Put a fork in the 31st Great American Beer Festival, it’s done, with some pretty impressive statistics again. A record 4,388 beers were judged in 84 categories by 185 judges, of which I was again privileged to be one. Some more factoids on the results and the festival:
- Category with the most entries: American-style IPA: 203 entries
- Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 50.6
- 666 breweries in the competition from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and Guam
- 578 breweries in the festival hall
- Over 2,700 beers served at the festival
- 49,000 attendees
The Breweries That Won the Most Medals:
- Devil’s Backbone; 8 medals
- Barley Brown’s, Church Brew Works; 4 medals
- Captain Lawrence, Figueroa Mountain, Firestone Walker, Green Flash, Lost Abbey, Redrock, Spoetzl, Thai Me Up, Tröegs, Uinta; 3 medals
Last year, one brewery won 8 medals, three won 6 and five won 4 apiece. This year again eight was the highest total medals won by a single brewery, but the next closest was 4.
The Most Gold Medals Won:
- Spoetzl Brewery, Tröegs; 3 gold medals won
- Boulevard, Devil’s Backbone, Firestone Walker, Funkwerks, Green Flash, Pizza Port San Clemente, Pizza Port Solana Beach, SandLot, Stevens Point, Thai Me Up; 2 gold medals won
Last year, one brewery won 4, two won 3 and five won 2. This year two breweries won 3 golds and ten breweries one 2 gold medals.
Medals Won by State:
- California = 49
- Colorado = 35
- Oregon = 24
- Pennsylvania = 17
- Virginia = 12
- TIE: Illinois, Wisconsin = 10
- Texas = 9
- TIE: Utah, Wyoming = 8
- TIE: Indiana, Washington = 7
- Missouri = 6
The 2012 Great American Beer Festival Winners
Category: 1 American-Style Wheat Beer, 29 Entries
Gold: Wagon Box Wheat, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY
Silver: Shredders Wheat, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: American Wheat, Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS
Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast, 29 Entries
Gold: MBC Wheat Ale, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT
Silver: Tumblewheat, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY
Bronze: Wrangler Wheat, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA
Category: 3 Fruit Beer, 58 Entries
Gold: Dry Dock Apricot Blonde, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Silver: ChChChCh-Cherry Bomb, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY
Bronze: Strawberry Blonde Ale, DESTIHL, Normal, IL
Category: 4 Fruit Wheat Beer, 38 Entries
Gold: Ruby Raspberry Wheat, Mad Anthony Brewing Co., Fort Wayne, IN
Silver: Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing, Chippewa Falls, WI
Bronze: 5 Lizard Latin-Style Witbier, 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, Bedford Park, IL
Category: 5 Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer, 63 Entries
Gold: Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Silver: Anaheim IPA, RAM Restaurant and Brewery – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Cucumber Saison, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Category: 6 Herb and Spice Beer, 114 Entries
Gold: Sweet Heat, Burnside Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: CBC Heather Ale, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA
Bronze: Utah Sage Saison, Epic Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Category: 7 Chocolate Beer, 39 Entries
Gold: Cocoa for Coconuts, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Silver: X – 1, DuClaw Brewing Co., Bel Air, MD
Bronze: Milk Chocolate Cherry Stout, Il Vicino Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Category: 8 Coffee Beer, 63 Entries
Gold: Smog City Groundwork Coffee, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA
Silver: Hazelnut Coffee Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
Bronze: Big Shot Espresso Stout, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Category: 9 Specialty Beer, 35 Entries
Gold: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Brewery, Newport, OR
Silver: Alaskan Birch Bock, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Bronze: Exit 8, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ
Category: 10 Rye Beer, 62 Entries
Gold: Gramarye, Heretic Brewing Co., Pittsburg, CA
Silver: Kyles Baltic Porter, Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, Columbia, MO
Bronze: Roggenbier, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Phoenixville, Phoenixville, PA
Category: 11 Specialty Honey Beer, 33 Entries
Gold: West Bound Braggot, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Silver: George’s Fault, Nodding Head Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Kuhnhenn Braggot, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI
Category: 12 Session Beer, 67 Entries
Gold: Twerp, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Silver: Dock Street/Thiriez Table Saison, Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Bitter American, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Category: 13 Other Strong Beer, 55 Entries
Gold: Reverb Imperial Pilsner, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Heart of Gold, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Double White, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Category: 14 Experimental Beer, 62 Entries
Gold: Redrock Paardebloem, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Petit Obscura, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: Track #8, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Category: 15 Fresh Hop Ale, 34 Entries
Gold: Estate Homegrown Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Silver: HopTime Harvest Ale, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA
Bronze: Colorado IPA Nouveau, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO
Category: 16 Indigenous Beer, 27 Entries
Gold: Got Beer, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Boulder, Boulder, CO
Silver: Signature Gratzer, choc Beer Co., Krebs, OK
Bronze: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA
Category: 17 Gluten-Free Beer, 20 Entries
Gold: Nikki’s Gluten Free Honey Pale Ale, Rock Bottom Arlington, Arlington, VA
Silver: Brown, New Planet Beer Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Pale Ale, Harvester Brewing, Portland, OR
Category: 18 American-Belgo-Style Ale, 71 Entries
Gold: Le Freak, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Chainbreaker WIPA, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Bronze: A Little Crazy, Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL
Category: 19 American-Style Sour Ale, 34 Entries
Gold: Barrel Select – Gold, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY
Silver: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Fitger’s Framboise, Fitger’s Brewhouse, Duluth, MN
Category: 20 American-Style Brett Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Seizoen Bretta, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Hood River, OR
Silver: Flemish Kiss, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: TPS Report, Trinity Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO
Category: 21 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer, 51 Entries
Gold: Jerry Maker, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Chandler, Chandler, AZ
Silver: Bourbon Barrel Aged Night Sail, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA
Bronze: Local Species, Blue Mountain Barrel House, Arrington, VA
Category: 22 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 103 Entries
Gold: The Manhattan Project, The Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Pappy Van Muckle, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Golden Delicious, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY
Category: 23 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout, 65 Entries
Gold: Fourteen Fourteen, Central Waters Brewing Co., Amherst, WI
Silver: Silva Stout, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Bronze: Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout, AC Golden Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Category: 24 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 70 Entries
Gold: Lady Of The Woods, Cisco Brewers, Nantucket, MA
Silver: Sentience, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Denver, CO
Bronze: George’s Phunk, Nodding Head Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Category: 25 Aged Beer, 24 Entries
Gold: 2010 Old Trainwreck Barleywine, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR
Silver: 2004 Triple Exultation, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA
Bronze: Lovely Cherry Baltic Porter, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Category: 26 Kellerbier or Zwickelbier, 32 Entries
Gold: Bottle Rocket, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que – Lake Travis, Austin, TX
Silver: Redrock Organic Zwickel Bier, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Organic Hopworks Kellerbier, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland, OR
Category: 27 Smoke Beer, 50 Entries
Gold: Bambastic, Fort Collins Brewery, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Rauchtoberfest, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Lancaster, Lancaster, PA
Bronze: Smoke & Dagger, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Framingham, MA
Category: 28 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener, 26 Entries
Gold: Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA
Silver: Redhook Pilsner, Redhook Brewery Woodinville, Woodinville, WA
Bronze: Gold Leaf Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Category: 29 German-Style Pilsener, 52 Entries
Gold: Sunshine Pils, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA
Silver: Hans’ Pils, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Bronze: Paintbrush Pilsner, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Category: 30 Bohemian-Style Pilsener, 53 Entries
Gold: Hometown Blonde, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Silver: Summit Pilsener, Summit Brewing Co., St. Paul, MN
Bronze: This is the Pilsener, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co., Midvale, UT
Category: 31 Munich-Style Helles, 42 Entries
Gold: 6X Helles, CB & Potts Restaurant & Brewery – Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Session Premium Lager, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Bronze: Longboard Island Lager, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI
Category: 32 Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest, 23 Entries
Gold: Move Back, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: Rolling Thunder Dortmunder, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Bronze: Celestial Gold, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Category: 33 American-Style Lager, Light Lager or Premium Lager, 51 Entries
Gold: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Silver: Miller Lite, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Keystone Light, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO
Category: 34 American-Style Specialty Lager or Cream Ale or Lager, 34 Entries
Gold: Henry Weinhard’s Blue Boar Pale Ale, Blitz-Weinhard Brewing, Hood River, OR
Silver: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA
Bronze: Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Category: 35 Vienna-Style Lager, 36 Entries
Gold: Vienna Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Silver: Chuckanut Vienna Lager, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Danish Red Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA
Category: 36 German-Style Märzen, 69 Entries
Gold: Shiner Oktoberfest, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX
Silver: Mecktoberfest, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Dominion Oktoberfest, Old Dominion Brewing Co., Dover, DE
Category: 37 American-Style Amber Lager, 45 Entries
Gold: Point Oktoberfest, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Silver: Staghorn Octoberfest, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Bronze: Uberbrau, Humperdinks Restaurant and Brewery, Dallas, TX
Category: 38 European-Style Dunkel, 20 Entries
Gold: Knight Ryder Munich Dunkel, Equinox Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Pious Monk Dunkel, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Bronze: Mother Earth Munich Dunkel, Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston, NC
Category: 39 American-Style Dark Lager, 12 Entries
Gold: Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX
Silver: Old Virginia Dark, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Bronze: Session Black Premium Dark Lager, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Category: 40 German-Style Schwarzbier, 32 Entries
Gold: Shiner Bohemian Black Lager, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX
Silver: Baba, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Black Bear, Morgan Street Brewery, Saint Louis, MO
Category: 41 Bock, 33 Entries
Gold: Butt Head Bock, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO
Silver: Elixer Maibock, Mad Fox Brewing Co., Falls Church, VA
Bronze: Turbo Cougar, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Outpost, Lexington, VA
Category: 42 German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock, 19 Entries
Gold: Uber Bock, Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co., Madison, WI
Silver: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Boston Beer Co. – Samuel Adams, Cincinnati Brewery, Cincinnati, OH
Bronze: Resurrection Doppelbock, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT
Category: 43 Baltic-Style Porter, 31 Entries
Gold: The Hammer, Rock Bottom King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA
Silver: Danzig, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Bronze: Polska Porter, American Brewing Co., Edmonds, WA
Category: 44 Golden or Blonde Ale, 67 Entries
Gold: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA
Silver: Firemans #4, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX
Bronze: TAPS Cream Ale, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA
Category: 45 German-Style Kölsch, 61 Entries
Gold: Capital City Kolsch, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS
Silver: Chuckanut Kolsch Style, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Sky Blue Golden Ale, Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro, NC
Category: 46 English-Style Summer Ale, 38 Entries
Gold: Cross of Gold:, Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL
Silver: Sum’r, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Bronze: Mother Lode Golden Ale, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Category: 47 Classic English-Style Pale Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Royal Scandal, Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas, TX
Silver: Gayle Force Pale Ale, Wind River Brewing Co., Pinedale, WY
Bronze: Hurricane Reef Pale Ale, Florida Beer Co., Melbourne, FL
Category: 48 English-Style India Pale Ale, 54 Entries
Gold: India Pale Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Silver: Silverspot IPA, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Bronze: Monumental IPA, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA
Category: 49 International-Style Pale Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: River Runners Pale Ale, Eddyline Brewing, Buena Vista, CO
Silver: Southern Chaos, Hollister Brewing Co., Goleta, CA
Bronze: Pipe Organ Pale Ale, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Category: 50 American-Style Pale Ale, 109 Entries
Gold: Brickstone APA, Brickstone Brewery, Bourbonnais, IL
Silver: The Weight, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL
Bronze: Zombie Dust, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN
Category: 51 American-Style Strong Pale Ale, 111 Entries
Gold: Melvin, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY
Silver: Lumberyard IPA, Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ
Bronze: Laughing Dog IPA, Laughing Dog Brewing, Ponderay, ID
Category: 52 American-Style India Pale Ale, 203 Entries
Gold: IPA, Tap It Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA
Silver: Pallet Jack IPA, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: Duet, Alpine Beer Co., Alpine, CA
Category: 53 Imperial India Pale Ale, 128 Entries
Gold: 2 X 4, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY
Silver: Café Racer 15, Bear Republic Brewing Co. – Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA
Bronze: Double Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Category: 54 American-Style Amber/Red Ale, 87 Entries
Gold: Hopback Amber Ale, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA
Silver: Fixed Gear American Red Ale, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Winterhook, Redhook Brewery, Woodinville, Woodinville, WA
Category: 55 Imperial Red Ale, 60 Entries
Gold: Organic Deranger Imperial Red Ale Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Imperial Red, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: 547 Haight – The Toronado San Francisco’s 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale,
Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Category: 56 English-Style Mild Ale, 31 Entries
Gold: Bristlecone, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Breakside Session Brown, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: S.S. Minnow Mild Ale, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Category: 57 Ordinary or Special Bitter, 37 Entries
Gold: DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Mens Room Original Red Ale, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Bronze: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Category: 58 Extra Special Bitter, 53 Entries
Gold: Crystal Bitter Ale, No-Li Brewhouse, Spokane, WA
Silver: The Tower E.S.B., Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO
Bronze: Extra Special Ale (ESA), Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia PA
Category: 59 Scottish-Style Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Wee Heavy, Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, HI
Silver: Isle of Skye Scottish Ale, Boscos Brewing Co., Memphis, TN
Bronze: MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Category: 60 Irish-Style Red Ale, 48 Entries
Gold: Irish Red, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO
Silver: TAPS Irish Red, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA
Bronze: Balefire Red, Echo Brewing Co., Frederick, CO
Category: 61 English-Style Brown Ale, 46 Entries
Gold: Sierra Blanca Nut Brown Ale, Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarty, NM
Silver: Red Hydrant Ale, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Bronze: Molly’s Titanic Brown Ale, Rock Bottom Westminster, Westminster, CO
Category: 62 American-Style Brown Ale, 61 Entries
Gold: Face Down Brown, Telluride Brewing Co., Telluride, CO
Silver: Upslope Brown Ale, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: Redrock Nut Brown Ale, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Category: 63 American-Style Black Ale, 61 Entries
Gold: Wookey Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Turmoil, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Bronze: Black IPA, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Wilmington, Wilmington, DE
Category: 64 German-Style Altbier, 35 Entries
Gold: Balt Altbier, Union Craft Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD
Silver: Land’s End Amber, Kannah Creek Brewing Co., Grand Junction, CO
Bronze: Little Red Cap, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO
Category: 65 German-Style Sour Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Berliner Metro Weiss, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Silver: German Sparkle Party, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Bronze: NBB Love Felix, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Category: 66 South German-Style Hefeweizen, 70 Entries
Gold: DreamWeaver Wheat, Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA
Silver: Ebel’s Weiss, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL
Bronze: Yazoo Hefeweizen, Yazoo Brewing Co., Nashville, TN
Category: 67 German-Style Wheat Ale, 23 Entries
Gold: Wildpitch Hefeweizen, The SandLot, Denver, CO
Silver: AlpenGlow, Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH
Bronze: Weizeneisbock, Gordon Biersch Brewing Co., San Jose, CA
Category: 68 Belgian-Style Witbier, 50 Entries
Gold: ZON, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: White Rascal, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO
Bronze: White Lightning Belgian White, Full Pint Brewing Co., North Versailles, PA
Category: 69 French- and Belgian-Style Saison, 68 Entries
Gold: Saison, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Saison, Aspen Brewing Co., Aspen, CO
Bronze: El Verano, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Category: 70 Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 68 Entries
Gold: Saint’s Devotion, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Silver: Your Favorite Foreign Movie, DC Brau Brewing Co., Washington, DC
Bronze: Domaine DuPage, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL
Category: 71 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale, 42 Entries
Gold: Sour Reserve, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN
Silver: Barrel Select – FO/BB, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY
Bronze: Sans Pagaie, The Bruery, Anaheim, CA
Category: 72 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale, 86 Entries
Gold: Green Flash Trippel, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Sanitarium, Bier Brewery, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: ABT 12, Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA
Category: 73 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale, 51 Entries
Gold: Deceit, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Silver: Rhinoceros, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: AleSmith Grand Cru, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Category: 74 Brown Porter, 44 Entries
Gold: Pluff Mud Porter, Holy City Brewing, North Charleston, SC
Silver: Exodus, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Bronze: Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co. Factory Five, Cloverdale, CA
Category: 75 Robust Porter, 62 Entries
Gold: No Medal Awarded
Silver: Coco Loco, NoDa Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC
Bronze: Black Sand Porter, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI
Category: 76 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, 16 Entries
Gold: Seaside Stout, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Silver: Oyster Stout, Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE
Bronze: Ramsey’s Draft Stout, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Category: 77 Foreign-Style Stout, 25 Entries
Gold: Starry Night Stout, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA
Silver: Whiteface Black Diamond Stout, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY
Bronze: Ramsey’s Export Stout, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Category: 78 American-Style Stout, 43 Entries
Gold: Order in the Port, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA
Silver: American Stout, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Bronze: Ironman, Free State Brewing Co., Lawrence, KS
Category: 79 Sweet Stout, 32 Entries
Gold: Udder Love, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Milk Stout, Rock Bottom Westminster, Westminster, CO
Bronze: Udder Madness, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Category: 80 Oatmeal Stout, 45 Entries
Gold: Oats, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Silver: Stumbler’s Stout, Columbia River Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Bronze: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA
Category: 81 Imperial Stout, 58 Entries
Gold: Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout, Weasel Boy Brewing Co., Zanesville, OH
Silver: Imperial Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Bronze: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Media, Media, PA
Category: 82 Scotch Ale, 44 Entries
Gold: Way Heavy, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA
Silver: Iron Thistle, Rahr & Sons Brewing, Fort Worth, TX
Bronze: Scotch Ale, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Category: 83 Old Ale or Strong Ale, 31 Entries
Gold: Heini’s Hooch, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Silver: Papier, The Bruery, Anaheim, CA
Bronze: AleSmith Decadence ‘10 Old Ale, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Category: 84 Barley Wine-Style Ale, 51 Entries
Gold: Johan the Barleywine, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Silver: Barley Wine, Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery, Ste. Genevieve, MO
Bronze: Dr. StrangeLove, Strange Brewing Co., Denver, CO
2012 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition
Gold: More Fun Blonde, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO
Brewmaster: New Belgium Brewing Company, AHA Member: Jay Shambo
Silver: Pointon’s Proper – An English Mild RAM Restaurant and Brewery – Wheeling, Wheeling, IL
Brewmaster: Lanny Fetzer, AHA Member: Scott Pointon
Bronze: Classic American Pilsner, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN
Brewmaster: Mike Hoops, AHA Member: Kyle Sisco
The 2012 Great American Beer Festival Brewery & Brewer of the Year Awards
Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Devils Backbone Brewing Company – Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Brewer: Devils Backbone Brewery Team
Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
Brewer: Steve Sloan
Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year
Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company, Madison, WI
Brewer: Rob LoBreglio
Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO
Brewer: Funkwerks Brewing Team
Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Troegs Brewing Company, Hershey, PA
Brewer: John Trogner
Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Pabst Brewing Company, Los Angeles, CA
Brewer: Gregory Deuhs