SPECIAL REPORT: World Beer Awards winners

Our international and highly respected judging panel has identified the best beers in each of the eight categories of the annual World Beer Awards. With over 1500 beers from more than 35 countries entered into this year’s awards, judges blind tasted and scored the entries over three rounds of judging. The final round was held in London, where 50 international brewers, industry experts and journalists tasted and voted on the World’s Best Beers before the 2016 Country Winners were announced.

Adrian Tierney-Jones, European chairman of the World Beer Awards says: “The winners in this year’s World Beer Awards demonstrate that the global beer revolution is not going to go away any time soon. We have winners from the traditional brewing countries of Belgium and Germany, while the brewing powerhouse that is North America is also represented; however, the emerging brewing nation of Brazil also excites me immensely, which is why I am positively excited to see that the best dark beer is won by Hausen Bier. As I have written before, now is a great time to be both a brewer and beer-drinker all over the world and the World Beer Awards is a fantastic reflection of this global excitement.”

Category Winners:

World's Best Dark Beer            Deschutes, Mirror Mirror           

World's Best Flavoured Beer    Rodenbach, Caractère Rouge

World's Best Lager                    Hausen Bier, Dunkel

World's Best Pale Beer              Affligem, Blond

World's Best Sour Beer             Oud Beersel, Oude Gueuze

World's Best Speciality Beer     St-Feuillien, Grisette Blond Sans Gluten

World's Best Stout & Porter      La Voie Maltée, Criminelle

World's Best Wheat Beer           Hoepfner, Hefe-Weizen

World's Best Design            Birra Roma, Bionda

For further information on the World Beer Awards 2016 including the country winners, Bronze, Silver and Gold medalists as well as images and tasting notes for all the winning beers (taste and design) go to www.worldbeerawards.com

26 September 2016 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorial assistant