AIBA 2019 winners announced in Melbourne

Tonight the beer industry celebrated the 2019 Australian International Beer Awards in Melbourne’s Docklands with 4 Pines Brewing Co winning the coveted Champion Australian Beer award.

The New South Wales-based brewery received top Australian honours for its Keller Door Schwarzbier.
Champion International Beer was awarded to US-based Firestone Walker Brewing Co for its Feral One mixed culture beer.

Australia’s most prestigious – and the world’s largest annual – beer awards judging both draught and packaged beer today celebrates 27 years.

Hosted by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV), the AIBA presentation evening saw industry leaders and experts worldwide come together to celebrate the best local and international beer, with eight champion trophies awarded in addition to Champion Australian Beer and Champion International Beer.

There were almost 2,600 entries this year from more than 400 breweries across 26 countries including two design and one media category.

Queensland was well represented taking out two of the top four Australian spots; Champion Large Australian Brewery, awarded to Balter Brewing, and Champion Medium Australian Brewery, awarded to Green Beacon Brewing Co, while Victoria’s Blackman’s Brewing took out Champion Small Australian Brewery.

On the international scale, New Zealand took home three of the four Champion International Trophies with Champion Large International Brewery going to DB Breweries, Champion Medium International Brewery awarded to Deep Creek Brewing Company and McLeods Brewery taking home Champion Small International Brewery.

Two new trophies were introduced to the awards this year – Best Fruit Beer and Best Wood or Barrel-Aged Beer – which were awarded to Belgium-brewed Rodenbach Caractere Rouge and US-brewed Captain of the Coast respectively.

RASV CEO Paul Guerra said in a media release that 2019 marks the biggest awards night yet, adding that the organisation is looking forward to continued growth.

To celebrate their past success, 2018 Champion Breweries Black Hops Brewing, Green Beacon Brewing Co, Mountain Goat Beer and Philter Brewing unveiled their collaboration brew Achachacha Gose on the night. Using the traditional Bolivian fruit Achacha that was cultivated in Queensland, the Gose-style beer has a tart, citrus taste soured with Weyermann Sauermalz and complemented by the passionfruit aroma of HPA’s Galaxy hops.

For all the results including medal winners, please visit Winning Tastes.

2019 AIBA Champion Trophies

Champion Australian Beer presented by Cryer Malt
Keller Door: Schwarzbier – 4 Pines Brewing Company, New South Wales

Champion International Beer
Feral One – Firestone Walker Brewing Co., United States

Champion Large Australian Brewery presented by Barrett Burston Malting
Balter Brewing – Queensland

Champion Large International Brewery presented by Barth-Haas Group
DB Breweries Ltd, – New Zealand

Champion Medium Australian Brewery presented by Cryer Malt
Green Beacon Brewing Co. – Queensland

Champion Medium International Brewery
Deep Creek Brewing Company – New Zealand

Champion Small Australian Brewery
Blackman’s Brewery – Victoria

Champion Small International Brewery
McLeods Brewery – New Zealand

Gary Sheppard Memorial Trophy For The Best New Exhibitor
Breakside Brewery – Oregon, United States

Best Australian-Style Lager Presented By O-I Glass
Steinlager Pure – Lion NZ, New Zealand

Best European-Style Lager (Excluding Pilsner)
Buckskin Munich Helles – King Car Group, Taiwan

Best International Lager
Undercurrent – Draught Deep Creek Brewing Company, New Zealand

Best Pilsner Presented by Brews News
The Prospector Pilsner – Draught Hemingway’s Brewery, Queensland, Australia

Best Amber / Dark Lager Presented By Joe White Maltings
Keller Door – Schwarzbier – Draught 4 Pines Brewing Company, New South Wales, Australia

Best Australian Style Pale Ale Presented By Kegstar
North of Nowhere Pale Ale, Packaged – DB Breweries Ltd, New Zealand

Best New World-Style Pale Ale Presented By Hop Products Australia
Pale Ale, Draught – Cheeky Monkey Brewery and Cidery, Western Australia, Australia

Best International-Style Pale Ale Presented By The Post Project
Balter Strong Pale Ale – Draught Balter Brewing, Queensland, Australia

Best British-Style Ale (Excluding IPA & Pale Ale)
Summer Ale, Draught – Mountain Goat Beer, Victoria, Australia

Best European-Style Ale
Infinite Guide Gose, Packaged – Bravo Brewing Co., Guangdong, China

Best IPA Presented By HopCo
Hawkers West Coast IPA, Packaged – Hawkers Brewery, Victoria, Australia

Best Amber / Dark Ale
Traders, Packaged – McLeods Brewery, New Zealand

Best Porter Presented By Weyermann
Black Shield Draught, Draught – Myanmar Brewery LTD, Yangon, Myanmar

Best Stout Presented By GABS
Exit Milk Stout, Packaged – Exit Brewing, Victoria, Australia

Best Reduced / Low Alcohol Beer
Mid Range, Packaged – Black Hops Brewery, Queensland, Australia

Best Wheat Beer
TAP6 Mein Aventinus, Packaged – Schneider Weisse GmbH, Bavaria, Germany

Best Belgian / French Ale
Feral One, Packaged – Firestone Walker Brewing Co., United States

Best Scotch Ale / Barley Wine
Alba, Packaged – Cervejaria Bohemia, Brazil

Best Fruit Beer
Rodenbach Caractere Rouge, Packaged – Brouwerij Rodenbach, Roeselare, Belgium

Best Wood- And Barrel-Aged Beer
Captain of the Coast, Packaged – Pelican Brewing Company, Oregon, United States

Best Specialty Beer
Maui Express, Packaged – Denver Beer Co, CO, United States

Best Design – Label / Surface Graphic
Sabro: Single Hop Hazy IPA – Hope Brewery, New South Wales, Australia

Best Design – Outer Packaging
India Pale Ale – Mismatch Brewing Co., South Australia, Australia

Best Media Presented By The Crafty Pint
New South Ales, New South Wales, Australia