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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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