The bar at the SIBA National Beer Competition 2010

Fifty judges gathered in Nottingham yesterday to taste 63 beers at the SIBA National Beer Competition in Nottingham.  The winners of each category and the Supreme Champion Beer are now chosen and will be unveiled at the SIBA Annual Conference next month.

SIBA chief executive Julian Grocock said, “The National Beer Competition gets better every year. The event has become a ‘must attend’ for anyone interested in quality beers, as indicated by the fact that this year we had more people than ever wanting to judge.  Choosing the best beers from this high-quality shortlist was a challenge and the winners, when they are announced next month, should be very proud of their achievement.”

The competition was held at The Canalhouse, a Castle Rock pub. This year, for the first time, the 56 handpulls were installed by SIBA Technical Services – the dispense installation and maintenance service for SIBA members,  launched last summer.  Each finalist beer has a dedicated handpull, so that the judges are able to taste it exactly as the brewer would want.