Redoak, a tiny brewery in Sydney, won the coveted Grand Champion award at the Australian International Beer Awards for its Redoak Special Reserve.
The AIBA is the second largest annual professional beer competition in the world, after the World Beer Cup, with 974 entries from 137 breweries across 31 countries. American breweries took home many medals, with BridgePort India Pale Ale capturing Champion Ale.
Redoak Special Reserve is available only to patrons of the Red Oak Boutique Beer Cafe in Sydney and is served in two-ounce amounts at the end of a meal. Master of ceremonies for the awards presentation, food and beverage writer Bob Hart, described consuming the Reserve as more like “taking communion than drinking beer.”
Redaok Special Reserve is 13% abv. “The Special Reserve was fermented for over 12 months and was taken through a very complex conditioning and maturation in oak,” said brewer Dave Hollyoak.
BrigePort Brewing won two best of class trophies, for the IPA and for Black Strap Stout. Rogue Ales and Samuel Adams also won best of class awards for Rogue Mocha Porter and Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock respectively.
“We are privileged to win the Champion Ale for our flagship India Pale Ale,” said Karl Ockert, BridgePort brewmaster. “What’s doubly exciting is that this award comes on the heels of winning the gold medal at the 2005 Brewing Industry International Awards in Munich, further underscoring a worldwide acceptance for BridgePort IPA.”