The 2018 Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show has crowned a new batch of Champions, with the nation’s finest brewers competing for title of Champion Packaged Beer, Champion Draught Beer, Champion Experimental or Specialty Beer, Best NSW Beer and Champion Cider.
The titles have gone to five different breweries, with one Champion each from South Australia and Victoria, and three from New South Wales’ increasing number of craft breweries and Chair of the Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Awards Neal Cameron says the standard of entries is improving year on year.
“The quality of the beers we are getting through is just incredible, to the point that if brewers don’t reach a certain marking standard, Judges become a little annoyed that you have made them drink that beer. The quality of the ciders was also exemplary this year,” he said.
The success story of the Show was Nelson Bay’s Hope Brewhouse – picking up the Champion Experimental or Specialty Beer for the second year in a row with their Barrel Aged Extra Stout. A dark, moderately roasty and strong brew with notes of chocolate, caramel and dried fruits, this brew is aged in Hope Estate oak wine barrels, adding moreish flavours of vanilla, mocha and spice.
Champion Packaged Beer was awarded to Pirate Life Brewing’s Pirate Life Mosaic IPA, Champion Draught Beer belongs to Lord Nelson Brewery and their Nelspresso Brown Ale, Champion Cider is Original Cider from South Australia’s Flying Brick Cider Co, and the Sydney Royal Best NSW Beer for 2018 is Australian Brewery’s Seis Hermanos, a refreshing lager inspired by the hot dry plains of Mexico.
Blair Hayden, Managing Director of Sydney’s Lord Nelson Brewery says the Australian Beer and Cider industry watches closely international influences and innovation to help satisfy the developing tastes of Australian drinkers, but is devoted to Australian product;
“It is a very strong growth industry within Australia and I think the influence of established brewers such as ourselves who are 100 per cent natural and obviously using Australian malted barley and supporting the country’s needs augurs well for the industry in this country,” Hayden said.