Latest info up on the Black Hops Reserves Page Here.
With COVID-19 keeping us bunkered down at home, we’re putting the call out for willing conscripts to join the ranks of the Black Hops Brewing Reserves.
Those that enlist will form part of an elite home brewing battalion, where you’ll be equipped with all the ingredients to make your own, authentic Black Hops beer and submit it for judging by a group of high ranking officials.
Those that proceed through the brewing ranks have the opportunity to be awarded the prestigious honour of Champion Medal Winner for each of our Core Range styles and aim for the ultimate accolade of the Black Hops Reserves Grand Champion.
Your Brew At Home mission, if you choose to accept it..
We are looking for the best versions of our core range beers, brewed by you, our loyal Reserves. We will be releasing a recipe every month for the next 6 months for each of our core range beers: Pale Ale, Hornet, Super Hornet, Lay Day, Send It, Mid Range.
You can make the all grain recipe yourself or if you are local, we will be releasing Fresh Wort Kits with the beer brewed at Black Hops, together with all necessary ingredients to brew that month’s core range beer at your home barracks.
Once your brewing arsenal is stocked and you’ve followed our recipe and brewed your monthly Black Hops beer-bomb, send us a bottle to be judged by the Black Hops Tasting Panel. Be sure to consume the rest of your beer prior to its detonation date (responsibly). Hornet is first up..
Brew At Home Mission 1: Hornet IPA
Your first Brew At Home Mission is to make your own version of Black Hops Hornet IPA. You can find the recipe and ingredients list here.
For local recruits looking for Fresh Wort Kits for their Hornet ingredients, you can find the product here.
To be eligible for judging by the Tasting Panel, you will need to send us a bottle of your Brew At Home Hornet by no later than 29 May 2020.
The Tasting Panel will be assessing how closely each entry aligns with the Hornet True To Brand Guidelines:
- Appearance: light golden in colour with slight yeast haze and white foam.
- Aroma: medium to high tropical fruit hop and low caramel malt aromas.
- Flavour: low to medium sweet malt flavour with medium hop bitterness.
- Mouthfeel: light body with a dry finish, medium carbonation and a subtle alcohol warmth.
Black Hops Brewing Reserves Monthly Judging Process
The beers that are submitted for each month’s judging will be awarded either Gold, Silver, Bronze or no medal (honorary mention), based on the Black Hops true to brand guidelines.
A monthly Zoom Call-to-arms will then take place, where all gold medal winners, as well as an overall Champion Medal Winner for the monthly beer style, will be announced.
All Gold Medal winners will be awarded a special Black Hops Reserve gold pin. Eager Reservists are encouraged to go hard and try to collect pins for all six of the core range beers.
The overall Champion Medal Winner will be awarded the following honour:
- a one-off champion medal for that beer.
- 20% off that core range beer at the Black Hops taprooms or website for 12 months.
- automatic entry into the end of year Grand Champion Brew-Off.
The Grand Champion Brew-Off
At the conclusion of the monthly brew-offs, all Champion Medal Winners will report for the Grand Champion Brew-Off.
Contestants will be assigned a top-secret brewing mission. Upon completion of the final judging process, the title of Black Hops Reserves Grand Champion will be announced.
The Grand Champion will be awarded the prestigious Black Hops Reserves Champion Coin, entitling them to 20% off any Black Hops beers for 12 months and bragging rights at our first Black Hops Reserves AGM.
Black Hops Reserves AGM
The Black Hops Reserves AGM is an exclusive event for all of those Black Hops Brewing Reserves who’ve submitted a beer for judging. The ceremony will consist of:
- a group brew day
- education sessions
- beer drinking (our shout)
- the crowning ceremony for the overall Black Hops Reserves Grand Champion of 2020.
Any Questions?
All entrants will be supported via the Black Hops Ambassador group on Facebook and can ask questions as they go.
Join The Reserves
Enter your details here to join the Black Hops Brewing Reserves.
