‘Love is Noise’ by Hophurst Brewery named best beer in the North West at the SIBA Independent Beer Awards

October 22, 2021| Neil Walker | North West

Stuart Hophurst of Hophurst brewery accepting his Award

Hophurst Brewery have taken home the Overall Champion Cask Beer Award at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) North West Independent Beer Awards 2021, which took place at the Bolton Beer Festival.

Their Gold-winning beer ‘Love is Noise’ was brewed to celebrate the brewery’s 7^th Birthday this month and is the first time the brewery have produced a ‘DIPA’ or ‘Double IPA’ – the hugely aromatic and flavoursome beer coming in at a punchy 8% abv. 

The Overall Silver award winner was another American style beer, ‘West Coast’ by Blackedge Brewing, and it was Hawkshead Brewery’s ‘Windermere Pale’ that completed the trio and took the Overall Bronze award.

The awards took place ahead of the Bolton Beer Festival at the University of Bolton Stadium, which continues today and over the weekend. The SIBA Independent Beer Awards are run by and for brewers and are judged by fellow brewers from elsewhere in the UK, as well other representatives from the industry and expert beer judges – making these the much coveted ‘brewers’ choice’ awards in the North West. 

Accepting the top cask beer award for Hophurst was Head Brewer and founder Stuart Hurst,

“To win with our first ever double IPA is just amazing, especially as we came so close last time around when we won the Silver with our Porter. This was a very special beer to celebrate our 7^th birthday and we wanted something big, fruity and with great body. The beer is chock full of hops and we use loads of simcoe, mosaic, citra, equanot and a brand new ‘Cryo Pop’ hop which we’ve used for the first time. I’m delighted it’s proved a hit.”

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) represents independent craft brewers across the UK, and all the winners of the North West Independent Beer Awards will now go on to the National Finals at the BeerX UK event in Liverpool, March 2022. Hosting the awards on behalf of SIBA was Neil Walker, Chair of SIBA’s Competitions Committee.

“There were some really excellent beers in this competition and brewers should be very proud of taking home these hard-fought awards. The judges had a very tough job separating the pack and I’d like to say a personal well done to all of the category winners and of course our overall Gold winners Hophurst – what a beer!” 

Bolton Beer Festival at the University of Bolton Stadium continues today and over the weekend, where all of the award-winning beers below will be on sale.

SIBA North West Independent Beer Awards 2021 – Full Winners List

DATE   OF JUDGING & ANNOUNCEMENT           21^st October 

Overall Champion of the Cask Competition

Cask British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)

Cask British Dark Beers (4.5 to 6.4%)

Cask British Bitters (up to 4.4%)

Cask Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%)

Cask Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Cask Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

Cask IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

Cask Speciality Light Beers

Cask Speciality Mid to Dark Beers

Cask Strong Beers 6.5% and over

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