Despite being still in the second year of operation, Lord Chambray, the artisanal brewery in Xewkija, Gozo, has received two bronze medals in the International Beer Challenge 2015, held in the United Kingdom, one for Blue Lagoon and the other for Fungus Rock, a stout launched just five months ago.
Blue Lagoon competed in the Wheat Beers section and was among 11 such beers to receive a bronze medal in this year’s IBC; with four receiving a gold medal and eight receiving a silver medal. Fungus Rock, entered in the section Stouts & Porters, was among 21 such beers to receive a bronze medal; with three receiving a gold medal and 11 receiving a silver medal.

More than 630 beers from 30 countries entered the 19th annual edition of this competition, which was judged by UK beer experts, including retailers, importers, publicans, brewers, writers and flavour analysts, as well as highly experienced judges from continental Europe, to give a comprehensive spread of tasting experience.

Brews were entered from such far-flung places as Cambodia, Brazil, South Africa and Japan. Each was tasted blind by the expert panel, which considered their appearance, aroma, taste and finish, before discussing their findings with other table members and reaching a consensus on which medal to award.
The level of knowledge and experience of the judges was striking and, for a beer to achieve any kind of medal from such exacting critics is a real achievement. The judges awarded 48 gold medals, 122 silvers and 210 bronzes in all categories.

The chairman of judges for the IBC, Jeff Evans, said: “There has never been a better time to be a beer drinker. This has been a bumper year for the IBC. Not only have the number of beers entered rocketed, so has the standard of the entries. All our medal winners deserve recognition and success.”
Samuele D’Imperio, Managing Director of Lord Chambray Ltd, expressed surprise but deep joy and satisfaction that a stout from Gozo, that was only launched last March, has been recognised internationally for its exceptional quality.

“Right from the start of this exciting family project, we had great faith in taking a top quality approach to all aspects of the Lord Chambray business. It is a credit to all the members of our team, notably our Master Brewer Andrea Bertola, the significant investment we made in high quality equipment and the continuing sourcing of the best raw materials from around the world.”

All around the world the craft beer phenomenon – small, local breweries producing distinctive tasting beers – has seen exponential growth. People are always looking for quality beers that taste unique, going back to the principles of brewing the traditional way, bringing back flavours that have been lost over the years. They want beers that are more natural and less processed.

Craft breweries were also more inclined to experiment, listening to what clients want and receiving valuable feedback through social media channels. Thanks also to the talent of enthusiastic brewers, they are producing seasonal brews that combine flavours in new and interesting ways, focusing on ingredients and aromas that evoke that time of the year.

Another part of this phenomenon is the increased willingness of people to try out new brews and comment online about their favourites, recommending them to their friends. This ability of craft brewers to interact directly with their clients has obvious benefits since passionate beer drinkers are a ready-made audience to pass on the message to their friends.

For a full list of outlets in Malta and Gozo where Lord Chambray beers are on sale visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter @Lord_Chambray.