Cisk Lager wins silver in International Beer Challenge 2013

"This is yet another significant achievement for Cisk Lager, evidence of the consistency in excellent quality as well as of the unwavering commitment of Farsons and our brewers to delivering quality products. We are extremely proud of this result, the beer and its rich tradition and heritage," commented Ms Susan Weenink, Head of Marketing and Communications.

'Rewarding Quality, Celebrating Excellence' is the mission statement of the IBC. This year's Challenge was the 17^th annual event and saw a record number of entries from 33 countries, including established brewing nations such as Belgium, Germany and the US.

Judges in this year's competition included renowned writers such as Canada's Stephen Beaumont, Italy's Lorenzo Dabove and Czech beer specialist Evan Rail, as well as some of Britain's best-known beer journalists, including Tim Hampson, Melissa Cole, Pete Brown, Adrian Tierney-Jones, Des De Moor and Ben McFarland.

The judges study each beer in turn, considering the appearance, the aroma, the taste and the finish, before discussing their findings with other panel members and reaching a consensus on which medal to award. The level of knowledge and experience of the judges is striking and in around 200 cases no medal was awarded at all, which testifies to the fact that this is by no means an easy contest from which to walk away with an accolade.

Chairman of the judges and former editor of the Good Beer Guide, Mr Jeff Evans, commented "I've been chairman of the judges for 11 years and this was by far the strongest judging panel we've ever put together - indicative of the esteem in which the competition is held."

Mr Eugenio Caruana, Head of Production and Head Brewer, said, "As brewers we take great pride in the quality of our beers and this award is a tribute to those involved in the brewing of such an outstanding beer." Being part of the IBC carries a number of significant benefits as it acknowledges the skill of the brewer, and is an internationally recognised symbol of quality.

In September 2012, Farsons inaugurated a new state-of-the-art Brewhouse in Mriehel. This investment is testament to Farsons' determination to look ahead and to invest in the quality of its beers, always keeping excellence at the centre of its investment decisions.

Amongst its most significant achievements, Cisk has been awarded gold in the UK Brewex Award in 1980, a gold award and overall winner in the Australian International Beer Awards in 1995, silver in the Brewing Industry International Awards in 2005 and World's Best Standard Lager in the World Beer Awards 2007.

For more information about the IBC visit: www.internationalbeerchallenge.com.