BREAKING: Diebolt Awarded Bronze Medal for Vladislav Imperial Aged Stout

The World Beer Cup is often called the “Olympics of Beer” for independent craft brewers. It is an international affair and is the largest beer competition in the world. And guess who just won a bronze medal in the Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Stout category? Little ol’ us, that’s who. You know we don’t like to brag but…wait, yes we do. Out of over 202 competitors in that category, Diebolt’s Vladislav Imperial Aged Stout was selected to third place by the judge panel. 

A Little History About the World Beer Cup

The World Beer Cup was started in 1996 by a man called Charlie Papazian, founder and president of the National Brewers Association from 1979 to 2016. A passionate brewer himself, he is also the founder of the Great American Beer Festival, which takes place in Denver every year in the early Fall. More cool points: Papazian can count Jeff Lebesch among his proteges (that’s the New Belgium guy). 

Beer Cup Stats

Just to make sure you are adequately impressed by our bronze medal award from the 2023 World Beer Cup, here’s a few stats to drive the point home:

• The 2023 WBC had 10,213 entries from 2,376 breweries from 51 countries. 
• The judge panel was comprised of 272 judges representing 26 countries. 
• Judging takes place over nine days over eighteen sessions. 
• The World Beer Cup has 176 subcategories, each of which awards a gold, silver, and bronze medal.
• The countries with the most entries were the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Australia.
• Colorado alone took home a whopping 24 medals. 

Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Stout Guidelines

As the bronze medal winner of this category for the 2023 World Beer Cup, we feel it is our duty to educate the masses about what makes a superior wood and barrel aged stout. As the name suggests, this type of beer hangs out for a bit in contact with some kind of wood or in a barrel. The goal is not necessarily to impart the flavor of the wood, but rather the nuances of whatever liquid was previously in that barrel. For example, some brewers like to age their stouts in old whiskey, tequila, or cognac barrels. 

The rest is up to the brewer. Wood and barrel aged stouts can have varying degrees of malt flavor, alcohol content, hops aromas, bitterness, etc. At Diebolt, our bronze medal award winning Vladislav Imperial Aged Stout is aged for 7 months in a blend of Laws Rye and Laws Bourbon Barrels. Toasted oak, dark fruit, and espresso finish with the titillating notes of chocolate and a twist of port wine. (That’s right, we said “titillating.” We read it in books.)

Our Valdislav has had several packaging iterations over the years, but the recipe itself has never changed. We do have a vanilla variation, coconut, coconut and coffee, and a dreamy Bengal Berry with notes of raspberry and warming Indian spices. Berries in a stout, you say? WE DO WHAT WE WANT, and we win awards, so…

Wanna Try An Award Winning Stout?

By now, you should be itching to taste our bronze medal award winning Vladislav Imperial Aged Stout. Drop in to our brewery on Mariposa to pick up a case or enjoy one on tap on our awesome patio. Remember, it’s award-winning, so you’ll want to stop by while supplies last. Just kidding, we’ll pretty much always have it. But still, why wait to try the third best barrel aged stout in the entire world? See you soon.