St Austell and Moor Beer Co beers named best in the South West in SIBA’s Independent Beer Awards
SIBA’s South West Independent Beer Awards 2016,
Tuckers Maltings Beer Festival 14th April 2016
SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers, has today announced the South West region’s best beers following last night’s intensive judging at the SIBA South West Independent Beer Awards 2016. The competition took place at the Tuckers Maltings Beer Festival, Newton Abbot, which runs from the 14th to the 16th April 2016.
St Austell’s (Cornwall) Big Job, an American style double IPA with big citrus fruit flavours, took home Overall Champion Gold in the Cask competition and Moor Beer Co’s (Bristol) Old Freddie Walker, a rich, strong ale, took home Overall Champion Gold in the small pack (bottled and canned) competition following intensive judging by beer experts and brewers – making these seen by many as the “brewers’ choice” awards.
SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers, represent over 850 independent craft brewers across the UK producing over 5,000 craft-brewed beers in cask, craft keg, bottle and can.
Guy Sheppard, SIBA Chairman, commented on the impressive range of beers judged in the competition,
“The standard of entries this year was incredibly high and the judges had a very difficult job in picking the winners of the categories and the overall Champions. These brewers’ choice awards represent the very best in independent craft beer in the South West and I would like to personally congratulate all the winners and particularly St Austell and Moor who took home the overall Champion Gold Awards.”
The Competition is the first of the 2016 round of Regional Competitions and winners from each category will go forward to compete against the winners of the other regions at the National finals in March 2017.
Mervyn Westaway, Trade Quality Brewer at St Austell, accepted the award and had this to say,
“This is a huge award and we are very proud to win. This is down to the amount of effort everybody at the brewhouse puts in to make Big Job special – it’s a big, punchy beer, with loads of American hops and is something we’re very proud of.”
Justin Hawke, Head Brewer at Moor Beer Co commented on their win for Old Freddie Walker,
“We’re thrilled to win this award with Old Freddie, it’s a classic, iconic beer that we are very proud of and which remains hugely popular with drinkers – and keeps winning awards!”
Tuckers Maltings Beer festival, organised by SIBA and now in its 24th year, will be showcasing more than 270 beers from across the South West, with thousands of beer-lovers expected to attend. Last year’s event saw 24,000 pints of drunk across the three-day festival and attracted 5,500 visitors.
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If you are a member of the Press and would like to attend the festival or report on the awards (or if you have other press enquiries) please email neil.walker@siba.co.uk or call 07493 883 273
Full Winners List – Cask
(‘Small pack’ aka bottled and canned beer winners listed after cask)
Overall Champions of the Cask Competition
Gold – Big Job by St Austell
Silver – Rale Head by Quantock Brewery
Bronze – Blackheads Mild by Driftwood Spars Brewery
Best Bitters & Pale Ales (4-4.4% abv)
Sponsored by Charles Faram
Gold – Summathis by Branscombe Vale
Silver – Lushingtons by Skinner’s Brewery Co Ltd
Bronze – Hart of Gold by Forge Brewery
Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales (4.5- 6.4% abv)
Sponsored by ABUK
Gold – Totnes Stout by New Lion Brewery
Silver – Daggers Black by Three Daggers Brewery
Bronze – Port Stout by Hanlons Brewery
Premium Bitters & Pale Ales (4.5- 4.9% abv)
Sponsored by Murphy & Son Ltd
Gold – Porthleven by Skinner’s Brewery Co Ltd
Silver – Old Higby by Great Western Brewery
Bronze – Independence by Bristol Beer Company
Premium Strong Beers (6% abv and over)
Sponsored by East West Ales
Gold – Big Job by St Austell Brewery
Silver – Harbinger by Branscombe Vale Brewery
Bronze – Exmoor Beast by Exmoor Ales
Speciality Beers
Sponsored by SPA- Soft Ltd
Gold – Chocolate Slug by RCH Brewery
Silver – Devonshire 10 DER by Country Life Brewery
Bronze – Tinge of Ginge by Arkells Brewery Ltd
Standard Bitters & Pale Ales (up to 3.9%)
Sponsored by Hallamshire Brewery Services
Gold – Rale Head by Quantock Brewery
Silver – Citra by Isca Ales Ltd
Bronze – Dartmoor Best by Dartmoor Brewery Ltd
Standard Mild & Brown Ales (upto 4.4%)
Sponsored by Flying Firkin
Gold – Blackheads Mild by Driftwood Spars Brewery
Silver – Moat Mild by Castle Brewery
Bronze – Merry Maidens Mild by Coastal Brewery
Strong Bitter & Pale Ales (5-5.9% abv)
Sponsored by AVS Wines & Beers
Gold – Gaucho by Twisted Brewing Co
Silver – Corbel by Eight Arch Brewing Co
Bronze – Danish Dynamite by Stonehenge Ales Ltd
Full Winners List – ‘Smallpack’ (Bottle and Can)
Overall Champions of the Small Pack Competition
Gold – Old Freddy Walker by Moor Beer Company
Silver – Nightjar by Quantock Brewery
Bronze – Mexi-cocoa by Rebel Brewing Co.
Small Pack Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales (4.5-6.4% abv)
Gold – Milk Stout by Bristol Beer Factory
Silver – Porter by Tavy Ales
Bronze – Daggers Black by Three Daggers Brewery
Small Pack Premium Bitters & Pale Ales (4.5-4.9% abv)
Sponsored by Warminster Maltings Co
Gold – Liberation IPA by Liberation Brewery
Silver – Moonlight by Arkells Brewery
Bronze – Ramsbury Gold by Ramsbury Brewing & Distilling Co
Small Pack Premium Lager & Pilsners (4.5-5.9%)
Sponsored by Beatson Clark Ltd
Gold – Korev by St Austell Brewery
Silver – Edison Czech Style Lager – Electric Bear Brewing Co
Bronze – Styrian Wolf by Cerne Abbas Brewery
Small Pack Premium Strong Beers (6.0% abv and over)
Sponsored by Jigsaw Bag in Box Ltd
Gold – Old Freddy Walker by Moor Beer Co
Silver – Ultra by Dawkins Ales
Bronze – Mighty Chi by Glastonbury Ales
Small Pack Speciality Beers
Sponsored by Vale Labels Ltd
Gold – Mexi-Cocoa by Rebel Brewing Co
Silver – Elderflower IPA Slow Beer by Red Rock Brewery
Bronze – Bees Organic by Arkells Brewery Ltd
Small Pack Standard Bitters & Pale Ales (up to 4.4% abv)
Sponsored by Muntons PLC
Gold – Nightjar by Quantock Brewery
Silver – Martyrs’ Relief by Piddle Brewery
Bronze – Raven Black Tor Brewery Ltd
Small Pack Standard Lager & Pilsners (up to 4.4% abv)
Gold – Pilsner by Red Rock Brewery Ltd
Small Pack Standard Mild & Brown Ales (up to 4.4% abv)
Sponsored by Crisp Malting Group
Gold – Stormstay by Hanlons Brewery
Silver – Pheasant Plucker by Hunters Brewery Ltd
Bronze – Black Rock by Noss Beer Works
Small Pack Strong Bitters & Pale Ales (5.0-5.9% abv)
Sponsored by Charles Faram & Co
Gold – Padstow May Day by Padstow Brewing Co
Silver – Dartmoor Gold by Dartmoor Brewery Ltd
Bronze – Wild Hare by Bath Ales Ltd
