Cabin Fever Beer Fest announces winners

The 2019 Cabin Fever Craft Beer Festival announced the winners of its Commercial Beer Competition. The judging took place last Friday just ahead of the Saturday festival in Morgantown.

Out of about 75 entries from 16 attending breweries, winning beers were selected in four categories, and a Best of Show beer was also named. The judging team included individuals recognized under the national Beer Judge Certification Program.

Big Timber Brewing’s Porter was selected as Best of Show. It seems an appropriate beer to win the title since the craft beer world is in the midst of celebrating #FlagshipFebruary. Big Timber also won two other awards for their beer.

Additionally, festival attendees could vote for their favorite brewery and cidery/meadery pouring product at the festival. For the second year in a row, Preston County’s Screech Owl Brewing took home the People’s Choice Award for breweries. Swilled Dog Hard Ciders won for Ciders/Meads.

As West Virginia’s premier winter beer festival, Cabin Fever always puts on a good show. Around 1,000 people attended to sample West Virginia beers, ciders, and meads from 20 producers.

Cabin Fever Beer Fest Winners

Lagers and Ales
Winner: Logger Lager, Big Timber Brewing
Runner Up: Argonaut Lager, Short Story Brewing

Pale Ales and IPAs
Winner: Multiple Hopgasms Imperial IPA, Stumptown Ales
Runner Up: Hoarfrost IPA, Big Timber Brewing
Honorable Mention: Palooka Pale Ale, Parkersburg Brewing

Dark Beers
Winner: Cell Block 304 Brown Ale, Parkersburg Brewing
Runner Up: Over the Tip Top Breakfast Stout, Stumptown Ales
Honorable Mention: Enniskillen Dry Stout, Weathered Ground Brewery

Specialty Beers
Winner: Mojoe Coffee Milk Stout, Parkersburg Brewing
Runner Up: Zona’s Revenge Witbier, Greenbrier Valley Brewing

Best of Show
Big Timber Porter

People’s Choice Brewery: Screech Owl Brewing
People’s Choice Cider/Mead: Swilled Dog Hard Ciders

The Specialty Beers category was a very broad catch-all category this year, as is evidenced by beers as diverse as a Belgian Wit-style and a Flavored Stout receiving notice in it.

Parkersburg Brewing shared the honor of taking home the most awards with Big Timber. Parkersburg had two Winners and one Honorable Mention. Its winning Cell Block 304 American-style Brown Ale is the same beer that took a gold medal at last year’s World Beer Cup — a West Virginia first.

Here is a link to the list of beers, ciders, and meads poured at the Cabin Fever Beer Festival this year. Special thanks to Richard Dalton for providing use of his photos.