Cask lager and New England IPAs voted the best beers in the UK by expert judges

March 18, 2022| Neil Walker | SIBA National

Harviestoun’s Schiehallion Cask Lager and Red Willow’s Perceptionless IPA have taken home Overall Champion Gold in the Cask and Keg Awards at the SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2022, with Lakes Brew Co being named the best bottled or canned beer with their NE Session IPA – making their three beers officially the best in the UK.

Judged by brewers and industry experts and organised by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) at their flagship BeerX UK event in Liverpool, the awards run across a huge range of beer style categories in cask, craft keg, bottle and can.

The Overall Champion Cask beer is Harviestoun’s Schiehallion, a cask lager that impressed judges with a clean flavour and superb aromatics. In the keg beer competition Red Willow’s Perceptionless, a hazy ‘New England’ style American IPA, which took home the Overall Gold. Tom Lewis, Red Willow Brewer and Cellar Manager was on hand to accept the award.

“We’re genuinely humbled to win against what are always an amazing group of breweries and a really tough competition. We think this is one of our most consistent beers, with great flavour, mouthfeel and balance which makes it super drinkable – we’re really proud of it and glad judges agreed!”

In the bottle and can competition it was Lakes Brew Co’s NE Session IPA that was judged to be the best in the UK, described by judges as being ‘hazy, hoppy and tropical!’, it won the Overall Champion Gold Award in the Bottle and Can Awards. Matt Clarke, Lakes Brew Co Founder and Head Brewer, accepted the award;

“We have only been brewing 8 months so to win this award is just amazing, it’s such a new beer for us – in fact we’ve only brewed it 3 times! It feels great to be recognised in this way and I’m glad the judges enjoyed the beer. It’s got a soft mouthfeel and some great tropical aromas, but we keep the bitterness balanced which just keeps you drinking it.”

The SIBA Independent Beer Awards at BeerX UK are the trade association’s National finals and in order to earn a place at the competition brewers must first win at their regional competition – making these overall Champions very much the ‘best of the best’ when it comes to British independent craft beer.

SIBA Competitions Chair Neil Walker, congratulated the winners on their huge achievement:

“The 2022 awards were possibly our most important ever, being the first National beer competition back in BeerX for two years. A huge, huge well done to all of the winners as to earn a place on this list is to be named the very best of the best in the UK. Particular praise of course needs to go to Harviestoun, Red Willow and Lakes Brew Co – who were named our overall Gold Champions – three truly outstanding beers which you should be incredibly proud of.”

Sponsored by Close Brothers Brewery Rentals		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Harviestoun Brewery	Schiehallion	4.8
	Silver	Navigation Brewery	American	5.2
	Bronze	Revolutions Brewing Co.	Swoon – Chocolate Fudge Milk Stout	4.5

Sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Sons		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Metalhead Brewery	Best Mate	4.2
	Silver	Littleover Brewery	The Panther Stout	4.2
	Bronze	Cairngorm Brewery Company	black gold	4.4

Sponsored by Murphy & Son Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Blackedge Brewing Co Ltd	Oatmeal Chocolate Stout	6.4
	Silver	Dancing Duck Brewery	Dark Drake	4.5
	Bronze	Leeds Brewery	Midnight Bell	4.8

Sponsored by Thomas Fawcett & Sons Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Fyne Ales	Hurricane Jack	4.4
	Silver	Blackedge Brewing Co Ltd	West Coast	4.1
	Bronze	Rebellion Beer Co. Ltd	Overthrow	4.3

Sponsored by Charles Faram & Co Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Harrogate Brewing Company	Harrogate Best	4.5
	Silver	Five Kingdoms Brewery	Wee McAsh Bitter	4.5
	Bronze	Blackedge Brewing Co Ltd	Kiwi	5

Sponsored by Premier Systems Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Dancing Duck Brewery	DCUK	4.3
	Silver	Hawkshead Brewery	Windemere Pale	3.5
	Bronze	Metalhead Brewery	Pretty Vacant	3.8

Sponsored by Willis Publicity Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Revolutions Brewing Co.	Swoon – Chocolate Fudge Milk Stout	4.5
	Silver	Blue Monkey Brewery	Guerrilla Chocolate Amaretto	4.9
	Bronze	Hophurst Brewery Ltd	Irish Cream Porteresque	5.5

Sponsored by Cottage Delight		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Lakes Brew Co	NE Session IPA	4.7
	Silver	Weetwood Ales	Oregon Pale	4.3
	Bronze	Twice Brewed Brew House	Coria	4.6

Sponsored by Moorgate Finance		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Pennine Brewing	Black forest	4
	Silver	Brimstage Brewery	Oystercatcher Stout	4.4
	Bronze	Gun Brewery Limited	Parabellum Milk Stout	4.1

Sponsored by Corosys Beverage Technology		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Castle Rock Brewery	Oatmeal Stout	4.6
	Silver	Windswept Brewing Co Ltd	Wolf	6
	Bronze	Turpin’s Brewery Cambridge	Cambridge Black Stout	4.6

Sponsored by Vigo Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Birmingham Brewing Company	Sober Brummie	0.5
	Silver	Saltaire Brewery	Northern Light	0.5
	Bronze	Nethergate Brewery	Venture Point 5	0.5

Sponsored by Norriq		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	RedWillow Brewery	Perceptionless	6.6
	Silver	Mad Squirrel	Roadkill	6.5
	Bronze	Dog Falls Brewing Co	Split the Tree	7.2

Sponsored by Beatson Clark Plc		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	SaltRock Brewing Company Limited	Red Wagon	4.7
	Silver	Elgood and Sons Ltd	Warrior	5.5
	Bronze	Elusive Brewing Ltd	Level Up (Level 25: Centennial and Citra)	5

Sponsored by Framax UK Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Hand Brew Co	Shaka	4
	Silver	Dog Falls Brewing Co	Colloidoscope	4.3
	Bronze	Eight Arch Brewing Co.	Square Logic	4.2

Sponsored by William Croxson & Son Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Lakes Brew Co	NE Session IPA	4.7
	Silver	Alter Ego Brewing Co Ltd	Force Field	4.5
	Bronze	Hop Kettle Brewery	Cosmic Shake	4.4

Sponsored by Beer Box Shop		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Quantock Brewery	Unclear Progression	6.3
	Silver	Salopian Brewing Co Limited	New Danger	6.1
	Bronze	4T’s Brewhouse Ltd	Tripwire	5.5

Sponsored by Crisp Malting Group		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Clavell & Hind	C&H Cotswold Pilsner	4
	Silver	Brewsters Brewing Co Ltd	Helles Lager	4
	Bronze	Rebellion Beer Co. Ltd.	Rebellion Lager	4.4

Sponsored by Saxon Packaging Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Duration Brewing Ltd	Doses	5.1
	Silver	Cheddar Ales Ltd	Continental Drift	5
	Bronze	Pheasantry Brewery	Pheasantry Pilsner Lager	5

Sponsored by Vale Labels Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	The Wild Beer Co Ltd	Ninkasi	9
	Silver	Hophurst Brewery Ltd	Milkshake IPA	6
	Bronze	Lincoln Green Brewing Company Limited	Gin and Beer It	5

Sponsored by Clearmark Solutions Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Briarbank Brewing Company	Mocha Porter	4.5
	Silver	Alter Ego Brewing Co Ltd	S’more Fire	5.2
	Bronze	Exale brewing	Deep Dark Oyster, Black pepper & seaweed stout	8.6

Sponsored by Anton Paar Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Loch Lomond Brewery	Pretty in Pink	10
	Silver	Thornbridge Brewery	Mothers Ruin	7
	Bronze	Rooster’s Brewing Co.	Wild Wild Life	7.4

Sponsored by Core Equipment Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Twice Brewed Brew House	Coria	4.6
	Silver	Duration Brewing Ltd	Harvest Bier	5.5
	Bronze	The Park Brewery	Schone Eiche	5

Cask lager and New England IPAs voted the best beers in the UK by expert judges

Author: Neil Walker

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Sponsored by Kegstar		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	RedWillow Brewery	Perceptionless	6.6
	Silver	Gloucester Brewery	Craft Lager	4.5
	Bronze	The Gipsy Hill Brewing Co	Squashed – Blueberry & Cranberry	6.5

Sponsored by IGC Engineering Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Acorn Brewery	Old Moor Porter	4.4
	Silver	Bewdley Brewery	Severnside Stout	4.3
	Bronze	Anspach & Hobday	London Black	4.4

Sponsored by Bulk Storage & Process Systems		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Hophurst Brewery Ltd	Cosmati	4.2
	Silver	Lacons Brewery	Encore	3.8
	Bronze	Hollow Stone Brewing Co	Kazumura	3.4

Sponsored by Willis Publicity		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	The Cambridge Brew House	Rye Aye Man	4.5
	Silver	Windswept Brewing Co.	APA	5
	Bronze	Goddards Brewery	Fuggle Dee Dum	4.8

Sponsored by Muntons		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Hophurst Brewery Ltd	APA	5.2
	Silver	Hop Kettle Brewery	Cosmic Shake	4.4
	Bronze	Rooster’s Brewing Co.	Thousand Yard Stare	5.4

Sponsored by LemonTop		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Full Circle Brew Co	Looper IPA	6.4
	Silver	The Gipsy Hill Brewing Co	Rabble	5.6
	Bronze	King Street Brew House	White Trash	5.8

Sponsored by Brewers Select		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Adnams	Dry Hopped Lager	4.2
	Silver	Cellar Head Brewing Company	Cold Call	4.3
	Bronze	Bewdley Brewery	Laxford Lager	4.2

Sponsored by Hypro EU Ltd		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Dog Falls Brewing Co	Awaroa	6.8
	Silver	Wild Weather Ales Ltd	John Peel	5.5
	Bronze	Liverpool Brewing Co	Tropical	4.2

Sponsored by Lallemand UK		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	The Gipsy Hill Brewing Co	Squashed – Blueberry & Cranberry	6.5
	Silver	Twice Brewed Brew House	Feria	6
	Bronze	Elgoods Brewery	Coolship Fruit	5

Sponsored by Breww		Brewery	Product	ABV
	Gold	Loose Cannon Brewery	Reunion Tripel	8.5
	Silver	Padstow Brewing Co	Cold Desert	8.5
	Bronze	Orkney Brewery	Skull Splitter	8.5