from the latest Joe Sixpack newsletter: Last weekend the Great American Beer Festival handed out gold, silver and bronze medals to beers in 92 categories - too many for anyone to memorize. But when your favorite beer geek corners you at your local bar this weekend, you'll want to sound halfway intelligent. Here's what you need to know: Philadelphia-area brewers won only 9 medals, the fewest in memory. Among those who returned empty-handed: Yards, Troegs, Dogfish Head and Weyerbacher. The low number of awards is partly attributed to increased competition nationwide. This year more than 6,600 beers were entered from more than 1,500 breweries - both records. As you'd expect, the biggest category was India Pale Ale with 336 entries. Revolver IPA from California won gold. (Don't worry, I never heard of it, either.) Saucony Creek (Kutztown, Pa.) won the only local gold, in the fruit category, for its X Reserve 05-15 Ale, made with peach & ginger. Spellbound Brewing (Mt. Holly, N.J.), in its first year of operation, won silver for Palo Santo Aged Porter. Iron Hill (Lancaster, Pa.) won silver for Russian Imperial Stout, a style its ex-brewer Bob Barrar perfected before leaving to open 2SP Brewing. Iron Hill (Chestnut Hill) took silver for The Cannibal, a Belgian strong ale that's brewer/cycling enthusiast tribute to Belgian champion Eddy "The Cannibal" Merckx. Sly Fox (Pottstown, Pa.) won silver for its summertime farmhouse ale, Grisette, the third time it's medaled. Stoudt's (Adamstown, Pa.), which was the area's biggest medal winner before Iron Hill arrived on the scene, got back into the win column this year with a silver for its Oktoberfest - its first medal since 2010. Susquehanna (Pittston, Pa.) picked up its first GABF medal, a bronze forGoldencold Lager in the difficult-to-judge Munich-style Helles category. Flying Fish (Somerton, N.J.) medaled for the fifth straight year with bronze in the ESB category for Red Fish, which won gold in '14. Mispillion River (Milford, Del.) - the lone winner from Delaware (!) - grabbed bronze in the chocolate beer category for its wonderfully named Wonka Bar.
thanks for the results. I guess I'm in the market for some Stoudt's O fest and the Helles from Susquehannah.
Goldencold is pretty easily attainable and it's a really nice, easy drinking lager. It's all over the place in NEPA. I think it also makes it way to Philly as well but don't quote me on that.
I see and have drank various other offerings from them somewhat frequently, for a brewery that I don't know or care about. I haven't checked their little block of shelf space in a while, I think I will tomorrow. They make some strange brews. They are always interesting, even if they're not great. But not too interesting, with fruits and shit. Just odd takes on traditional stuff, like the pils noir, for example. This is not a brewery I would expect to have placed in any competitions, but I'm excited to see what's going on with the Goldencold. It probably gets a C on here like all their other stuff (haven't looked), but fuck it. Cheers
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29196/82206/ It's rated as a 83 here on BA, and listed as a American Pale Lager. Ironically, in the most recent review, the reviewer states "will not win any awards IMO".
From the SBC website: “Goldencold Lager is our refreshing, German-inspired beer. Brewed with Pilsner malt and a small amount of Sauermalz to bring out a traditional, rounded note. We use a unique milling and mashing process known as Endosperm mashing, and classic decoction. By separating the husk from the mash, it allows us to brew a beer delicate in flavor and texture. Bavarian Hallertau Tradition, and Hallertau Perle hops make for a crisp, classic and nuanced bitterness that brings our corner of NEPA a little closer to you. 22 IBU’S 5% ABV” Given the ingredients (Pilsner Malt, Bavarian Hallertau Tradition, and Hallertau Perle) and the brewing process description it sure sounds more like a Helles beer to me vs. American Pale Lager. The ‘challenge’ of BA reviews is that they are not done blind so the biases of the reviewer are front and center. There is no better way to evaluate a beer then if you drink it blind. Goldencold Lager was judged blind by experienced beer judges at the GABF. Cheers!
Yeah, and for the most part, most BA reviewers seem to be reluctant to judge many of the lager styles based on their actual style standards.
Unfortunately I didn't see Goldencold at the store today. But I noticed they had an O'fest by Susquehannah. I wouldn't mind trying one of those either.
