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Brussels Beer Challenge Winners 2023

Yesterday, the winners of the 12th annual Brussels Beer Challenge were announced in Ghent, Belgium. Exactly 1,811 beers from 37 countries were judged in 8 broad styles (Pale Ale, Dark Ale, Red Ale, Pils, Stout/Porter, White, Flavoured Beers, and Specialty Beers) and then further subdivided into 91 smaller categories (lambic, abbey, chocolate beers, etc.). This year, we were judging in Turnhout, a small town around 55 miles northeast of Brussels with an amazing Playing Card Museum. We judged the beers over three days in Congratulations to all the winners!

Belgium won the most medals, with the Netherlands coming in second, and the United States in third. Here are the top twelve medal winners, by country.

Medals Won by Country:

  1. Belgium = 81
  2. Italy = 37
  3. Netherlands = 34
  4. United States = 32
  5. China = 21
  6. Germany = 17
  7. Brazil = 16
  8. France = 11
  9. TIE: Japan = 5 / Spain = 5
  10. Czech Republic = 4
  11. TIE: Malta = 3 / Sweden = 3
  12. TIE: Norway = 2 / Poland = 2 / Ukraine = 2

The 2023 Brussels Beer Challenge Winners

Category 1 — Dark Ale: Abbey / Trappist Style Dubbel

Category 2 — Dark Ale: Brown Ale

Category 3 — Dark Ale: Dark/Black IPA

Category 4 — Dark Ale: Oud Bruin (Flanders Brown Ale)

Category 5 — Dark Ale: Strong Dark Ale

Category 6 — Flavoured Beer: Chocolate

Category 7 — Flavoured Beer: Coffee

Category 8 — Flavoured Beer: Field Beer

Category 9 — Flavoured Beer: Fruit Beer

Category 10 — Flavoured Beer: Herb & Spice

Category 11 — Flavoured Beer: Honey Beer

Category 12 — Flavoured Beer: Old Style Fruit-Lambic

Category 13 — Flavoured Beer: Russian Imperial Stout Barrel Or Oaked Aged

Category 14 — Flavoured Beer: Smoked Beer

Category 15 — Flavoured Beer: Sweet/Milk Stout

Category 16 — Flavoured Beer: Strong Red Fruit Beer

Category 17 — Flavoured Beer: Wood/Barrel Aged

Category 18 — Lager: American-Style Pilsner

Category 19 — Lager: Bohemian-Style Pilsner

Gold: Bernard Bohemian Lager 4.5 (Czech Republic) Brewed by Rodinný Pivovar Bernard A.S.
Silver: Primátor Antonín (Czech Republic) Brewed by Primátor A.S.
Bronze: Bakalar Premium Lager (Czech Republic) Brewed by Tradicní Pivovar v Rakovníku, A.S.

Category 20 — Lager: Cold IPA

Judging took place in a beautiful space, a former church.

Category 21 — Lager: Dark/Dunkel (Including Schwarzbier)

Category 22 — Lager: German-Style Dunkel Bock/Doppelbock

Category 23 — Lager: Eisbock

Category 24 — Lager: German-Style Helles- / MaiBock / Doppelbock

Category 25 — Lager: German-Style Märzen

Category 26 — Lager: German-Style Pilsner

Category 27 — Lager: Helles

Category 28 — Lager: Hoppy Lager

Category 29 — Lager: ICE

Category 30 — Lager: International Style Pilsner

Category 31 — Lager: Light Lager

Category 32 — Lager: Vienna Lager

Category 33 — Pale&Amber Ale: (Belgian Style) Tripel

Category 34 — Pale&Amber Ale: Abbey / Trappist Style Blond

Category 35 — Pale&Amber Ale: Amber

Category 36 — Pale&Amber Ale: American IPA (Higher Than 6.5 ABV)

Category 37 — Pale&Amber Ale: American IPA (Less Than 6.5 ABV)

Category 38 — Pale&Amber Ale: American Pale Ale

Category 39 — Pale&Amber Ale: Belgian Style IPA

Category 40 — Pale&Amber Ale: Belgian-Style – Spéciale Belge

My table for this year’s judging.

Category 41 — Pale&Amber Ale: Best Bitter

Category 42 — Pale&Amber Ale: Bières De Garde

Category 43 — Pale&Amber Ale: Bitter

Category 44 — Pale&Amber Ale: Double Saison

Category 45 — Pale&Amber Ale: Double IPA

Category 46 — Pale&Amber Ale: English IPA

Category 47 — Pale&Amber Ale: Golden Ale

Category 48 — Pale&Amber Ale: IPA Alcohol-Free/Low

Category 49 — Pale&Amber Ale: Kölsch

Category 50 — Pale&Amber Ale: Light Bitter Blond/Golden Ale

Our stewards beginning to distribute the beers for us to taste.

Category 51 — Pale&Amber Ale: Modern Saison

Category 52 — Pale&Amber Ale: New England IPA

Category 53 — Pale&Amber Ale: Pacific IPA

Category 54 — Pale&Amber Ale: Session IPA

Category 55 — Pale&Amber Ale: Strong Amber

Category 56 — Pale&Amber Ale: Strong Blonde

Category 57 — Pale&Amber Ale: Strong/Extra Special Bitter

Category 58 — Pale&Amber Ale: Traditional Saison

Category 59 — Red Ale: American Red Ale

Category 60 — Red Ale: Irish Red Ale

Category 61 — Red Ale: Oud Rood (Flanders Red Ale)

Category 62 — Speciality Beer: Alcohol-Free

Category 63 — Speciality Beer: Barley Wine

Category 64 — Speciality Beer: Brett Beer

Category 65 — Speciality Beer: Brut Beer

Category 66 — Speciality Beer: Gluten Free

Category 67 — Speciality Beer: Low-Alcohol

Category 68 — Speciality Beer: Home Brewers

Category 69 — Speciality Beer: Hybrid Beer

Category 70 — Speciality Beer: Low Carb Beer

Category 71 — Speciality Beer: Old Style Gueuze-Lambic

Category 72 — Speciality Beer: Other Sour Ale

Category 73 — Speciality Beer: Sake Yeast Beer

Category 74 — Speciality Beer: Speciality Beer (Higher Than 7 ABV)

Category 75 — Speciality Beer: Speciality Beer (Less Than 7 ABV)

Category 76 — Speciality Beer: Speciality Beer: Italian Style Grape Ale

Category 77 — Speciality Beer: Winter Ales

Category 78 — Stout/ Porter: American Stout

Category 79 — Stout/ Porter: Baltic Porter

Category 80 — Stout/ Porter: Dry Stout

Category 81 — Stout/ Porter: Oatmeal Stout

Category 82 — Stout/ Porter: Porter

Category 83 — Stout/ Porter: Russian Imperial Stout

Category 84 — Stout/ Porter: Export Stout

Category 85 — Wheat: Dubbel Wit/Imperial White

Category 86 — Wheat: Dunkel Weizen (Doppel)Bock

Category 87 — Wheat: Gose

Category 88 — Wheat: Weizen

Category 89 — Wheat: Weizen (Doppel)Bock

Category 90 — Wheat: White IPA/Hoppy Weizen

Category 91 — Wheat: Witbier

The Comac Trophy for 2023

The Comac Trophy, awarded to the Best Beer of the Competition, this year was won by:

Millican Extra (Italy) Brewed by Birrificio Mezzopasso, in the category Pale&Amber Ale: Strong Amber

You can also find a list of the winners at the Brussels Beer Challenge website.

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