Press Release:

The United States Beer Tasting ChampionshipTM (USBTC) recently completed its 21st Winter Competition. A total of 562 beers from 146 breweries were examined across 15 different beer categories. Within each category, the USBTC determined both a Grand Champion and the best entry from each of six U.S. regions: 1) Northeast, 2) Mid-Atlantic/Southeast, 3) Midwest, 4) Rockies/Southwest, 5) California, and 6) Northwest/Pacific.

The USBTC takes a unique approach in that its competition is held in multiple stages. Sequential field trials are
conducted wherein judges evaluate beers and select the best to advance to subsequent rounds. This allows beers to be judged in relatively small flights while ensuring that the best beers are still determined through head-to-head competition.

All beers were tasted in blinded fashion and judged on a hedonic scale.

The USBTC recognizes that American brewers are continually establishing new beer styles and reviving interest in classic styles. As one way to acknowledge this, the USBTC devotes “pull-out” categories in each competition to styles that are currently emerging or being faithfully carried on. In our most recent event, Non-whiskey Barrel/Wood Aged Beer and “Bean” Beer were selected as the USBTC pull-out categories.

Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing won Grand Champion Status for:

Non-whiskey Aged Beer Leon Cigar City Brewing Company Tampa, FL

Bean Beer Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout Cigar City Brewing Company Tampa, FL

Out of 15 Grand Champion beer categories, Cigar City won four of those categories.

In addition to the Grand Champion beers, Marshal Zhukov and Good Gourd won the regional categories for Spice Beer and Imperial Stout, respectively.

For more information, visit http://www.usbtc.com.