Royal Adelaide triple for Dark Ale
Primary Industries
Smiling Samoyed’s Dark Ale has won the top prize at the Royal Adelaide Beer, Cider & Spirits Awards for the third time in five years.
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Presented last night at the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival, Smiling Samoyed’s Dark Ale has been named the Most Outstanding Beer in Show beating dozens of brewers from around Australia and New Zealand for the title.
Described as a celebration of the darker malts, husband and wife team Simon Dunstone and Kate Henning add six different specialty malts to their 4.3 per cent ABV Dark Ale to produce a blend of roasted, nutty, dark chocolate and coffee flavours.
The Myponga-based brewery’s Dark Ale also won the Champion Other Ale with its Dark Ale.
The victory follows Royal Adelaide Beer, Cider & Spirits Awards best in show trophies for the Dark Ale in 2015 and 2016.
The couple – Henning a former lawyer and Dunstone a software engineer – moved to Myponga and opened Smiling Samoyed on the same premises as previous breweries in November 2012 and have gradually increased production.
The bar inside the brewery, which offers tastings, meals and take away beer every day provides a significant portion of the brewery’s turnover.
Smiling Samoyed, about 60km south of Adelaide, is one of several craft breweries on the Fleurieu Peninsula with other local brewers including Forktree Brewing, Swell Brewing, Shifty Lizard and Goodieson Brewery, which won Champion Stout at the Royal Adelaide Beer, Cider & Spirits Awards.
This year’s awards included spirits for the first time in recognition of South Australia’s booming craft distilling industry.
The inaugural Champion Spirit of Show trophy was awarded to local distiller Never Never Distilling Co’s Triple Juniper Gin. The Thebarton-based business also won Champion Gin, while Fleurieu Distillery took home Champion Whisky and Champion Small Batch for their Fountain of Youth Single Malt Whisky.
Beer, Cider and Spirit Committee Chair Simon Fahey said the Awards, run by the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of South Australia, recognised the importance of Australia’s ever-growing brewing and distilling industries.
“This year’s awards attracted 387 entries from 83 breweries and distilleries of all sizes from across Australia and New Zealand, with all entries judged blind by an expert industry panel,” he said.
Renmark’s Woolshed Brewery was one of several South Australian breweries to dominate the Awards, taking home three trophies, including Champion Reduced Alcohol Beer for their River Time Session Pale, Champion Hybrid Beer for their Firehouse Coffee Stout, and Champion Small Brewery.
Prancing Pony Brewery’s Indie Kid Pilsener took home Champion Pilsener, Best New Exhibit and Champion South Australian Beer Exhibit. Prancing Pony were also named Champion Medium Brewery.
Port Adelaide’s Pirate Life took home Champion American Style Pale Ale and Champion India Pale Ale as well as Champion Large Brewery.
In the Cider class Harcourt Perry & Cider Makers won Best Cider in Show for their Harcourt Apple Cider, while Kangaroo Island Ciders’ Colony Cove Draught Cider was named Most Outstanding South Australian Cider/Perry exhibit.
Members of the public can sample the award-winning beers and ciders at the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival, on at the Adelaide Showground this weekend.
2019 ROYAL AUSTRALIAN SPIRIT AWARDS WINNERS
THE MASTER CASK TROPHY for CHAMPION WHISKY sponsored by Master Cask
Fleurieu Distillery – Fountain of Youth Single Malt Whisky
THE MULTI COLOUR AUSTRALIA TROPHY for CHAMPION GIN sponsored by Multi Colour Australia
Never Never Distilling Co. – Triple Juniper Gin
THE APOTHECARY TROPHY for CHAMPION VODKA sponsored by Apothecary
White Light Beverages – White Light Vodka, Original
THE SA COOPERAGE TROPHY for CHAMPION RUM sponsored by SA Cooperage
Mt. Uncle Distillery – FNQ Rum Co. Iridium Gold Rum
THE SHOW SOCIETY FOUNDATION TROPHY CHAMPION BRANDY sponsored by the Show Society Foundation
St Agnes Distillery – St Agnes XO
THE TAFE SA TROPHY for CHAMPION OTHER SPIRIT sponsored by TAFE SA – Primary Industries Animal & Laboratory Sciences
Adelaide Hills Distillery – Bitter Orange Aperitif
THE ST AGNES DISTILLERY TROPHY for CHAMPION SMALL BATCH sponsored by St Agnes Distillery
Fleurieu Distillery – Fountain of Youth Single Malt Whisky
THE TARAC TECHNOLOGIES TROPHY for CHAMPION SPIRIT OF SHOW sponsored by Tarac Technologies
Never Never Distilling Co. – Triple Juniper Gin
2019 ROYAL ADELAIDE BEER AND CIDER AWARD WINNERS
THE CCL LABEL MEDALLION for CHAMPION REDUCED ALCOHOL BEER sponsored by CCL Label
Woolshed Brewery – River Time Session Pale
THE CELLARBRATIONS MEDALLION for CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN STYLE LAGER sponsored by Independent Brands Australia
Boag and Son Brewing – James Boag’s Premium Lager
THE CELLARBRATIONS MEDALLION for CHAMPION PILSENER sponsored by Independent Brands Australia
Prancing Pony Brewery – Indie Kid Pilsener
THE CCL LABEL MEDALLION for CHAMPION OTHER LAGER sponsored by CCL Label
TafeSA – Pink Pig Lager
THE CRYERMALT MEDALLION for CHAMPION TRADITIONAL / AUSTRALASIAN STYLE PALE ALE sponsored by Cryermalt Australia
Loophole Brewing Co – Quick Hare Cape Ale
THE ANDALE MEDALLION for CHAMPION AMERICAN STYLE PALE ALE sponsored by Andale
Pirate Life Brewing – Pale Ale
THE CRYERMALT MEDALLION for CHAMPION INDIA PALE ALE sponsored by Cryermalt Australia
Pirate Life Brewing – IPA
THE ECOLAB MEDALLION for CHAMPION OTHER ALE sponsored by Ecolab
Smiling Samoyed Brewery – Dark Ale
THE ANDALE MEDALLION for CHAMPION STOUT BEER sponsored by Andale
Goodieson Brewery – Coffee Stout
THE AIR LIQUIDE MEDALLION for CHAMPION HYBRID BEER sponsored by Air Liquide
Woolshed Brewery – Firehouse Coffee Stout
THE SIMON FAHEY PRIZE for BEST NEW EXHIBIT sponsored by Simon Fahey
Prancing Pony Brewery – Indie Kid Pilsener
THE CCL LABEL TROPHY for BEST CIDER IN SHOW sponsored by CCL Label
Harcourt Perry & Cider Makers – Harcourt Apple Cider
THE ASHTON VALLEY FRESH TROPHY for BEST PERRY IN SHOW sponsored by Ashton Valley Fresh
The Hills Cider Company – Hills Cider Pear
THE BINTANI AUSTRALIA TROPHY for CHAMPION SMALL BREWERY (less than 2,000 hltr per annum) sponsored by Bintani Australia
Woolshed Brewery
THE FASSINA LIQUOR TROPHY for CHAMPION MEDIUM BREWERY (2,001 hltr – 11,000 hltrs per annum) sponsored by Fassina Liquor
Prancing Pony Brewery
THE CELLARBRATIONS TROPHY for CHAMPION LARGE BREWERY (greater than 11,000 hltrs per annum) sponsored by Independent Brands Australia
Pirate Life Brewing
THE KINGS HEAD HOTEL TROPHY for CHAMPION SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BEER EXHIBIT sponsored by Kings Head Hotel
Prancing Pony Brewery – Indie Kid Pilsener
THE WINEQUIP TROPHY for MOST OUTSTANDING SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CIDER/PERRY EXHIBIT sponsored by Winequip Adelaide
Kangaroo Island Ciders – Colony Cove Draught Cider
THE ORORA GROUP TROPHY for MOST OUTSTANDING BEER IN SHOW sponsored by Orora Group
Smiling Samoyed Brewery – Dark Ale
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