Farsons Blue Label Amber Ale, brewed by Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, has been awarded a bronze medal in the English-Style Bitter category in this year’s European Beer Star Awards, held at the Doemens Academy in Gräfelfing, Germany on the 11th and 12th October.

A world-renowned competition, the European Beer Star Awards have been organised by the association Private Brauereien since 2004. It has since become one of the most important beer competitions in the world.

European Beer Star Awards prizes are awarded to high-quality beers, which are genuine and full of character. Considered one of the most challenging worldwide, the competition awards authentic, distinctive beers of an impressive taste and quality.

This year’s competition saw 2,344 registered entries (9% more than 2017) from 51 countries across all continents. A 144-strong jury consisting of master brewers, beer sommeliers and proven beer connoisseurs from 32 countries judged entrants based on criteria reflecting what all consumers value in a good beer: appearance, foam, smell, taste and varietal characteristics. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for 65 different categories of beer, ranging from Strong Smoke Beer and Beer with Alternative Cereals to Specialty Honey Beer and Herb and Spice Beer.

Commenting on this prestigious award, Mr Louis A. Farrugia, Chairman of the Farsons Group, said, “This award comes as no surprise to Blue Label aficionados. The European Beer Star is one of the most coveted trophies in the international brewing world and is an amazing recognition of the Farsons Brewery’s commitment to the art of brewing, using only the best raw ingredients. It is a true accolade for our brewing team, ably headed by our head brewer, Eugenio Caruana.”

Mr Eugenio Caruana, Head Brewer and Chief Operations Officer at Simonds Farsons Cisk, said, “Winning any award in this tough competition is no easy feat. We are ecstatic with this latest addition to the list of international awards for Blue Label Amber Ale – it is testament to our brewing team who work very hard to ensure quality and consistency in all our beers.”

“We are proud to note that Blue Label holds its ground among these specialty and craft categories and humbly acknowledge the respect shown to Farsons Brewery and Blue Label during the award presentation,” added Mr Farrugia.

Mr Oliver Dawid, Managing Director of Private Brauereien, explains that the “goal of the competition is to demonstrate the diversity of flavours in craft-brewed beers. The European Beer Star Awards have long been a showcase for the best beers in the world and its reach is constantly growing."

Farsons Blue Label Amber Ale is a dark brown, top-fermented ale, hopped and mixed with a special type of mild malt which gives this richly coloured ale a unique, surprisingly smooth and mild taste, with distinctive chocolate and caramel notes. The draught version is a smooth and creamy nitro version, also available in 44cl cans. Blue Label is brewed, marketed and distributed by Simonds Farsons Cisk plc and is available in bottles, cans and on draught across Malta and Gozo.