Telegraph Brewing Wins Medals at 2012 GABF

Winners in the competition’s 84 different beer-style categories were announced October 13 at the 31st annual Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

Telegraph was awarded a silver medal in the Experimental Beer category for its Petit Obscura, a “small beer” that clocks in at just 3.8% alcohol by volume, and is fermented with wild Brettanomyces yeast, giving the beer a pleasant sour fruitiness and earthy aroma. The brewery was also awarded a silver medal in the Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale category for its Rhinoceros Ryewine Ale, a 10% alcohol-by-volume barleywine-style ale brewed with rye in addition to barley, which provides both a full-bodied mouthfeel and a slightly spicy flavor.

“We’re blown away,” said Brian Thompson, founder of Telegraph. “To win two medals at the GABF two years in a row reinforces for us that we are doing lots of things right.” Telegraph Head Brewer Scott Baer added, “Our entire brewing staff of three people works really hard to make great beer; it’s a fantastic feeling for all of us to have our beer recognized and honored this way.”

Telegraph Brewing, a craft brewery located on downtown Santa Barbara’s Salsipuedes Street, specializes in brewing uniquely American and Belgian-inspired beers using 100% domestic ingredients and as many local ingredients as possible. The brewery strives to reflect in its beers the unique culinary and agricultural traditions of Santa Barbara and California’s Central Coast. Telegraph sold its first beer in 2006.

The 2012 Great American Beer Festival winners were selected by an international panel of 185 expert judges from a record number of 4,338 entries received from 666 U.S. breweries. “The Great American Beer Festival is the premier beer competition for the American beer industry,” says Nancy Johnson, festival director. “Winning any medal, no matter if gold, silver or bronze, is truly an accomplishment.”

For more Great American Beer Festival competition information, including the 2012 winners list and photos, visit click here.