The World Beer Championships, held by The Beverage Testing Institute have been happening in Chicago over the last day or so, with the current category being “Best American Ale, English Ale”. We’re incredibly proud to announce that thanks to the vision and talent our epic brewing team, four of our beers were awarded medals in the category – two gold and two silver.
Here’s a little preview of each rating:

FIGJAM IPA – GOLD MEDAL (90 points)
“Exceptional. A full-bodied chewer for those who want to teach their tongues a lesson”
full review

HASSLE HOP SESSION IPA – GOLD MEDAL (90 points)
“Exceptional. Vibrant …. dry-yet-fruity medium body and a tingling, delightful finish. A well-balanced IPA with a juicy centre.”
full review

TWISTED PALM – SILVER MEDAL (88 points)
“Highly Recommended. Effervescent, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a smooth, interesting finish. A nice tropical session pale ale that is front-loaded with hops and is sure to please.”
full review

28 PALE ALE – SILVER MEDAL (86 points)
“Highly Recommended. A wonderfully hoppy pale ale that engages the palate.”
full review

The crew doing the tasting operate under strict and unique conditions making these awards all the sweeter. What makes the conditions unique? Well, The Beverage Testing Institute uses a dedicated tasting lab in Chicago that is specially designed to minimize external factors and maximize their panelists’ concentration. Each blind tasting consists of 25-30 wines or beers (that’s us), or 15-20 spirits in order to prevent palate fatigue.

We suggest having a look at how these awards are judged here – it’s pretty interesting stuff. If nothing else, check out this line taken directly from their website’s “How We Score” section:
“Products breaking the critical 90-point barrier are tasted twice without exception, virtually guaranteeing that they will deserve their accolades.”
We’re wrapt that our Fig Jam and Hassle Hop both scored in the 90 point range.

Since we first submitted entries in 2009, and with these latest additions, our beers have now won a collective total of 43 medals at these Championships. Burleigh Brewing continue to enter because we believe in the judging methods, methods that produce truly objective results, results that help keep us on the path of doing what we love – making beer that tastes incredible with Balance, Character and Soul.