Gold Coast beer judged best in Australia

A Gold Coast brewery has beaten more than 300 entries to claim Australia’s best beer award.

A Gold Coast brewery has plenty to cheer after taking out the title of Australia’s best beer at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards.

The Burleigh Brewing Company beat more than 300 entries to be named Grand Champion for their classic German beer, the Burleigh Bock.

RQFWS Beer Advisory Group member and judge Steve Henderson said the beer fit the style description perfectly.

“When you taste a beer that fits the style so well it has finesse and it truly is something very special,” he said.

“This strong style German beer was fantastically malty and had great complexity of flavour.”

The beverage also won the Champion Strong Beer category, marking a cracking competition for Queensland breweries.

Burleigh Brewing owner Peta Fielding at her factory. Picture Glenn Hampson

Sunshine State producers took out a host of the awards’ big gongs, with fellow Gold Coast brewery Black Hops winning Champion Brewery, as well as Champion Pale Ale and Champion IPA. Another Gold Coast operation, Balter, claimed Champion Session Beer with it’s Captain Sensible brew; while Brisbane’s Bacchus won Champion Beer Utilising Desalinated Water for its Belgian moccha stout.

Rounding out the Queensland winners was Brisbane’s White Lies Brewing Company, which were victorious with their Kristal Weizen in the Champion European-style Ale category and their Raspberry Sour in the Champion Mixed Culture Beer division.

A total of 344 beers from 48 breweries were entered in the competition, with the judges impressed by the overall quality.

“Most entries came from southeast Queensland and the overall standard was high,” Mr Henderson said.

“This speaks highly of the local brewing scene and shows how far it has come since the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show last held this competition five years ago.”

The awards form part of the RNA’s prestigious RQFWS national competitions which reward and recognise the best of the best in beer; wine; branded beef; branded lamb; ice cream, gelato and sorbet; and cheese and dairy.

MAJOR WINNERS

CHAMPION PALE ALE SUPPORTED BY BARRETT BURSTON MALTING

HORNET IPA (DRAUGHT), Black Hops Brewing

CHAMPION HYBRID BEER

OAKED XPA (DRAUGHT), Ballistic Beer Company

CHAMPION LAGER

LOVEDALE LAGER (DRAUGHT), Sydney Brewery

CHAMPION INDIA PALE ALE SUPPORTED BY FDB COMMERCIAL INTERIOR

CODE RED (PACKAGED), Black Hops Brewing

CHAMPION EUROPEAN-STYLE ALE

KRISTAL WEIZEN (DRAUGHT), White Lies Brewing Company

CHAMPION SESSION BEER

BALTER CAPTAIN SENSIBLE (PACKAGED), Balter Brewing

CHAMPION STRONG BEER

BURLEIGH BOCK (DRAUGHT), Burleigh Brewing Company

CHAMPION MIXED CULTURE BEER

RASPBERRY SOUR (DRAUGHT), White Lies Brewing Company

CHAMPION BEER UTILISING DESALINATED WATER SUPPORTED BY SEQWATER

BELGIAN MOCHA STOUT (DRAUGHT), Bacchus Brewing Company

CHAMPION QUEENSLAND BREWERY SUPPORTED BY CRYER MALT

BLACK HOPS BREWING

CHAMPION BREWERY

BLACK HOPS BREWING

GRAND CHAMPION BEER (Australia’s best beer)

BURLEIGH BOCK (DRAUGHT), Burleigh Brewing Company

Originally published as Gold Coast beer judged best in Australia