Stefano Cossi

The Judging for the International Beer Challenge 2009 is now complete. In September over 30 expert judges from the international beer industry blind tasted 300 beers and awarded bronze, silver and gold medals. Three Thornbridge beers won awards; Bracia and Kipling Gold and Saint Petersburg a Silver Medal

Yesterday at the IBC awards ceremony, at the Royal Society of Arts in London, results for the overall category winners (above Gold) were announced with Thornbridge’s Bracia awarded the overall medal for Best in Class for Speciality Beers.

Bracia, a rich, dark 9% ale that has been infused with chestnut honey, was launched earlier this year and is says Jim Harrison, Thornbridge’s MD, “a beer that exemplifies the innovation, passion and Knowledge approach to brewing beer that Thornbridge strives to achieve”.

 The beer was developed by Head Brewer Stefano Cossi after some initial historical research. Bracia is the Celtic name for a beverage brewed in Iron Age Europe with reference found on a Roman inscription at Haddon Hall, Derbyshire. Little is known about this except that it was high in alcohol, brewed with cereals and, most probably, honey.  It was the use of honey that seems to have triggered Stefano’s inspiration as he explains “I thought Chestnut Honey would make an ideal ingredient for a rich, dark beer where its complex flavours would subtly blend with the roasted and toasted notes of specialty malts”. Bracia uses a generous amount of dark and bitter Chestnut Honey that was sourced by Stefano from Beekeeper Onelia Pin in the Alpine foothills of North East Italy.

Bracia’s careful use of  Malts (Maris Otter, Brown, Munich, Dark Crystal, Black, Chocolate, Peated), Roasted Barley, Hops (Target, Pioneer, Hallertau Northern Brewer and Sorachi Ace) produce a truly unique beer. Its aromas are of chestnut honey, cappuccino, white chocolate, dark fruits and vibrant fresh peel. The mouthfeel is velvety and rich, with notes of coffee, chocolate, liquorice and hazelnuts with warming alcohol, cocoa and a little peat in the finish.