Atlantic Canada Beer News

 

ACBA Beer Event Logo 2019

The 2019 edition of the Atlantic Canadian Brewing Awards were announced at a gala event earlier this evening, in front of a full house at HopYard Halifax. 56 breweries and cider houses from across the Atlantic provinces took part, with a total of 400 beers and ciders entered for consideration in 15 different categories. 31 judges from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick tackled the enormous variety of entries, with the following beers and ciders recognized for their performance. In case you’re wondering how you can get a sweet gig like that next year, check out the Beer Judge Certification Program, and sign up to be part of a study and exam group, run through the Brewnosers homebrew club. Now, on to our winners!

1) North American & European Style Lager
Gold: Spindrift Brewing – Beaufort 10
Silver: Bannerman Brewing – Safe Bet
Bronze: Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault – La Kedgwick

2) German Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Bogside Brewing – Lighthorse Lagered Ale
Silver: Uncle Leo’s Brewery – Altbier
Bronze: Bogside Brewing – Wheat Kings County
Honourable Mention: North Brewing – Gus’ 65m Ale

3) UK Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Breton Brewing – Red Coat Irish Red Ale
Silver: Graystone Brewing – Into the Woods Brown Ale
Bronze: Trider’s Craft Beer – Rod’s Red

4) North American Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Tatamagouche Brewing Co. – Giantess Barleywine
Silver: Copper Bottom Brewing – Centennial Stock
Bronze: Big Spruce Brewing – Bitter Get’er India
Honourable Mention: Boxing Rock Brewing Company – Dark as Keji

5) Belgian Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Upstreet Craft Brewing – FireWorks Farmhouse Saison
Silver: Les Brassers du Petit Sault – John Baker
Bronze: Grimross Brewing – Abbey Dubbel
Honourable Mention: Upstreet Craft Brewing – De Novo IV

6) North American Style Amber / Red Ale
Gold: Bogside Brewing – Brudenell Brown
Silver: Quidi Vidi Brewery – 1892 Traditional Ale
Bronze: Boxing Rock Brewing Co. – Temptation Red Ale
Honourable Mention: Hill Top Hops’ Brewhouse – Red Tail Red Ale

7) Fruit & Field Beer
Gold: Good Robot – El Espinazo Del Diablo
Silver: Nine Locks Brewing – Harvest Pumpkin
Bronze: Boxing Rock Brewing Company – Arnold’s Apricot Wheat

8) Pale Ale
Gold: Graystone Brewing – Patagonia Pale Ale
Silver: Trider’s Craft Beer – Scotian Pale
Bronze: PEI Brewing – Vic Park Pale Ale
Honourable Mention: Roof Hound Brewing Co. – Ear to the Street ESB

9) Stout / Porter
Gold: Spindrift Brewing – Neat
Silver: Big Spruce – Cereal Killer
Bronze: Big Spruce – Blood Donair
Honourable Mention: Grimross Brewing – Pugnacious Porter

10) India Pale Ale
Gold: Copper Bottom Brewing – Parkman Ave
Silver: Propeller Brewing Company – Galaxy IPA
Bronze: Lunn’s Mill – Purple Grain

11) Experimental Beer
Gold: Moosehead Breweries – Small Batch Rauchbier
Silver: Bogside Brewing – Pitcher in the Rye Roggenbier
Bronze: Alexander Keith’s Brewery – Bisset’s Fancy
Honourable Mention: Tatamagouche Brewing Company – Feronia

12) Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer
Gold: Nine Locks Brewing – Barley Wine – 2018 Whisky Barrel Aged
Silver: Big Spruce Brewing – Ra Ra Rasputin – 2019 Whisky
Bronze: Nine Locks Brewing – Russian Imperial Stout – 2018 Bourbon Barrel Aged

13) Sour Beer
Gold: Landwash Brewery – Brackish
Silver: Tatamagouche Brewing – Spring
Bronze: Alexander Keith’s Brewery – Backyards
Honourable Mention: North Brewing – Breakwater Mango Sour

14) Standard Cider and Perry
Gold: No Boats on Sunday – Original Cider
Silver: Sober Island Brewing Company – Army Cider
Bronze: Saltbox Brewing Company – Old Orchard Cider
Honourable Mention: Riverdale Orchard Ltd. – 2 Scots 3 Apples

15) Specialty Cider and Perry
Gold: Gagetown Distilling and Cidery – Hopped Cider
Silver: Red Island Cider – Ghost Ship Wild Briar
Bronze: Chain Yard Urban Cidery – Hopped Up
Honourable Mention: Saltbox Brewing Company – Haskap Cider

Brewery of the Year
Bogside Brewing (Montague, PE)

New Brewery of the Year
Bogside Brewing (Montague, PE), with a shoutout to Landwash Brewery (Mount Pearl, NL)

Cider House of the Year
Tie between No Boats On Sunday (Truro, NS) and Gagetown Distilling and Cidery (Gagetown, NB)

New Cider House of the Year
Red Island Cider (Charlottetown, PE)

Beer of the Year
Gold: Small Batch Rauchbier – Moosehead
Silver: FireWorks Farmhouse Saison – Upstreet
Bronze: Neat – Spindrift

Cider of the Year
Hopped Cider – Gagetown Distilling and Cidery

Congratulations to all of the winners!

2019 Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards by the numbers:
346 Beer entries from 45 Breweries and Brewpubs
54 Cider entries from 11 Cider Houses
31 BJCP National, Certified, Recognized, and Novice Judges
8 dedicated stewards behind the scenes
16 hours of judging
1750 cups of beer and cider sniffed, swigged and sampled

1 Great Industry Worth Celebrating!

The 2018 edition of the Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards were announced at a gala event earlier this evening, in front of a full house at the Stubborn Goat. 52 breweries and cider houses from across the Atlantic provinces took part, with a total of 376 beers and ciders entered for consideration in 15 different categories. 26 judges from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick tackled the enormous variety of entries, with the following beers and ciders recognized for their performance. In case you’re wondering how you can get a sweet gig like that next year, check out the Beer Judge Certification Program, and sign up to be part of a study and exam group, run through the Brewnosers homebrew club. Now, on to our winners!

1) North American & European Style Lager
Gold: Grimross – Braunschweig Pils
Silver: Pump House – Oktoberfest
Bronze: Grimross – Apres Lager
Honourable Mention: 2 Crows Brewing – Refresh

2) German Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Uncle Leo’s – Altbier
Silver: Tatamagouche Brewing Co. – North Shore Lagered Ale
Bronze: North Brewing Company – Little Beast

3) UK Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Trider’s – Rod’s Red
Silver: Garrison Brewing Co. – Irish Red
Bronze: Pump House Brewery – Barley Wine Ale
Honourable Mention: Schoolhouse – Scotian Export

4) North American Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Tatamagouche Brewing Co. – Giantess Barleywine
Silver: Tatamagouche – Dry-Hopped Lagerhosen
Bronze: Alexander Keith’s – Oland Export

5) Belgian Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Tatamagouche – Square One
Silver: 2 Crows – House Funk
Bronze: Brasseurs du Petit-Sault – Col. John Baker Dubbel

6) North American Style Amber / Red Ale
Gold: Gahan – Island Red
Silver: Four Rivers Brewing – Havre St-Pierre
Bronze: Boxing Rock Brewing Co. – Temptation Red Ale

7) Fruit & Field Beer
Gold: Upstreet – Rhuby Social
Silver: Big Spruce – Guava Get Me Some
Bronze: Petit-Sault – Bonhomme Sept-Heures Pumpkin Ale
Honourable Mention: Alexander Keith’s – Hortonville Pumpkin Ale

8) Pale Ale
Gold: Breton Brewing Co. – Seven Years Pale Ale
Silver: Alexander Keith’s – Cornerstone Edinburgh Pale Ale
Bronze: Big Spruce Brewing – Kitchen Party Pale Ale
Honourable Mention: Lunn’s Mill – Lunn’s Pub Ale

9) Stout / Porter
Gold: Breton Brewing – Cocoa Envy Chocolate Porter
Silver: North Brewing – Twinkle Pony Tiramisu Stout
Bronze: Big Spruce – Cereal Killer Stout
Honourable Mention: Pump House – Muddy River Stout

10) India Pale Ale
Gold: Uncle Leo’s – Encore IPA
Silver: Nine Locks – Fathom Double IPA
Bronze: 2 Crows – Second Situation
Honourable Mention: PEI Brewing – Snowbird

11) Experimental Beer
Gold: Tatamagouche – Feronia
Silver: North Brewing – Des Pêches Rooib
Bronze: Crows – Dare To Dream
Honourable Mention: Big Spruce – Thrice

12) Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer
Gold: 2 Crows – Forever Young
Silver: North – Midnight-Glenora Aged Strong Dark Belgian
Bronze: Garrison – Barrel-Aged Wintervention
Honourable Mention: Propeller – Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter

13) Sour Beer
Gold: Tatamagouche – Bliss Mixed Fermentation Saison
Silver: 2 Crows – Cool Kid
Bronze: Tatamagouche – Soaked
Honourable Mention: Big Spruce – Hugs Bunny

14) Standard Cider and Perry
Gold: Riverdale Orchard Cidery – 2 Scots 3 Apples
Silver: Casa Nova Fine Beverages – 1606 Good Cheer Craft Cider
Bronze: Casa Nova Fine Beverages- Buddy’s Original Craft Cider

15) Specialty Cider and Perry
Gold: Chainyard – Ginxberry
Silver: Meander River – Small Lot Rose Petal Cider
Bronze: Yip Cider – Blueberry Picnic
Honourable Mention: Chain Yard – Frostbite

Brewery of the Year
Tatamagouche Brewing (Tatamagouche, NS)

New Brewery of the Year
Four Rivers Brewing (Bathurst, NB)

Cider House of the Year
Tie between Riverdale Orchard (Bonshaw, PEI) and Chain Yard Urban Cidery (Halifax, NS)

New Cider House of the Year
Riverdale Orchard (Bonshaw, PEI)

Beer of the Year
Gold: Forever Young2 Crows Brewing (Halifax, NS)
Silver: AltbierUncle Leo’s Brewery (Lyon’s Brook, NS)
Bronze: Encore IPAUncle Leo’s Brewery (Lyon’s Brook, NS)
Honourable Mention – Seven Years Pale AleBreton Brewing (Sydney, NS)

Cider of the Year
2 Scots 3 ApplesRiverdale Orchard (Bonshaw, PEI)

Congratulations to all of the winners!

2018 Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards by the numbers:
338 Beer entries from 44 Breweries and Brewpubs
36 Cider entries from 8 Cider Houses
26 BJCP National, Certified, Recognized, and Novice Judges
6 dedicated stewards behind the scenes
14 hours of judging
1250 cups of beer and cider sniffed, swigged and sampled

50 Awards

1 Great Industry Worth Celebrating!

The 2017 edition of the Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards were announced at a Gala earlier this evening, in front of a full house at the Stubborn Goat. 50 breweries and cider houses from across the Atlantic provinces took part, with a total of 321 beer and cider entered for consideration in 14 different categories. 20 judges from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick tackled the enormous variety of entries, with the following beers and ciders recognized for their performance. In case you’re wondering how you can get a sweet gig like this, check out the Beer Judge Certification Program, and sign up to be part of the study and exam group, run through the Brewnosers homebrew club. Now, on to our winners!

1) North American & European Style Lager
Gold: Boxing Rock Brewing Co. – Stayin’ Alive Bock
Silver: Moosehead Breweries Ltd. – Moosehead Lager
Bronze: Good Robot Brewing Co. – Extra BIG-ASS Beer

2) German Style Specialty Ales
Gold: Breton Brewing Co. – Stirling Hefeweizen
Silver: Tatamagouche Brewing Co. – North Shore Lagered Ale
Bronze: North Brewing Company – Little Beast

3) UK Style Specialty Ales
Gold: Pump House Brewery – Barley Wine Ale
Silver: Split Rock Brewing Co. – Alli’s Big Brown Ale
Bronze: Garrison Brewing Co. – Irish Red

4) North American Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Trider’s Craft Beer – Brew-Deau Cream Ale
Silver: Tatamagouche Brewing Co. – Giantess Barleywine
Bronze: Oland Brewery – Keith’s IPA

5) Belgian Style Specialty Ale
Gold: Big Spruce Brewing – S’Il Vous Plait
Silver: Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault – Tante Blanche
Bronze: Quidi Vidi Brewing Company – Winter Ale

6) North American Style Amber / Red Ale
Gold: Sea Level Brewing Co. – Blue Heron Extra Special Bitter
Silver: Boxing Rock Brewing Co. – Temptation Red Ale
Bronze: Hammond River Brewing – Red Coat India Red Ale

7) Fruit & Field Beer
Gold: Alexander Keith’s Brewery – Hortonville Pumpkin Ale
Silver: Big Spruce Brewing – Guava Get Me Some!
Bronze: Tatamagouche Brewing Co. – Rushton’s Peach

8) Pale Ales
Gold: Breton Brewing Co. – Seven Years Pale Ale
Silver: Big Spruce Brewing – Kitchen Party Pale Ale
Bronze: North Brewing Company – Priority Pale Ale

9) Stout / Porter
Gold: Tatamagouche Brewing Co. – Two Rivers Baltic Porter
Silver: 2 Crows Brewing Co. – Midnight Mood American Porter
Bronze: Big Axe Brewery – Shakespeare Stout

10) India Pale Ale
Gold: Roof Hound Brewing Co. Ltd. – Big Stink IPA
Silver: Big Spruce Brewing – Tim’s Dirty American IPA
Bronze: Nine Locks Brewery – Fathom DIPA

11) Experimental Beer
Gold: North Brewing Company – Oh My Darlin’ Clementine Brett Pale Ale
Silver: Uncle Leo’s Brewery – Nachtical Illusion Schwarzbier
Bronze: Good Robot Brewing Co. – Damn Fine Coffee & Cherry Pie v3.0

12) Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer
Gold: Garrison Brewing Co. – Barrel-Aged Ol’ Fog Burner Barleywine
Silver: Big Spruce Brewing – Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Wild Wild Wit  
Bronze: 2 Crows Brewing Co. – Bonanza! Calvados-Aged Wheat Wine

13) Standard Cider and Perry
Gold: ChainYard Urban Cidery – Foundation
Silver: Yip Cider – Russett
Bronze: Coastliner Craft Cider – Coastliner Original

14) Specialty Cider and Perry
Gold: Red Rover Craft Cider – Fall Cider
Silver: ShipBuilders Cider Ltd. – Sid’s Chai Apple Cider
Bronze: ChainYard Urban Cidery – Hopped Up

Brewery of the Year
Big Spruce Brewing (Nyanza, NS)

Brewpub of the Year
Paddy’s Pub (Wolfville, NS)

Cider House of the Year
ChainYard Urban Cidery (Halifax, NS)

Beer of the Year
Stirling Hefeweizen – Breton Brewing (Sydney, NS)

Cider of the Year
Fall Cider – Red Rover Craft Cider (Fredericton, NB)

People’s Choice Award – Cider
Original – Yip Cider (Long Reach, NB)

People’s Choice Award – Beer
Go Devil – Upstreet Craft Brewing (Charlottetown, PE)

Congratulations to all of the winners!

2017 Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards by the numbers:
296 Beer entries from 43 Breweries and Brewpubs
25 Cider entries from 7 Cider Houses
20 BJCP National, Certified, Recognized, and Novice Judges
8 dedicated stewards behind the scenes
18 hours of judging
1100 cups of beer and cider sniffed, swigged and sampled
35,000 steps (23 km) walked by the Judging Organizer over the course of 2 days (acbbchris)

49 Awards

1 Great Industry Worth Celebrating!