15th Anniversary Ale Earns Bronze at Great American Beer Festival Medal!

Island Brewing Company Wins Coveted Brewing Honor in Wood and Barrel Aged Beer

 Island Brewing Company earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition. Presented by the Brewers Association, the GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world and recognizes the most outstanding beers produced in the United States. The top three winners in the competition’s 96 beer-style categories were announced October 8 at the Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.  

Sales Manager Javier Morales, founder of the Association of Brewers Charlie Papazian, and Head Brewer Ryan Morrill in GABF glory.

It’s a great honor to be recognized at this level of competition,” said Ryan Morrill, Head Brewer at Island Brewing Company. “Our category was the 5th largest overall with 159 entries. We strove to make a special beer for our 15th Anniversary and succeeded.”

Island Brewing Company was recognized in the Wood and Barrel Aged beer-style category for its 15th Anniversary Ale, a barrel-aged Strong Scotch ale with big, rich, malts and caramel forward flavors that were aged in oak Bourbon barrels for three months. The end result was a complex beer with a smooth flavor and 9.2%, 34 IBUs.

The 2016 GABF competition winners were selected by an international panel of 264 expert judges from the record number of 7,227 entries, plus 88 Pro-Am entries, received from 1,752 U.S. breweries.

“The innovation, creativity and flavor of American beers was well showcased at this year’s Great American Beer Festival,” said Chris Swersey, competition manager, Great American Beer Festival. “This was the most competitive competition to date, with a record number of entries. Congratulations to all the winners who truly demonstrated the best of America’s beer culture.”