Mark Thompson, Starr Hill Brewing Company’s master brewer and president, tells us that the Crozet brewery’s Dark Starr Stout won the Silver Medal in the Dry Irish Stout category at the 2008 World Beer Cup, held this year at the Town & Country Resort in San Diego on April 19. Considering that there were nearly 3000 entries from 646 breweries in 58 countries, that’s no small feat.

According to Thompson, the Dark Starr is a “light bodied stout that has the flavor and aroma of coffee and unsweetened chocolate.” This is the same stout that has wowed judges at the Great American Beer Festival, reports Thompson, where it won two gold, a silver, and a bronze medal.