By Vic Crossland: Craft breweries in WA confirmed their status as the nation’s best at the Australian International Beer Awards, winning five trophies. Feral Hop Hog IPA  led the charge, giving Feral Brewing of Baskerville its third consecutive Champion Ale title in the most fiercely competitive category.

 “Given the standard of entries received from all around the world it is both an honour and very humbling to be recognised in this way three years in a row,”  Feral Brewing Head Brewer Brendan Varis said. All nine Feral entries were awarded medals.

Cowaramup Brewing’s trophy for Champion Lager rewarded brewer Jeremy Good for years of work, helped by Mr Varis, to lift the ale-focused South-West brewery’s Pilsner above the just-another-lager level. Mr Good arrived back at Cowaramup to a stack of inquiries about his 5.1 per cent German-style draught pilsner, normally appreciated only at the brewery-restaurant bar. Raising the golden lager’s profile with imported Perle and Tettnang hops has paid off not only with accolades but also probable increased sales. “The interest it’s generated is amazing,” Mr Good said. “Businesses want it on tap over east.”

 Coveted trophies also went to Cowaramup’s neighbour Bootleg Brewery for Sou’ West Wheat (Champion Wheat Beer, and Fremantle’s The Monk Brewery & Kitchen with The Monk Mild (Champion Reduced Alcohol Beer).

   There were only two other Australian champion brews, from Victoria and NSW. Even the trophy for bottle and wrapping design went to a WA brewery, with Gage Pils 3.5 adjudged packaging champion.

  After reading a newspaper claim that Victoria leads the craft beer movement, WA Brewers’ Association head and Nail brewer John Stallwood blogged on the eve of the awards in Melbourne: “I think it is great for the Australian craft beer industry what is happening in Victoria, but I’m sick of east coast Press getting facts wrong. WA has led from the beginning in 1984 and hasn’t stopped since. Let’s show them tomorrow night - again.”

  And so it came to pass. As well as the trophies, gold and silver medals were awarded to more than a dozen WA craft breweries, from the new Eagle Bay in the south to Matso’s in the north.

  And while WA’s brewers drew great pride – and possible financial benefits - from being recognized at AIBA, the awards also serve as a top-drops guide for beer drinkers. Choose from these WA gold and silver medallists:

   Feral Hop Hog IPA, Fantapants ale, Feral White Belgian-style wheat beer, Golden Ace spice ale and Barrel Fermented Hop Hog; Bootleg Sou’ West Wheat, Oatmeal Stout, Settler’s Pale and Raging Bull strong ale; The Monk Mild lager, Rauch smoked beer, IPA and Porter; Cowaramup Pilsner and Porter; Last Drop Hefeweizen and Wheat beer; Nail Ale and Nail Stout; Blacksalt Dark lager and Weizenbock; Colonial Pale Ale and Kolsch; The Old Brewery Mounts Bay Brown Ale and Riverside Lager; Duckstein Doppelbock strong lager; Eagle Bay Brewery Kolsch; Mash Eisbock ice lager; Matso’s Broome Brewery Yawuru Bock.

BEER OF THE WEEK

NAIL ALE (4.7 PER CENT)

Perth’s Nail Brewing struck an outstanding note as WA’s craft brewers triumphed at the awards. Nail Ale won its third consecutive gold medal – the first Australian Pale Ale to do so in AIBA history. Nail founder- brewer John Stallwood describes the champion ale he designed a decade ago as easy drinking: “A slight sweetness on the palate is well balanced with medium initial bitterness and a lingering bitter aftertaste . . . more subtle than its sometimes over-hopped American cousins.” He’s used Pride of Ringwood bittering hops from the start to mark it as an all-Aussie pale ale, but aromatic hops and new yeast have refined the brew. A new batch of conditioned Nail Ale bottled on May 2 is due in the shops soon.

  Here’s a preview. Looks: Good copper colour, with reddish hints, and robust off-white head. Aroma: light, floral, cleanly defined. Flavour; summer stone fruit with a citrus edge. Palate: light-medium body, pleasingly dry towards the finish with a “get-me-another” bitter flourish. You have to agree with the judges - it’s a winner.

QUICK ONES

Chuck Hahn will launch One Fifty Lashes at The Grosvenor Hotel, East Perth, on Sunday 5^th June 5. Taste this new James Squire pale ale, due for general release later this year, from 3pm-6pm. Entry is free.

Bootleg’s acclaimed Oatmeal Stout has just returned, bottled and on tap; Raging Bull is on tap at the Norfolk, Fremantle and Tom’s Amber Ale at Clancy’s, City Beach.

Eight Belgian brews are on the menu at BEERtasters tonight 2^nd June) from 6.30, upstairs at The Flying Scotsman, Mt Lawley. Cost: $35 for beer and food. Phone 0413 342 614 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

CAPTION: Cowaramup brewer Jeremy Good with his Champion Lager trophy.

Written by Vic Crossland

From Fresh, The West Australian, 2^nd June