A Look Again on the 2024 Competition of Wooden & Barrel Aged Beer

This previous weekend the Competition of Wooden & Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB) made its return for the twenty second yr to the Credit score Union 1 Enviornment in Chicago, Illinois. Held every fall, the 2024 version of FoBAB took happen over two tasting periods from Friday, November 22 by way of Saturday, November 23.

Every year, FoBAB brings out the very best of barrel-aged beer from throughout the nation. Over 170 breweries served over 350 varied barrel-aged beers over the course of two periods. This yr FoBAB expanded from 12 classes to 13, including the brand new Blended Beer class to the combination. The opposite classes embody Sturdy Porter & Stout; Specialty Sturdy Porter & Stout; Barleywine/Wheatwine; Different Pale Beer; Lagers; Different Darkish Beer; Fruit Beer; Specialty & Experimental Beer; Wild Beer-Brett; Wild Beer-Combined Tradition/Acidic; Wild Beer-Combined Tradition/Acidic with Fruit; and Cider/Perry Mead.

All beer despatched to FoBAB is judged and donated for fundraising for the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. Every brewery must ship sufficient beer, no less than one 1/6 barrel or equal, for judging and every session. The judging that consists of judges from all over the world takes place through the morning and afternoon of the primary day of the pageant. Then as soon as the judging is accomplished in time for the kickoff of FoBAB, the beer listing is revealed to the general public.

Because the pageant is held within the Midwest, lots of the collaborating breweries have been from this space. That is nice for attendees like us from afar to pattern beers from breweries we usually not out there to us. It’s the Midwest breweries that began the barrel-aging motion and these breweries proceed to decide to the method. Entry was simply $85 and consists of all samples.

However that’s to not say that breweries from the Pacific Northwest didn’t present up. It was slimmer than previous years with 10 Barrel Brewing not collaborating after shedding its innovation employees. Final yr alone, 10 Barrel took residence three awards from a potential 36 for a implausible displaying.

This yr the roster of Pacific Northwest breweries was to incorporate Breakside Brewery, pFriem Household Brewers, Fremont Brewing, and Reuben’s Brews. Sadly, the 2 Washington breweries beers didn’t arrive in time for the competitors and pageant.

With solely two Pacific Northwest breweries within the competitors this yr, it was good to see that Breakside Brewery acquired an award. The brewer was awarded 1st Place for its Any person New In The Previous West within the Sturdy Porter & Stout class.

Right here is the listing of winners from the 2024 Competition of Wooden & Barrel-Aged Beer from all 13 classes, Better of Present and the newly created Fan Favourite.

2024 Competition of Wooden and Barrel Aged Beer Winners:

STRONG PORTER & STOUT

1. BREAKSIDE BREWERY & TAPROOM – Any person New In The Previous West
2. WHITE OAK BREWING – Into The Thick Of It
3. FIRESTONE WALKER – Paramburana

SPECIALTY STRONG PORTER & STOUT

1. CAHABA BREWING COMPANY – Romulus
2. OLD IRVING BREWING COMPANY – Champurrado Krampus
3. HALF ACRE BEER CO. – Benthic 2 x 4

BARLEY WINE & WHEATWINE

1. VERBOTEN BREWING (FORT COLLINS) – Double Oaked Cognac Develop Previous With You
2. KROS STRAIN BREWING – Barrelywine Vol. 12 Single Barrel
3. BROTHERSHIP BREWING – Noble Cask

BLENDED BEER

1. THE LOST ABBEY – Serpent’s Kiss Imperial Stout For The Uncommon Beer Membership thirtieth Anniversary
2. THIRD EYE BREWING COMPANY – Barrel-Aged Personal Consciousness
3. VERBOTEN BREWING AND BARREL PROJECT – Develop In Darkness

OTHER PALE BEER

1. BUBBLEHOUSE BREWING COMPANY – That Escalated Swiftly
2. FORBIDDEN ROOT – Properly Positioned – Oak Aged Saison
3. SKETCHBOOK BREWING CO. (SKOKIE IL) – Tripel G – Belgian Model Tripel

LAGERS

1. ELMHURST BREWING COMPANY – BA Elevator
2. KROS STRAIN BREWING – Barrel-Aged Czech Darkish Lager
3. SOLEMN OATH BREWERY – Foederface 

OTHER DARK BEER

1. HALF ACRE BEER CO. – Orin
2. LOOSE ENDS BREWING – NPN – Applejack Brandy Barrel Aged
3. SUN KING BREWERY – Diddy Muckle

FRUIT BEER

1. REVOLUTION BREWING – Cherry V.S.O.J.
2. SUN KING BREWERY – Soul Shakedown Get together
3. CRUZ BLANCA BREWERY – La Locura

SPECIALTY & EXPERIMENTAL BEER

1. BLACK HORIZON BREWING – From Earth To You
2. G5 BREWING COMPANY – Everlasting Burning
3. CRUZ BLANCA BREWERY – Tepache Cowboy

WILD BEER BRETT

1. OFF COLOR BREWING – Funky Beer For Tacos
2. BENCHTOP BREWING COMPANY – Child
3. BOULEVARD BREWING COMPANY – Foeder 7

WILD BEER MIXED CULTURE/ ACIDIC

1. MILIEU FERMENTATION COMPANY – SMOL.
2. IKE & OAK BREWING CO – Cutbow
3. IMPERIAL OAK BREWING BROOKFIELD – Blanc

WILD BEER MIXED CULTURE / ACIDIC + FRUIT

1. PRYES BREWING COMPANY – Idyll Forest: 2024 Soirée
2. FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING COMPANY – Primal Parts With Pink Guava And Pineapple
3. LUPULIN BREWING COMPANY – Star Harm – Calamansi & Sabro

CIDER PERRY & MEAD

1. MISBEHAVIN’ MEADS – Clint’s Apple Pie
2. MISBEHAVIN’ MEADS – Stake In The Tart
3. RIGHT BEE CIDER – Barrel-Aged Clementine

BEST OF SHOW – WINNER
HALF ACRE BEER CO. – CHICAGO, IL
Orin – Different Darkish Beer

BEST OF SHOW – RUNNER UP
BLACK HORIZON BREWING – WILLOWBROOK, IL
From Earth To You – Specialty & Experimental Beer

FAN FAVORITE
NEURONOVA BREWING – CHICAGO, IL
1 Ceres – Sturdy Porter & Stout

To be taught extra about FoBAB go to fobab.com or comply with the pageant on Fb, Twitter, and Instagram.

About The Creator

DJ

D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based mostly author that spent his youth within the Midwest. With over 25 years underneath his belt of ingesting beer at festivals throughout America and the world, he has developed a robust appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the business that surrounds it. He could be present in any of the good breweries or beer bars that make Portland the very best beer metropolis on this planet. His writing may also be discovered within the archives of Northwest Brewing Information and could be adopted on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.