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The Best Of Beer Category Winners NSW
Each year, the annual Vintage Cellars Best Of awards brings together leading industry insiders and experts to taste their way through the worthy entries from across Australia in order to determine the drinks worth your dime and time.
This year, Dave Dumay from Dad & Dave’s Brewing joined the judging panel, using his expert taste buds to determine the best beers in a slew of categories.
“I really enjoyed sitting with my brewing industry peers and sampling a range of products,” explained Dumay of the full-day spent judging entrants. “We don’t often get the chance to do such an in-depth tasting of that many products under a particular style so it was great to see what other peoples breweries were doing.”
According to Dumay, the awards confirmed to him that in Australia we’re seeing a movement back towards lagers as easy drinking and cost-effective beers. “I was also really impressed by the emerging sweeter categories such as Ginger Beer and a beer flavoured with yuzu.”
The Category Winners
Non-Alcoholic: Tinnies Ultra Low Alcohol Can 375ml
Bursting with bright citrus and fresh pine aromas, and perfect for pairing with fried foods such as tempura or crispy chicken.
Better For You: Willie The Boatman Little Legend Mid-Pale Ale
A sensational single-hop mid-strength pale ale with whiffs of passionfruit.
Lager: Young Henry Lager
A light bodied, refreshing drink that tastes as if someone dropped a lemon sherbet in it.
XPA: Philter XPA
This low bitter beer is designed to be washed down with some pub grub or a snag wrapped in white bread.
Pale Ale: BentSpoke Barley Griffin
Light and crisp on the palate, this is a very sessionable, thirst-quenching ale with flavours of light biscuity malt and soft fruits.
Hazy Pale: Philter Hazy Pale Ale
A beer that sits in tropical fruit/brekkie juice territory, and has a decadent creamy finish.
IPA: The Grifter Brewing Co. Big Sur IPA
Named after the mountainous coastal region in California, if you like American hops, this is the beer for you.
Ginger Beer / Flavoured: Grifter Pink Galah Lemonade Sour Can 375mL
The surprisingly pleasant sourness of this winner that tickles your throat just like a sherbet tingle.
Hazy IPA: Slow Lane Brewing Hazy IPA Can 375mL
Super fruity and super fresh, it goes perfectly with pulled pork burgers or battered fish and crunchy chips.
Dark: Grifter Omen Oatmeal Stout Can 375mL
Well-balanced flavours, great texture, and a ‘sensible’ ABV mean you can enjoy a few without too many worries.
- The Grifter Brewing Co94 AUD
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