Best beer winners at Rails & Ales

The results are in at the Rails & Ales Craft Beer Festival in Huntington WV. The Ollie Bailey Best of the Fest Beer Awards have been announced.

West Virginia brewers Mike Vance and Samantha Fox share happy faces about the results. Vance’s beer, Tequila Barrel Aged Dirty Beard Imperial Stout, was the competition winner, while Fox’s beer, Sami’s Saison, was runner-up.

At the Rails & Ales Festival, each West Virginia brewery could enter one beer in the Best of the Fest competition. The beers were then judged against their style guidelines by an experienced group of beer judges led by Jane Zalewski, who is a certified national-level beer judge.

Vance, a long-time pro brewer, originally brewed at Morgantown Brewing and is now with Abolitionist Ale Works in Charles Town, WV. It’s a business he operates with his brother Josh.

Fox is a newer West Virginia brewer and new brewery owner at Fox Hops Brewery in Elkins, which she opened just last spring.

Vance brings experience to Stouts

“Dirty Beard is my imperial stout,” Vance says. ” I go really heavy on the roasted malts and just let it age in the barrel. It really does work out, and it mellows out so nice.”

This Dirty Beard stout was fermented in stainless steel for two weeks, then aged in a tequila barrel for 6 months.

Vance says these days, he says selling straight, non-adjunct and non-flavored imperial stouts is tough. “Nobody wants it unless it is loaded with chocolate or coffee. But if it’s a regular one, nobody wants it.

“But for me, the barrel-aged, straight-up imperial stouts just on their own are wonderful. We need to stop worrying about all these variants, flavorings, and marshmallow, and such.”

However, to get people to try it, Vance says this is a beer that needs to be showcased. Well, we’re guessing that winning Best of Show is a pretty compelling showcase.

Fox crushes the Saison

With Samantha just opening her brewery back in the spring, it was wonderful to see her Sami’s Saison beer win Runner Up (2nd place) in the Best of the Fest Beer Awards at Rails & Ales 2024.

“I poured my heart and soul into this beer,” Samantha says. “And I absolutely love and adore it.”

The Saison beer style, while not a particularly popular one in the U.S. today, is one that we really enjoy. Mastering it is the sign of an accomplished brewer. Getting the right subtleties, wihout any flavor overpowering the others is not easy. Getting the fermetation temperatures right to produce the spicy flavors you want takes great care.

Fox got it done. Her Sami’s Saison is well balanced and spicy, yet light and easy to drink. It’s a good introduction to this derivitive of the farmhouse ale style.

Fox admits it’s her favorite beer to drink. “It’s kinda fruity with a little bit of fall spice and a lot of fun,” she says.

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Brilliant Stream offers its congratulations to Mike Vance and Samantha Fox for advancing the brewers art in the state of West Virginia. We’re lucky to have you. Brew Strong you two.