The Samuel Adams Longshot Homebrew 2012 contest winners were announced today at GABF. This from Samuel Adams:
Earlier today we gathered at Marlowe’s in Denver for brunch to do some final sampling and vote tallying to determine the three beers that would be crowned the 2012 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest winners. While all of the finalists were hoping to be victorious, there was a common “it’s just great to be here” shared by all the competitors. As one of the finalist said on Thursday night at the Great American Beer Festival, “…to be surrounded by this many talented brewers and have my beer among theirs, well, I didn’t think that’d be happening when I started my first mash a few years ago.
”
While last year’s winners featured three extremely malt-forward offerings, this year’s winners will bring a very different flavors to drinkers. Starting with Samuel Adams employee winner, Dave Anderson won with a Strawberry Lager. Prior to announcing Dave as the employee winner Jim jokingly said, “the Cincinnati brewery is hoping that Dave doesn’t win because they’re not sure how they’re going to get 1,800 pounds of strawberry’s into the brew house.” This bright and refreshing wheat beer doesn’t skimp on the strawberry taste as Dave used three pounds of strawberry in every batch. We loved the lingering, almost creamy, sweetness that this brew leaves on the palate. Sam drinkers who reach for our Cherry Wheat or Blackberry Witbier will enjoy this style.
Our next winner, James Schirmer of California, brewed an American wheat beer that we could envision drinking on a remote West Coast beach. Named Beerflower Wheat, we found this brew to be an awesome balance of smooth, sweet malt flavors with an interesting twist of citrus and herbal notes. While Jim introduced this beer he complimented James on his use of hibiscus which really gave the beer a delicate flavor while offering a slight floral and almost sweet aroma. A slightly darker beer then Dave’s Strawberry Lager, this brew will give you a nice medium body that finishes crisp on the palate.
A true coast to coast competition, our final winner Zach Adams (must be something in the last name) hails from Connecticut where he brewed an Imperial American IPA dubbed Magnificent Seven. For our Sam drinkers who enjoy a nice hoppy offering, this will be your favorite. Poured with a beautiful bronze coloring, we enjoyed the hop bitterness with hints of grapefruit, pine and earthy notes that are traditional in American hops. Depending on who you ask, this medium-bodied brew will also offer a wide variety of aroma ranging from caramel to citrus/lemon to piney. We caught Zach’s buddy Pat who traveled with him to Denver who was sharing the good news with family back home in Conneticut. A humorous ‘I wish I had payed more attention while Zach was brewing in the garage’ was shared by Pat.
We’re excited to get started on production of these three brews (well, except maybe for Dave’s) with an eye on releasing in February of 2013. We look forward to sharing more of these three talented homebrewers stories in the coming months leading up.
Congratulations to our three winners and to the over 1,000 entries we received! Cheers to the growth of craft beer… one homebrew at a time.
The Official press Release:
BOSTON, Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/mbb/ -- Samuel Adams is proud to announce that the annual quest for exceptional homebrews has yet again returned a wide spectrum of flavorful beers that continue to impress. Connecticut resident Zack Adams ' Magnificent Seven and California resident James Schirmer'sBeerflower Wheat triumphed over nearly 1,000 competing homebrews to become the 2012 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest winners. In addition to James' and Zack's winning brews, Samuel Adams also honors Employee Homebrew Winner Dave Anderson 's Strawberry Lager. All three winning brews will be bottled and available nationally in the 2013 Samuel Adams LongShot Variety Six-Pack.
Each year, founder and brewer Jim Koch and the other brewers at Samuel Adams recognize the most talented homebrewers for their world class brews through the Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest. When Samuel Adams began the contest more than 15 years ago, it was Jim's dream that it would be a springboard for aspiring brewers, bringing attention to the quality of homebrewing, and perhaps launch a career or two. To date, Bob Gordash , winner of the 1996 LongShot Homebrew Contest, and Don Oliver , winner of the 2006 Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Contest, have gone on to become professional brewers, turning their homebrewing hobby into a career. Through the contest, Jim encourages homebrewers across the United States to follow their dreams and test the boundaries of beer, just like he did when he brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager ® in his kitchen in 1984.
Jim toasts to the winning brews:
"America's passion for homebrewing and craft beer is at an all time high, making this year's competition more competitive than ever," said Jim Koch . "This year, even the President of The United States is homebrewing at the White House. As a homebrewer for more than 25 years, I know it's a great hobby - but it can also be a launching pad into a career or a start-up a business. I'm proud to help these winners achieve the ultimate homebrew dream by making their beer available to drinkers across the country. Zack's Magnificent Seven, James' Beerflower Wheat and Dave's Strawberry Lager are exceptional brews that Samuel Adams is proud to be brewing with these homebrewers."
Passionate Samuel Adams employee homebrewers get in on the fun:
For more than 15 years, Samuel Adams employees have shown their love of brewing by competing in their own annual employee homebrew competition. The internal contest challenges Samuel Adams employees to channel their passion and knowledge for craft beer by experimenting in their own kitchens. Once all the employee homebrews are submitted, Jim and the other brewers spend a day tasting the entries and select three finalists. Those three employee homebrewers attend the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) where attendees vote for their favorite brew. This year, GABF attendees chose Dave Anderson 'sStrawberry Lager as their favorite.
A panel of industry judges including Tony Forder from Ale Street News, Win Bassett of All About Beer, Bob Townsend of Atlanta Journal-Constitution and beer writers John Holl , Jay Brooks , and Marty Nachel joined Jim Koch in selecting the consumer winners. Together, they selected the winning brews based on the American Homebrewers Association Beer Judge Certificate Program guidelines. Each beer was carefully evaluated on the aroma, appearance, flavor and mouthfeel according to the style category under which it was submitted.
How to get your hands on the beers:
The 2013 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest Variety Six-Pack will be available nationwide in select retail stores beginning February 2013 for a suggested retail price of $9.99 . The variety pack will include two bottles each of Zack's Magnificent Seven, James' Beerflower Wheat and Dave's Strawberry Lager.
About the winners:
James Schirmer's Beerflower Wheat is an ideal balance of smooth, sweet malt flavors with an exotic kick of citrus and herbal notes. Brewed with hot summer weather and fun gatherings in mind, this American wheat beer pours a dark amber color, and imparts a light floral and sweet aroma with the delicate flavors of hibiscus. Beerflower Wheat is a medium bodied brew that finishes crisp and refreshing on the palate.
Zack Adams ' Magnificent Seven is a showcase of seven American hop varieties that impart a big piney and lingering resinous flavor. A true Imperial American IPA, this brew pours a rich bronze color. The slightly sweet malt character is pleasantly balanced by a pronounced hop bitterness with grapefruit, pine and earthy notes from the American hops. This medium-bodied IPA also delivers caramel, citrus, lemon and piney aromas.
Dave Anderson 's Strawberry Lager is a bright and fresh wheat beer, with a strong strawberry character balanced with toffee and citrus notes - the brewer's vision of the perfect summertime beer to enjoy after a round of golf on a hot day. Brewed with fresh strawberries, this beer pours a bright golden color and imparts a malty sweetness with hints of lemon and earthiness. Strawberry Lager finishes with a wonderful intensive strawberry flavor without being overwhelming and leaves a lingering creamy sweetness on the palate. Dave has worked as a member of the Samuel Adams Packaging Operations team since 2007.
Try your hand in the 2013 American Homebrew Contest:
Aspiring homebrewers have another shot at achieving their dream by entering the 2013 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest. Interested beer drinkers can check online at www.SamuelAdams.com in March for contest rules, regulations and information on purchasing a homebrewing kit. In addition, they can download Jim Koch 's video, "The Art of Homebrewing" offering his personal tips on making a successful homebrew. Entries will be accepted in the Spring of next year and the winners will be announced at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival.
Learn more:
- To watch the Art of Homebrewing Video visit: www.samueladams.com/Longshot2012
- For Samuel Adams recipes and pairing suggestions visit www.samueladams.com
- For additional information and to locate a retailer visit www.samueladams.com
PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1pVRb)
.
0 comments (click to read or post):
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment...I do moderate each comment so it may not appear immediately...and please be nice! You can also comment using Disqus (below) or even comment directly on Facebook (bottom).