Hardcore IPA wins Gold at the 2010 World Beer Cup

I just got back from Chicago with a Gold medal in my suitcase. We are delighted to announce that Hardcore IPA claimed a Gold Medal in the Imperial India Pale Ale category at the 2010 World Beer Cup in Chicago on Saturday.

The Brewers Association (BA) World Beer Cup^® 2010 is a global beer competition that evaluates beers from around the world and recognizes the most outstanding beers being produced in the world today.  It is the world’s premier beer competition.

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded April 10, 2010 during the World Beer Cup Gala Awards Dinner at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers in Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.

World Beer Cup 2010 winners were selected by an international panel of 179 beer judges from 27 countries. An impressive field of 3,401 entries from 642 breweries in 44 countries made up the competition. More than 3,800 breweries in 100 countries were invited to compete.

The Imperial IPA was an awesome category to win for us as it was very hotly contested and Hardcore IPA was up against some amazing American beers. We recently announced a completely new Hardcore with 9.2% and using new yeast, malts and hops from the previous version. We are thrilled the panel of judges liked our new double dry hopped monster.

The new Hardcore is much darker and more malty than its previous incarnation. The huge beer benefits from having a more robust, encapsulating malt backbone for the ensuing avalanche of high alpha American hops. This beer is absolutely loaded with awesome hops making the theoretical IBUs all out off the charts. Our first double dry hopped beer, Hardcore has an insane aroma which hits you as soon as you open the bottle. The avalanche of Centennial, Columbus and Simcoe provide an intense rush of flavours and mercilessly hammers the hop resins into your tongue as the bitterness punishes your pallet. Our new very light filtration regime means the mouth feel and body of this beer are incredibly full. This IPA is our tribute to the awesome Imperial IPAs of American craft brewers as we try to recreate a little bit of California is snowy, cold and dark North East Scotland.

The new 9.2% Hardcore also has packaging with a petrol blue and white label.

Want to enjoy a bottle to help us celebrate? Luckily we bottled some today and it is now back in stock in our online shop. We only have a small amount so you will need to be quick to get your paws on some http://www.brewdog.com/product.php?id=32