Utah Brewery Map

Monday, June 08, 2009

Utah's 2009 NABA Medal Winners

You'd think that four days of drinking craft beer would be a hell of way to spend a week...
Well damn-it! it was... for the most part, but some of that shit ain't easy (malt liquor) especially when your using terms like Diacetyl, Dimethyl Sulfide and Fusel Alcohols to describe whatever the hell it is that your tasting.

Now for those of you that don't know, Diacetyl means tastes and smells like butter or butterscotch. Dimethyl Sulfide or "DMS" is an off-flavor or aroma that resembles corn or cooked vegetables and Fusel Alcohols is an alcoholic harshness or "hotness" in the beer.
Now why we could all just say "Butter - Cooked Veggies - Boozy" is beyond me... Oh what the
hell. When you go to Vulcan you learn to speak Vulcan I guess.

I learned a lot, everyone was great and we even had a few "spirited" debates over taste vs. style. The Utah contingent numbered in the dozens and it was a pleasure to get "shitty" with
each and everyone of you... Even you Michael!

Well you should be proud of our local brewers, as usual they held their own in spite of some
pretty outstanding competition. 90% of what Utah brewers won with was good ol' 4.0% Utah beer. So if any of the following are new to you, go out and try them. If not, they're well worth re-visiting. Here are the medalist from Utah. Category first, then winning beer. And here's a link to all the 2009 medalists. Prost!

Bohemian Brewery

Gold: Bohemian Pilsner - Czech Pils
Silver: Dortmunder/Export/Marzen - Viennese Lager


Desert Edge Brewery

Silver: California Common/Rye Beer - Road Rage Rye
Bronze: Ordinary Bitter - Red Butte Bitter


Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co.

Gold: German Pilsner - This is the Pilsener
Gold: Irish Red Ale - McGee's Red Ale


Redrock Brewing Company

Silver: Altbier - Northern German Brown
Bronze: Bohemian Pilsner - Czech Pilsner


Uinta Brewing Co.

Gold: Schwarzbier (Black Beer) - Kings Peak Porter
Silver: American Barley Wine - Anniversary Barley Wine
Bronze: California Common/Rye Beer - Gelande

Utah Brewers Cooperative

Gold: Belgian Wit (White) - Wasatch White Label
Silver: Fruit Beers - Wasatch Apricot Hefe
Gold: Ordinary Bitter - Squatters Organic Amber

9 comments:

T said...

Glad to see Utah make such a killing there! And with 4.0% to boot. Congrats to all the brewers.

I'm also glad to see you survived judging Mikey! I did it last year and there are some styles that are just brutal to judge -- not that they're bad beers, just so many at once. :-)

Mikey said...

Yeah, I did Malt Liquor in the medal round. Brutal! But also American Barley Wines, so yeah!

How 'bout that Hoppers guy, double gold! Me thinks he's going to be impossible to live with...

T said...

Ha ha, yes so true, nearly impossible! I'm so glad you contacted him on FB, he would have gone nuts all weekend not knowing one way or another. I hope we make it there next year.

Are you still planning on Grill on the Hill? Wait a minute, obvious question?

Douglas said...

It was a fun time. Hey, Mikey I thought I had a beer from Idaho Brewing Company (Dr Hops), I thought they were closed?

Mikey said...

Dougie, The Idaho Brewing Company has reopened under new ownership. They bought the names and are brewing in a warehouse a few blocks from where we stayed.

Douglas said...

Awesome. So I assume they are brewing currently. And will they re-open a brewpub? Thanks for the info, you the man!

Mikey said...

They are brewing now and have a tap room at the brewery.

Douglas said...

Thanks man. Those two Ram beers were awesome. The cask IPA and the Whiskey Barrel Aged Belgian Ale. Do you remember their names?

Mikey said...

Sorry, I'm drawing a blank.