ASK any beer connoisseur worth their weight in hops and they’ll tell you something special has been fermenting in the Hunter.
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Last Thursday night it became official when five of the region’s leading boutique breweries – FogHorn Brewhouse, Murray’s, Hunter Beer Co., Lovedale Brewery and Grainfed – featured prominently at the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) in Melbourne.
The AIBA is the largest annual beer competition in the world and assesses more than 1700 entries from 320 breweries across 36 countries.
It was FogHorn’s dark and rich Sligo Extra Stout which tantalised the judges. The 7.2 per cent ale was judged Australia’s best stout to earn FogHorn its first trophy.
All gold medal-rated beers in each category are judged a second time by a new panel in order to crown the sole trophy winner.
“The feedback I got back was it was spot on for style, it was exactly what they were looking for in a stout,” FogHorn brewer and owner Shawn Sherlock said. “Because it’s an American-style stout it’s carrying more hop aroma and flavour than other stout styles, and they were particularly positive about the aroma.”
FogHorn also picked up a gold medal for its Young Americans IPA and bronze for Monk Magic and 4 Saisons In One Day.
FogHorn opened in 2014 and Sherlock hopes Sligo’s success helps the brewery’s product to expand further beyond its King Street and Erina brew pubs.
“It reinforces what we’re doing, that we really are brewing some high quality beer,” he said. “We’re starting to sell our beer in pubs and clubs around town and hopefully it will help when we’re talking to venues.”
Port Stephens’ Murray’s Brewing Co. also earned a gold medal for their popular Moon Boy Golden Ale and silver and bronze for the Fred IPA and Angry Man Pale Ale. Newcastle’s Grainfed had its East Coast Pale (silver) and Quiet One (bronze) recognised and Lovedale Brewery’s lager earned a silver.
The Nulkaba-based Hunter Beer Co. completed a sensational night for local brewers by winning silver for the Hunter Bock and bronze for the Hunter Porter, Big Stout and Slaked Magpie.
“The Hunter breweries absolutely punch above their weight in the national scene, no question about it,” Sherlock said. “I had quite a few people in the industry ask what’s going on up here.”