by Madison V. Fisler
Aug. 2, 2013. It’s that time of year again. Time to get ready for beer tastings, wine samples, live entertainment, spirits tastings, delicious food and much more. That’s right. It’s time for SugarBrew, and the judges and competing breweries for the 2013 SugarBrew Best in Show Competition so far have been posted and just today even more breweries and brews have been added to the list!
This year’s judges are people from all around the High Country whose names and faces you probably know. These expert tasters will rate the quality of each sample carefully and choose winners for this year’s competition. The judges this year are:
- Tom Jankovich
- Ken Ketchie
- Sam Smith
- Tom Lanier
- Frederick Coffey
- Jennifer Weaver
- Jonathan Humphries
- Trevor Andreusko
- Ross Monkton
The beers themselves are divided into many categories. This year, the categories are high gravity, ale, lager, porter and stout, pilsner and wheat. The entrants for each category are as follows:
High Gravity Category
- Thomas Creek: Up the Creek Extreme IPA
- Flat Top Brewing Company: Double IPA
Ale Category
- Blue Point: Hoptical Illusion
- Carolina Brewery: Fire Cracker, Sky Blue
- Catawba Valley Brewing: Farmer Ted, Firewater IPA, Ginger Saison
- Flat Top Brewing Company: American Pale Ale, Brown Ale, IPA
- Howard Brewing: Lake Fever, Trail Head Pale
- Huske Brewing: Ale Yeah!, Farm House
- Natty Greene: Freedom IPA, Southern Pale
- Old Hickory Brewery: Death by Hops
- The Olde Mecklendurg Brewery: Copper-Amber Ale
- Thomas Creek: Castaway Chocolate Orange IPA
- Triangle: Habanero Pale Ale
Lager Category
- Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Lager
- Howard Brewing: Action Man
- Natty Greene: Buckshot Amber
- Old Hickory Brewery: Ruby Lager
- Thomas Creek Brewery: Deepwater Dopplebock Lager
Porter and Stout Category
- Catawba Valley Brewing: King CoConut
- Huske Brewing: Sledgehammer Stout
- Old Hickory Brewing: Hickory Stick Stout
- Southern Tier: Creme Brulee
- Thomas Creek: Banana Split Chocolate Stout, Coffee Oatmeal IPA
- Triangle: Best of Both Worlds
Pilsner Category
- Howard Brewing: Week Ender
- Old Hickory Brewery: Piedmont Pilsner
- The Olde Mecklinburg Brewery: Captain Jack Pilsner
Wheat Beers
- Anheuser Busch: Shock Top Apple Crisp
- Goose Island: 312
- Natty Greene: Wildflower
Last year, a panel of 12 judges determined the winners of five different categories and an overall best in show winner. Last year’s Best in Show Competition results were:
Overall-Best in Show
- First Place: Southern Tier with their Chokolat, presented in the porters category. Southern Tier hails from Lakewood, NY
- Second Place: Southern Tier took second place as well with their Creme Brulee, also in the porters cateogory
- Third Place: Thomas Creek took third with their Up The Creek Extreme IPA in the High Gravity Beer division
In the ales and pilsners category, Old Hickory Brewery from Hickory claimed best in show with their Table Rock Pale Ale. In the porter category, Southern Tier claimed yet another title with their Chokolat brew. In the high gravity division, Thomas Creek from Greenville, SC took first place with the Up the Creek Extreme IPA. Samuel Adams took first place in the lager category for their Boston Lager, and Breckenridge Breweries from Denver, Colorado won the wheat competition with their Agave Wheat brew.
Entries for SugerBrew and the Best in Show competition are still coming in, so stay tuned for more added breweries.
Be sure to be there to take in all the action on Saturday, Aug. 3 from noon through 6 p.m. For more information about the beers in the competition, the judges or about SugarBrew itself, please click here.
Check out our photos from last year’s SugarBrew:
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