Ryan, Shaun, Paul, and Bill in the winner's circle.
Beer Gods Smile on Island Brewing Company at
GABF
Carpinteria, CA -- The beer
gods smiled down on Island Brewing Company at the country’s biggest and most
prestigious beer competition, the Great American Beer Festival held annually in
Denver, CO. October 10-12. Some 185 certified beer judges from eleven countries
judged 4,300 beers in a blind tasting format, eventually rewarding this seaside
brewery for its efforts with both Gold and Silver Medals for its entries.
In the Foreign-style Stout
category, the Gold Medal went to the brewery’s Starry Night Stout. The Starry Night Stout is no
stranger to accolades, and is a beer fresh off of a Gold Medal at the World Beer
Cup last April. “The staff works all year long to make great beer and it’s a
great confirmation that the judges at the GABF think the same way,” says owner
and brewer Paul Wright. This year’s Starry Night Stout will be coming in
December.
Island Brewing Company’s second
medal at this year’s GABF went to the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Night Sail, a Black
Ale equal parts hops and roast flavors, aged in a bourbon barrel for six months.
“With this win our Bourbon barrel-aged program has been honored at every
competition it has entered. Bourbon barrel-aged beers really showcase the full
spectrum of what beer is capable of as far as flavor is concerned,’ says
Wright.
Santa Barbara County as a whole
did extremely well at this year’s GABF, with fellow craft breweries Figueroa
Mountain, Hollister Brewing and Telegraph Brewing all winning single or multiple
medals.
