2017 Washington Beer Awards winners

Some Spokane love there. Nice. Especially River City.

Was surprised to see Bellwether shut out of historical beers but cool that their Baltic won.

Also that Bronze winner wine barrel blackberry sour is on tap at the steel barrel

 

Had my first River City at the festival on Friday, Midnight Marmot with orange and anise, and thought it was really good. Was even more impressed by the Twelve String BA stout I had.

I've been in Washington for 14 years and never been to Spokane. I should probably fix that with a drinking weekend soon.

 

I'm guessing Holy Mountain did not submit for any awards?

 

Just FWIW, you can enter the awards competition, which is run separately, without actually pouring at the festival (though don't know if Holy Mountain did).

 

I'm guessing you think they were a shoo-in? Well I wouldn't think too hard about it. There are plenty of world class beers that were likely entered and did not medal.

IMHO these sorts of awards are fantastic for the winners but being shut out shouldn't be a crushing blow for anyone who didn't medal. There were something like 1200 entries to be judged.

I mean - The gold medal IPA from GABF last year didn't even place for WA. That should tell you nobody is a shoo-in.

 

We did not enter the competition, and we don't do competitions in general. Would rather save my beer money for other things. Mark, who puts it on, is one of my closest friends. He's an amazing judge and organizer, and all around great dude. Super stoked for Chuckanut and E9 cleaning house as well as the other winners.

 

There are a lot of great beers here but beer "judging" is subjective and these awards are basically friends awarding friends so overall WA Beer Awards = joke!!!!!

Haha, look at these winners...lol

American-Style India Pale Ales:
Gold: White Bluffs Brewing - Nectar Of The Gods (NOG)
Silver: Everybody's Brewing - Cryo Chronic
Bronze: Elysian Brewing Company – Dayglow

Sour Beers:
Gold: Boundary Bay Brewery - Neighborhood Watch
Silver: Stoup Brewing - Sour #4
Bronze: Elliott Bay Brewing Co, LCW - Big Pun

Wood & Barrel Aged Sour Beers:
Gold: Three Magnets Brewing Company - 2016 Helsing Solera Project
Silver: Schooner EXACT Brewing Company - NW Sour Beer Framboise
Bronze: Waddell's Brewing Co. - Barrel Aged Blackberry Sour

 

I used to like Dayglow but have not touched an Elysian beer since the sell out. But it was never top of the WA/OR class of IPAs even back then

 

I keep saying I need to get off my duff and go hit up white bluffs. Perhaps, this is the kick I need? Cool recognition for those guys out in Richland.

 

They make some really good beers. I've only been able to get there a couple times but they're definitely worthy.

 

Nice work, Spokane area breweries! Midnight Marmot is a great beer! Clearly, I whiffed on Bellwether's Baltic Porter. Might drop by there today after grabbing a burger at Prohibition, I'll hope against all odds that they've got that on.

Not surprised Chuckanut's Alt won gold. My favorite Alt that isn't Uerige.

 

The awards are conducted by a private company, Specialty Competitions LLC, with the endorsement of the Beer Commission. Blind judging took place June 2-3 in Seattle by what was described as "panels of trained judges"; I did hear unconfirmed reports that they had some trouble lining up certified BJCP judges for everything and needed to work in some less experienced folks, but not sure if that's actually true or to what extent it might have affected any results.

 

It's on, Thomas plans to keep brewing it because of the attention it's received.

 

Wonder if Iron Goat submitted any beers for judging this yea

Very nice. I've wound up going up on the south hill instead, doing some errand running (and squeezing in a Hop Venom at MTH), but I think I'll hit them tomorrow.

 

I know they entered a couple of wild barrel-aged sours (which were quite nice, exact memory fails but one was fruited and the other more like a straight gueuze); one or both apparently poured at the festival as well. Not sure what else they might have submitted.