Apparently the judges for the Beers of the World World’s Best Beers competition didn’t get the memo from Men’s Journal that Lagunitas Pils is the best lager in the world.
They seem to think it is Budweiser Budvar Dark.
They did almost agree with Men’s Journal on the World’s Best Stout, picking Deschutes Obsidian Stout. The MJ panel thought it was Deschutes The Abyss.
Beers of the World, in case you didn’t know, is a British beer magazine. According to its press release: “An international panel of judges tasted their way through hundreds of entries from the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Australia and beyond to find the winners of each style.
“These style winners then went head to head at a blind tasting event, where the UK’s top brewers selected the best beers in each category.”
They came up with an admirable list, but like the beers ranked in the current Men’s Journal and let’s be honest, like the ones we’ll be lauding two weeks from now at the Great American Beer Festival you are best to consider it a collection of really good choices and little more.
It may have come to your attention I am schizophrenic on this matter of competitions/lists, given that I’m immersed in The Beer Mapping Project Fantasy League. I love the lists, but I also love making fun of them and somehow I don’t consider that inconsistent.
I’m not sure what breweries entered this particular competition. Deschutes Brewery from Oregon did quite well, but there were only a handful of other American winners. Obviously the judges were good Roger Protz was the chairman.
“This is an exciting time for beer drinkers. More and more craft brewers throughout the world are making beers bursting with distinctive and exciting aromas and flavors.,” Protz said. “The judges have been overwhelmed by the quality of the beers entered for the competition and it has been an immensely difficult task choosing the winners.”
So it deserves to be taken seriously as seriously as you take any such results.
Best of the best:
World’s Best Lager: Budweiser Budvar Dark, 4.7%
World’s Best Ale: Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, 4.2%
World’s Best Stout/Porter: Deschutes Obsidian Stout, 6.4%
World’s Best Wheat Beer: Grolsch Weizen, 5.3%
Category winners:
World’s Best Pale Ale: Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, 4.2%
World’s Best Dark Ale: Robinsons Old Tom, 8.5%
Sub-category winners:
World’s Best Standard Lager: Simonds Farsons Cisk, 4.2%
World’s Best Premium Lager: Full Sail Session Lager, 5.1%
World’s Best Dark Lager: Budweiser Budvar Dark, 4.7%
World’s Best Strong Lager: Voll Damm, 7.2%
World’s Best Standard Pale Ale: Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, 4.2%
World’s Best Strong Pale Ale: BrewDog The Physics, 5%
World’s Best Standard Dark Ale Deschutes Buzzsaw Brown, 4.8%
World’s Best Strong Dark Ale: Robinsons Old Tom, 8.5%
World’s Best Stout: Deschutes Obsidian Stout, 6.4%
World’s Best Porter: Fuller’s London Porter, 5.4%
World’s Best Grain-Only Wheat Beer: Grolsch Weizen, 5.3%
(tie) Meantime Wheat Grand Cru, 6.3%
World’s Best Flavored Wheat Beer: Meantime Raspberry Grand Cru, 6.5%
There were still more trophy winners. Here’s that list.
A final thought: Another a reason to hope that BrewDog finds a U.S. importer.