AIBA Beer Awards 07 in Reflection

There was much shrugging of shoulders and scratching of heads to the finish of the 2007 Australian International Beer Awards. The most controversial decision was the Premier’s Trophy for the Best Victorian Beer awarded to InBev’s Belgian European Style Lager Stella Artois, brewed at the Fosters brewing complex in Melbourne suburb Abbotsford. No dispersion should be levelled on this superb judging panel. My admiration for this year’s assessors is steadfast, truly world class, with special mention to Chief Judge Peter Manders who was not in attendance due to a heart attack that had him laid up, god speed from all of us Peter. So for those who wish to cast criticism of the decision; I have two words “Grow Up!”

Before I offer my opinion, let me congratulate Grand Champion Weihenstephan Kristall a fantastic traditional Bavarian styled hefeweizen wheat beer with an aromatic clove and vanilla like flavour. If there was any surprise it was that a wheat beer won after the five year rein of the big rich dark hoppy beers. But back to my backhander remark, I offer three reasons for supporting the Stella decision. First, for those few misguided purists, the days of leading international beer brands being brewed in their homeland are over. Economic realities require their product to be closer to their beer purchasing public in a cut throat industry. Secondly, we pride ourselves on being the second largest international beer judging event, so the odds are better than good that a non-Australian tagged beer entry will win the ultimate prize. And finally, please correct me if I’m wrong but the old saying among brewers that ‘the best lager is a fresh lager’ still applies. You can’t have a beer on a boat and expect it to taste as clean and crisp if it’s been on a boat over the Indian Ocean for a while.

As a proud Victorian, my biggest disappointment with the event was the sad fact that on a gloriously sunny autumn day, there was no beer festival for the public to enjoy the ‘beer bounty’ that hit our shores from all over the word. Watermelon wheat beers from San Francisco, Dunkels from Deutschland and New Zealand, cherry ales from Belgium and porters from Russia just to mention a few. The strong support of craft brewers from America with no less than 19 breweries entered as part of a group from the Craft Brewers Association brought many unusual beer styles to try while our Australian brewers offered equally exciting beer entries. But in a state that prides itself on international events there was no state reception for incoming brewing executives from the international brewing community, and there was no after event festivities for the Melbournians to be educated and entertained by the world ob beer.

The awards for Australian small brewer were also a non-Victorian whitewash. Congratulations to Champion Small International Brewery winner Colonial Brewing Company from the Margaret River, Western Australian. According to Head Brewer Dean McLeod, “West Australia seems to have a better craft beer culture with amazing support from the public.” Hard to fault his statement with the Feral Brewery taking out Champion Specialty Beer for their Belgian styled Feral White and Champion Ale going to Little Creatures for their American styled Pale Ale. Cheers also go to Canberra based Wig & Pen Brewery & Tavern’s Champion Reduced Alcohol winner Mr. Natural and last year’s Grand Champion Sydney based Redoak for their winning Champion Porter – Redoak Old Baltic Porter.