of trophy winners at the Royal Adelaide Beer Show
THE WDM TROPHY for CHAMPION REDUCED ALCOHOL BEER
Coopers Brewery – Coopers Mild Ale
THE CELLARBRATIONS TROPHY for CHAMPION LAGER
Coopers Brewery – Coopers Premium Lager
THE CRYERMALT TROPHY for CHAMPION ALE
Feral Brewing Company – Hop Hog
THE ECOLAB TROPHY for CHAMPION WHEAT BEER
Goodieson Brewery – Goodieson Wheat Beer
THE WHEATSHEAF HOTEL TROPHY for CHAMPION PORTER
Tooborac Hotel & Brewery – Blacksmiths Porter
THE HOPCO TROPHY for CHAMPION STOUT
Nail Brewing Australia – Clout Stout
THE LANCER BEVERAGE SYSTEMS TROPHY for CHAMPION SMALL BREWERY
Less than 5,000hL per year
Won by Goodieson Brewery
THE CELLARBRATIONS TROPHY for CHAMPION LARGE BREWERY
Greater than 5,000hL per year
Won by Coopers Brewery
THE KINGS TROPHY for CHAMPION SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BREWERY
Won by Goodieson Brewery
THE AMCOR GLASS TROPHY for CHAMPION EXHIBIT
Goodieson Brewery – Goodieson Wheat Beer
MEDIA CHOICE AWARD
Nail Brewing – Clout Stout
