“Raspberry Wheat” & “Oxford Dark Blue” named best independent craft beers in the Midlands
Raspberry Wheat Beer by Milestone Brewery and Oxford Dark Blue by White Horse Brewery have taken home the two top spots at the SIBA Midlands Independent Beer Awards 2019, winning overall Gold in “Cask” and “Bottle & Can” at the prestigious awards.
The “Brewers’ Choice” awards, run by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and hosted by the Peterborough CAMRA Beer Festival, are judged by brewers and beer experts looking for the very best independent craft beers from the region.
Milestone Brewery’s Raspberry Wheat Beer is brewed with heaps of fresh British raspberries, which give the beer a rose-gold appearance and a light floral, fruity aroma. The beer proved a huge hit with judges and took home the overall Gold in the cask competition. Accepting the award for Milestone was brewer Gary Gooch,
“It means absolutely everything to win this award! We have been going for 16 years but we’ve never won big with this one despite it being a beer we are hugely proud of – so it’s amazing to take home the overall Gold! We think it’s a great beer and hugely seasonal as we use real fresh British raspberries, which we puree by hand before adding to the beer. They give the finished beer a rose-gold appearance and beautiful flavour and aroma.”
White Horse Brewery’s Oxford Dark Blue, which nods to Oxford University’s colours, is a dark British bitter with aromas of chocolate and coffee, and a fruity full-bodied flavour. The classic British ale scored extremely well with judges and took the overall Gold in the Bottle & Can competition, collecting the award was MD Anneli Baxter,
“This award is all down to the brewers, the hard work from our brewery team who all contribute into making our beers taste the best they can. We’re delighted to win. It’s a beer that is traditional but it’s full of flavour, with loads of chocolate and coffee, which just leaves you wanting more.”
SIBA’s Chief Executive James Calder presented the breweries with their top awards and had this to say on the quality of entries at this year’s awards
“The winning beers really are the best of the best from the SIBA Midlands region and will now go on to fight it out with the best beers from across the UK at our National Finals in Liverpool next year. I’d like to congratulate all of the winners, particularly our overall Gold Champions Milestone and White Horse, and also thank all of the brewers who help out in the running of the competition. It’s a competition run by brewers, for brewers, and the whole operation was this year better than ever.”
The competition took place immediately before the opening of the Peterborough CAMRA Beer Festival 2019, which continues through to the weekend. For more information on one of the UK’s biggest and best beer festivals, visit https://pborobeerfest.camra.org.uk or follow the event on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PeterboroughBeerFestival.
SIBA Midlands Independent Beer Awards 2019 – Full Winners
DATE OF JUDGING: 20thAugust
Overall Champion of the Cask Competition
| Sponsored by Murphy & Sons Ltd | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | Milestone Brewery | Raspberry Wheat Beer | 5.6 | |
| Silver | Lincoln Green Brewery | tuck | 4.7 | |
| Bronze | Grafton Brewery | CARAMEL STOUT | 4.8 |
Cask British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Milestone Brewery | Lock Prop & Barrel | 4 | |
| Silver | Nottingham Brewery ltd | Rock Mild | 3.8 | |
| Bronze | The Loose Cannon Brewing Company | Abingdon Bridge | 4.1 |
Cask British Dark Beers (4.5 to 6.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Lincoln Green Brewery | tuck | 4.7 | |
| Silver | The Backyard Brewhouse | 1898 | 4.9 | |
| Bronze | Derby Brewing Company | Dashingly Dark | 4.8 |
CaskBritish Bitters (up to 4.4%)
| Sponsored by Charles Faram & Co Ltd | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | Purity Brewing Company | Pure Gold | 3.8 | |
| Silver | The Backyard Brewhouse | The Hoard | 3.9 | |
| Bronze | Brampton Brewery | Brampton Best | 4.2 |
Cask Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%)
| Sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Sons | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | The Backyard Brewhouse | Gold | 4.5 | |
| Silver | The Grainstore Brewery Limited | Ten Fifty | 5 | |
| Bronze | Towcester Mill Brewery Ltd | Saxon Shield | 4.7 |
Cask Session IPA (up to 4.3%)
| Sponsored by Rastal GmbH & Co KG | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | Blue Monkey Brewery | Marmoset | 3.6 | |
| Silver | The Loose Cannon Brewing Company | Session IPA | 4.1 | |
| Bronze | Church Farm Brewery | Session IPA | 3.8 |
Cask Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)
| Sponsored by Crisp Malt | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | Magpie Brewery | Pow Pow | 4.6 | |
| Silver | Purity Brewing Company | Longhorn IPA | 5 | |
| Bronze | Shipstones Beer Company | Hollow Stone Waitomo | 4.5 |
Cask IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)
| Sponsored by CFB Boilers | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | Blue Monkey Brewery | Infinity Plus 1 | 5.6 | |
| Silver | Navigation Brewery | Saviour | 5.5 | |
| Bronze | Shipstones Beer Company | India Pale Ale | 5.5 |
Cask Speciality Light Beers
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Milestone Brewery | Raspberry Wheat Beer | 5.6 | |
| Silver | Grafton Brewery | apricot jungle | 4.8 | |
| Bronze | Titanic Brewery | Raspberry Wheat | 4.7 |
Cask Speciality Mid to Dark Beers
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Grafton Brewery | CARAMEL STOUT | 4.8 | |
| Silver | Old Sawley Brewing Co | Plummeth The Hour | 4.5 | |
| Bronze | Blue Monkey Brewery | Guerrilla Plum Stout | 4.9 |
Cask Strong Beers 6.5% and over
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | The Grainstore Brewery Limited | Nip | 7.3 | |
| Silver | Navigation Brewery | Chocolate Coconut Stout | 7 | |
| Bronze | Kinver Brewery | Over the Edge | 7.5 |
Champion Bottle & Can Beers
| Sponsored by Beer Box Shop | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | White Horse Brewery | Oxford Dark Blue | 4.3 | |
| Silver | Purity Brewing Company | Pure Helles | 5 | |
| Bronze | Titanic Brewery | Plum porter | 4.9 |
Bottle & Can British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | White Horse Brewery | Oxford Dark Blue | 4.3 | |
| Silver | Brampton Brewery | Impy Dark | 4.3 | |
| Bronze | Great Oakley Brewery | Welland Valley Mild | 3.6 |
Bottle & Can British Dark Beers (4.5 to 6.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Weal Ales Brewery | Centwealial Milk Stout | 4.9 | |
| Silver | Loddon Brewery | Hocus Pocus | 5 | |
| Bronze | Dancing Duck Brewery | Dark Drake | 4.5 |
Bottle & Can British Bitters (up to 4.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Dancing Duck Brewery | 22 | 4.3 | |
| Silver | Derby Brewing Company | Business As usual | 4.4 | |
| Bronze | Slater’s Ales | Premium | 4.4 |
Bottle & Can Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Tunnel Brewery | Ravenstone | 5 | |
| Silver | Brampton Brewery | Wasp Nest | 5 | |
| Bronze | Peak Ales Ltd. | Flat Cap | 4.5 |
Bottle & Can Session IPA (up to 4.3%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Slater’s Ales | 1 Hop | 4 | |
| Silver | Brewhouse and Kitchen Lichfield | Tricky Spires | 4 | |
| Bronze | Purity Brewing Company | Bunny Hop | 3.5 |
Bottle & Can Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)
| Sponsored by Beatson Clark | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | Rebellion Beer Company | 24 Carat | 5 | |
| Silver | Brampton Brewery | Tudor Rose | 4.6 | |
| Bronze | Slater’s Ales | Haka | 5.2 |
Bottle & Can IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Brampton Brewery | Speciale | 5.8 | |
| Silver | Loddon Brewery | Forbury Lion IPA | 5.5 | |
| Bronze | Dancing Duck Brewery | Abduction | 5.5 |
Bottle & Can Imperial IPA (6.5% and over)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Intrepid Brewing Co | Pecsaetan IPA | 6.5 |
Bottle & Can Session Lager & Pilsners
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Rebellion Beer Company | Lager | 4.4 | |
| Silver | Derby Brewing Company | Python Pilsner | 4.2 | |
| Bronze | Charnwood Brewery | Liska | 4 |
Bottle/Can Premium Lager & Pilsners
| Sponsored by Saxon Packaging | Brewery | Product | ABV | |
| Gold | Purity Brewing Company | Pure Helles | 5 | |
| Silver | Milestone Brewery | Helles Lager | 4.7 | |
| Bronze | The Loose Cannon Brewing Company | Oxford PILS | 5 |
Bottle & Can Speciality Light Beers
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Rebellion Beer Company | White | 5 | |
| Silver | Peak Ales Ltd. | Chatsworth Gold | 4.6 | |
| Bronze | Dhillon’s Brewery | brigth eyes | 3.8 |
Bottle & Can Speciality Mid to Dark Beers
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Titanic Brewery | Plum porter | 4.9 |
Bottle & Can Sours/Spontaneous
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Castle Rock Brewery | Sourlero | 4 |
Bottle & Can Strong Beers 6.5% and over
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Brampton Brewery | Menin Gate | 7.4 |
