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One of the nation’s most unique and important beer gatherings, The Festival Of Wood And Barrel-Aged Beer wrapped over the weekend in Chicago.
Affectionately nicknamed FoBAB, this festival (and its prestigious competition) is the planet’s largest celebration of wood and barrel aged beer. It’s also quite possibly the most extensive showcase of beers that have been aged in a wooden barrel (or in contact with wood), under one roof.
If you’re a brewery committed to barrel-aging you NEED to be here, because a win at The Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer is the kind of game-changer that can rocket breweries into the national arena and jumpstart careers.
This year’s two-day, three-session festival to place in an expansive 24,000 square foot space at the University of Chicago Forum, and featured 200 breweries from all over the country, and 400 high-octane barrel-aged wonders.
Sponsored by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, this year’s competition was judged by a panel of industry experts prior to the public sessions.
Along with Best of Show & Runner Up, medals were awarded in 12 additional categories…
The 2019 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers Award Winners
BEST OF SHOW
Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim, CA – Arcane Rituals (Barleywine/Wheatwine)
BEST OF SHOW – Runner Up
The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA – Peach Afternoon
Strong Porter Stout
GOLD – Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Columbus, OH – 3-2-1 Double Barrel Dire Wolf
SILVER – Crystal Lake Brewing, Crystal Lake, IL – Boathouse Reserve Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
BRONZE – More Brewing Co., Villa Park, IL – Mehndi 2019
Specialty Strong/Porter Stout
GOLD – Cerebral Brewing, Denver, CO – Vanilla Rye Here Be Monsters
SILVER – Hidden Springs Ale Works, Tampa, FL – After Dinner Decadence
BRONZE – Half Acre Beer Company, Chicago (Balmoral) – Vanilla Benthic
Barleywine/Wheatwine
GOLD – Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim, CA – Arcane Rituals
SILVER – Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Chicago & Bridgman, MI – Barrel Aged Bollocks
BRONZE – Kros Strain Brewing Company, LaVista, NE – Barrel Aged Barrellywine Vol. 2
Classic Beer Style
GOLD – Kros Strain Brewing Company, LaVista, NE – 53 Magnum
SILVER – Derive Brewing Company, Columbus, OH – It’s only dirty paper!
BRONZE – Church Street Brewing Company, Itasca, IL – Holy Moly
Strong Pale Beer
GOLD – Pollyanna Brewing Company, Lemont, IL – Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Orenda Volume 03
BRONZE – Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, OH – Barrel Aged Tripel Dog Dare
Strong Dark Beer
GOLD – Revolution Brewing, Chicago – V.S.O.R. (Very Special Old Ryeway)
SILVER – Pollyanna Brewing Company, Lemont, IL – Orenda Volume 02
BRONZE – Taxman Brewing Company, Bargersville, IN – Bourbon Barrel Qualified
Fruit Beer
GOLD – Werk Force Brewing, Plainfield, IL – Farmhouse Vultures with Blackberries and Raspberries
SILVER – Revolution Brewing, Chicago – Strawberry Jacket
BRONZE – MyGrain Brewing Co., Joliet, IL – I Have Time
Specialty/Experimental
GOLD – 5 Rabbit Cervecería, Bedford Park, IL – El Pirata
SILVER – MadTree Brewing Cincinnati, OH – Joon – Chamomile & Elderflower
BRONZE – Monday Night Brewing Atlanta, GA – Tie 8 On
Wild Beer/Brett (non-acidic)
GOLD – Afterthought Brewing Company, Lombard, IL – Afterthought Ale: Wine Barrel Fermented (Yuzu & Key Lime Juice)
SILVER – Hacienda Beer Co., – Baileys Harbor, WI L’hiver
BRONZE – Branch & Bone Artisan Ales, Dayton, OH – Silence Mill
Wild Beer (Acidic) Sours
GOLD – MobCraft Beer, Milwaukee, WI – Sour Golden Ale
SILVER – Off Color Brewing – Mousetrap, Chicago – Procatsination
BRONZE – Upstream Brewing Company, Omaha, NE – Things!
Wild Beer (Acidic) w/ Fruit
GOLD – The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA – Peach Afternoon
SILVER – Forager Brewery, Rochester, MN – Dollar Menu Pie
BRONZE – Coppertail Brewing Co., Tampa, FL – Creature de mer Rouge
Cider/Perry/Mead
GOLD – Misbeehavin’ Meads, Valparaiso, IN – BBA Caramel Apple Cider
SILVER – Garagiste Meadery, Tampa, FL – Cognac Barrel Aged Black Widow
BRONZE – Superstition Meadery, Prescott, AZ – Grand Cru Berry
Congratulations to all of this year’s FoBAB winners…Live long and prosper.
