2015 AIBA Champions Collaborate on Limited Edition Beer

Champion Large, Medium and Small Australian Breweries of last year’s Australian International Beer Awards have begun producing the 2016 Collaborative Beer, scheduled to be unveiled at the 2016 AIBA Presentation Dinner during Melbourne’s Good Beer Week, Thursday 19 May.

The Collaborative Beer is an initiative conducted by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, the organisation behind the awards. Each year, previous year Champions are asked to come together to produce a limited edition beer, which is then showcased to other brewers and industry at the following awards presentation.

This year’s brewers include 4 Pines Brewing Company, Thunder Road Brewing Company and Boatrocker Brewing Company. The 2015 Champions began combining forces on Monday at Boatrocker’s Braeside premises.

According to Boatrocker Head Brewer and founder, Matt Houghton, the brewers are aiming to produce about 1600 litres of the Amber Saison style beer.

“The 2016 collaboration brew will use both French and Belgian style yeasts, malt from Cryermalt and HPA Hops,” said Houghton, last year’s recipient of the Champion Small Australian Brewery Trophy.

The beer will be a ‘dessert beer’ according to Chris Willcock, 2015 Champion Large Australian Brewery winner and Chief Brewer at 4 Pines Brewing Co. “With the attributes of sweeter layering, spiciness and unique fruit tones with the use of tangerine”, Willock said.

Bottling is said to begin in three weeks, allowing for bottle fermentation. Brewers will also select a name for the ale and packaging design around that time.

Image: Marcus Cox from Thunder Road Brewing Co. with fellow 2015 Champions and collaborative brewers Chris Willcock and Matt Houghton.

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