Missed the B.C. Beer Awards? Here are some winning brews to check out

The B.C. Beer Awards were held earlier in October, and On The Coast beer columnist Rebecca Whyman says there were a lot of changes from last year.

She says the big surprise was Four Winds, coming off back-to-back Canadian Brewing Awards wins, endingthe night empty handed.

Another interesting development was how well many of B.C.'s new breweries performed, she said.

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Fieldhouse Brewing from Abbotsford, Foamer's Folly from Pitt Meadows and Faculty and Strathcona Brewing from Vancouver all won awards in their first year of business, "which I always say is the best sign that we're not over-saturated yet," Whyman told On The Coast host Stephen Quinn.

The big winner was Steamworks Brewing in Vancouver, which won best in show for its Flagship IPA.

The win has a historic element as well: Steamworks' Julia Hanlon became the first female head brewer to win that award.

Here are Whyman's picks for great beers from the awards.

Steamworks' Flagship IPA

"The Flagship IPA is a Northeast style IPA. This is a cloudy and juicy IPA like those made famous in Vermont, as opposed to the clear, pine and citrus West Coast IPAs we're used to:6.7 per cent, available at their Vancouver and Burnaby taprooms."

Strange Fellows' Reynard

"This oud bruin-style sour beer took gold in the European sour ale category. Head on over to the brewery to grab a 750 ml bottle of the second release while it lasts! This Flemish style beer has quite a sweet and sour character. It tastes like cherries very complex cherries! It should be hitting store shelves sometime this week. 6.5 per cent."

Yellow Dog Brewing's Chase My Tail

"Chase My Tail won gold in the North American pale ale category. This is a true West Coast-style pale ale with its hoppy aroma and hints of grapefruit and lemon. Easy-drinking with a crisp aftertaste. It's available at the tasting room and in four-packs of tall cans at the liquor store. 5.2 per cent."

Steel & Oak's Roggen Weizen

"It won gold in the specialty beer category. A roggen weizen is a German-style rye beer. With notes of clove and banana bread to begin, the rye and wheat malts round out the finish. You can find this seasonal offering on tap at the tasting room or in 650ml bottles at liquor stores. 5.6 per cent."

With files from CBC Radio's On The Coast