(Press Release)
FIRESTONE, Co.—The best honey ales and lagers in the United States were recognized at the inaugural Honey Beer Competition, presented by the National Honey Board. Taking home “Best in Show” honors was Rogue Ales’ Honey Kolsch, a Kolsch-style ale brewed with wildflower honey and alluvial hops.
More than 25 beers were submitted and tasted by three certified judges from the Beer Judge Certification Program. Submitted ales and lagers were judged on their aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel and contribution of honey to the overall flavor of the beer.
“The Honey Beer Competition recognizes some amazing brewers and the many different ways they are using honey in brewing,” Catherine Barry, National Honey Board’s director of marketing, says. “Honey has so many different uses in beer, from contributing sweetness to adding to the depth of flavor to bottle conditioning. It was impressive to see brewers use this one ingredient in so many ways and with so many different styles of beer, ranging from IPAs to stouts to pilsners.”
The winners of the 2015 Honey Beer Competition:
Best in Show: Rogue Ales’ Honey Kolsh
• Gold Medal: Honey Kolsch – Rogue Ales, Newport, Ore. Brewed with wildflower honey and alluvial hops, the Honey Kolsch uses honey from Rogue Farms.
• Silver Medal: Ron and the Beast Ryan – Evil Twin Brewing, Brooklyn, N.Y. A bright, hop-tastic saison with the key addition of Brettanomyces from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales.
• Bronze Medal: Beasley’s Honey White – Fullsteam Brewery, Durham, N.C. This unfiltered white ale is brewed with toasted Tellicherry black pepper, North Carolina honey and North Carolina oats.
• Gold Medal: Luminosity Lager – St. Patrick’s Brewing Company, Littleton, Colo. This honey lager has notes of citrus, hints of seven hop varieties and a very smooth finish.
• Silver Medal: Rober Earl Keen Honey Pils – Pedernales Brewing Company, Fredericksburg, Texas. A light, refreshing lager made with honey, which provides a slight sweetness to balance the beer’s classic German hops.
• Bronze Medal: Honey Brown Lager – Dundee Brewing Company, Rochester, N.Y. Honey Brown is brewed with premium barley, hops and white clover honey to produce a great-tasting, medium-bodied lager.
The National Honey Board is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. For more information about the National Honey Board or the Honey Beer Competition, please contact Keith Seiz of The Arland Group at kseiz@thearlandgroup.com or 314-241-0232.