TOPIC:

First off, big big thanks to all those who put up with Der Awardenführer (me) and actually cast votes.

Second, thanks to all the brewers exhibiting at the 'Well: you're doing what needs to be done at very high levels of quality.

Third, the results:

Irish Craft Brewer Beer of the Year 2008 goes to:
[b:1s7cyysq]Purgatory Pale Ale, on cask[/b:1s7cyysq], from the Franciscan Well.

1st runner-up goes to:
[b:1s7cyysq]MM Imperial[/b:1s7cyysq] from Messrs Maguire.

2nd runner-up goes to:
[b:1s7cyysq]Galway Hooker Irish Pale Ale[/b:1s7cyysq]

Beer of the Festival goes to:
[b:1s7cyysq]Druid Brew[/b:1s7cyysq] from Carlow Brewing Company

Pictures of the winners covering themselves in well-deserved glory to follow.

I had to leave about 7-ish but will return today for further sampling!!! All the winners are superb beers - well done to all concerned.

Eh? Purgatory beats Hooker??? Methink me smelleth the vile odour of a home-town referee <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->

So does the winner get anything except a pat on the back <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->

[quote:2ccjrqki]Methink me smelleth the vile odour of a home-town referee[/quote:2ccjrqki]It got consistently high marks from all voters, local and non-local. My account[/url:2ccjrqki] of the gig is up on my blog.

[quote:2ccjrqki]So does the winner get anything except a pat on the back[/quote:2ccjrqki]We gave out certificates. As I said, pictures will follow when those who took them show up*.

If people want to Photobucket them or e-mail them to me I'll put them all together in the ICB Photobucket album.

Actually, I should go add my own first, shouldn't I..?

Edit: done[/url:2ccjrqki]

*[size=75:2ccjrqki]Including terrifying images of the man they call Nick the Knife.[/size:2ccjrqki]

&amp;quot;kenmc&amp;quot;:1oh6vp8v wrote: Eh? Purgatory beats Hooker??? Methink me smelleth the vile odour of a home-town referee <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->[/quote:1oh6vp8v]


Purgatory was a well deserved winner, and I don't want to take anything away from it, but Hooker, and the likes of O'Hara's, were probably a victim of their year-round availability, even if it is limited to city dwellers.
I didn't even taste Hooker when there were so many other seasonal/one-off beers to be tried. Hooker's Porter, on cask, was sampled of course, along with my now annual fix of Druid's brew. We also had MM's Best Bitter, Hilden's Silver and Molly's Chocolate Stout, and three offerings* from the Well all on cask. It's rare that one could struggle to get through all available cask beers in Ireland, so I didn't want to give up the opportunity and spend my time drinking tried and trusted beers.


*The Well had three casks, but were running them one at a time, so while I tasted the Purgatory I wasn't around for the Stout and the Stout/Red blend.