The Best of Craft Beer Awards recently concluded its judging of fresh hop beers. Judging took place in two locations where panels of judges (pro brewers and beer judges) analyzed beers from breweries across the US and Canada. The winners are listed below.
The list of entrants was probably heavy with breweries from across the Pacific Northwest. Brewers around here have a distinct advantage when it comes to producing fresh hop beers. Also, the judging took place in Central Oregon and Yakima, so there’s that. The list of winners reflects this.
The typical caveat applies. We only know which breweries and beers won. We do not know which breweries and beers entered or did not enter the judging. If your favorite didn’t win, maybe it was in the game.
Below I share some details about the competition as well as the list of award winners.
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- Judging took place in September and October covering beers that were brewed with early release hops and late release hops. Awards are divided accordingly.
- Judging was performed by professional brewers and judges from across the Pacific Northwest. Beers were submitted from as far away as Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, and Saskatchewan, Canada.
- In all, 37 gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to breweries from WA, OR, CA, TX, and LA, with several collaborators taking home medals including:
Some of the breweries submitted beers that involved collaboration partners. Those partners included:
- Russian River Brewing
- Obelisk Beer Co.
- Highland Park Brewing
- Taps Beer Reserve
- Future Primitive Brewing
- Cerveceria Transpeninsular
- Gnarly Barley Brewing
Best of Craft Beer Awards Winners
Below I list the Late Harvest Winners and the Early Harvest Winners. You can see more details about the winning beers here, including information about which hop varieties and which hop farms were involved with each beer.
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LATE HARVEST WINNERS – Judged on Oct. 15th
Fresh Hop Hazy IPA
Gold – Single Hill Brewing (Collab w/ Obelisk Beer Co.), Social Piranha.
Silver – Moonraker Brewing, Fresh Juicy Mosaic.
Bronze – Single Hill Brewing (Collab w/ Highland Park Brewing), California Tristan.
Fresh Hop IPA
Gold – Bale Breaker Brewing (Collab w/ Russian River Brewing), Fresh Hop Frenz IPA.
Silver – Old Stove Brewing, Talus West Coast IPA.
Bronze – Stoup Brewing, HBC 586 Fresh Hop Fiend.
Fresh Hop Pale Ale or Fresh Hop Hazy Pale Ale
Gold – Bend Brewing Co., Mosaic Mega Pint.
Silver – Sunriver Brewing Co., Rippin Fresh Hop.
Bronze – StormBreaker Brewing, Fresh Hop Nobody Puts Hazy In A Corner.
Fresh Hop Specialty
Gold – Grains of Wrath Brewing, Wrathlands West Coast Pilsner.
Silver – Stoup Brewing, CTZ Fresh Hop Fiend.
Bronze – Pinthouse Brewing, Fresh Hop Road 2 Nowhere.
EARLY HARVEST WINNERS – Judged on Sept 24th.
Fresh Hop Hazy IPA
Gold -Varietal Beer Co (Collab w/ Future Primitive Brewing & Cervecería Transpeninsular), Hop Grind 2023.
Silver – TapRoom Beer Co, Figures in the Fog.
Bronze – Trap Door Brewing, Fresh Glowed Up.
Fresh Hop Imperial IPA or Fresh Hop Hazy Imperial IPA
Gold – Boneyard Beer, Out On Bale.
Silver – Burke-Gilman Brewing Co., Fresh Hopotheosis (Strata).
Bronze – StormBreaker Brewing, Fresh Hop Triple Double.
Fresh Hop IPA
Gold – Trap Door Brewing (Collab w/ Taps Beer Reserve), Fresher Than Fresh.
Silver – Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House, Killer Coleman.
Bronze – Stoup Brewing, Simcoe Fresh Hop Fiend.
Fresh Hop Lager
Gold – Reuben’s Brews (Collab w/ Gnarly Barley Brewing), Nose Grab.
Silver – Threshold Brewing & Blending, Piwo.
Bronze Fresh Hop Lager Bend Brewing Co., Fresh Hop Rapid Crusher.
Fresh Hop Pale Ale or Fresh Hop Hazy Pale Ale
Gold- Sunriver Brewing Co., Bondi IPA Fresh Hop.
Silver – Chainline Brewing Co. Strata Fresh Hop Smash.
Bronze- StormBreaker Brewing, Fresh Hop Ella Rose.
Fresh Hop Specialty
Gold – Sunriver Brewing Co, Fuzztail Fresh Hop.
Silver – Burke-Gilman Brewing Co, Freshsperanza.
Bronze – Ecliptic Brewing, Astro Fresh Hop Italian-style Pilsner.
