Champion Beers of Britain 2011

[oldboots]

Complete List of winners announced today at the GBBF

:notworthy:MILD:notworthy: wins again:

Overall winners
Champion Beer of Britain - Mighty Oak, Oscar Wilde Mild (3.7% ABV, Maldon, Essex)
Second - Marble, Chocolate (5.5% ABV, Manchester, Gtr Manchester)
Third - Salopian, Shropshire Gold (3.8%ABV, Shrewsbury, Shropshire)

Mild category
Gold- Mighty Oak, Oscar Wilde (3.7% ABV, Maldon, Essex)
Silver- Rudgate, Ruby Mild (4.4% ABV, York, North Yorkshire)
Bronze- Coastal, Merry Maidens (4% ABV, Redruth, Cornwall)

Bitter category
Gold- Salopian, Shropshire Gold (3.8%ABV, Shrewsbury, Shropshire)
Silver- Teignworthy, Reel Ale (4% ABV, Newton Abbot, Devon)
Joint Bronze- Triple fff, Alton's Pride (3.8% ABV, Alton, Hampshire)
Joint Bronze- Potton, Shannon IPA (3.6% ABV, Potton, Bedfordshire)

Best Bitter category
Gold- Houston, Peter's Well (4.2% ABV, Houston, Renfrewshire)
Silver- Country Life, Golden Pig (4.7% ABV, Bideford, Devon)
Joint Bronze- Castle Rock, Preservation (4.4% ABV, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire)
Joint Bronze- Bollington, Best Bitter (4.2% ABV, Bollington, Cheshire)
Joint Bronze- Blythe, Staffie (4.4% ABV, Rugeley, Staffordshire)

Golden Ale category
Gold- Cumbrian Legendary Ales, Loweswater Gold (4.3% ABV, Hawkshead, Cumbria)
Silver- Salamander, Golden Salamander (4.5% ABV, Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Bronze- Holden's, Golden Glow (4.4% ABV, Dudley, West Midlands)

Strong Bitter category
Gold- Moles, Mole Catcher (5% ABV, Melksham, Wiltshire)
Silver- Kinver, Half Centurion (5% ABV, Kinver, Staffordshire)
Bronze- Adnams Broadside (4.7% ABV, Southwold, Suffolk)

Speciality Beer category
Gold- Oakleaf, I Can't Believe It's Not Bitter (4.9% ABV, Gosport, Hampshire)
Silver- Amber, Chocolate Orange Stout (4% ABV, Ripley, Derbyshire)
Bronze- Orkney, Atlas Wayfarer (4.4% ABV, Stromness, Orkney)

Winter Beer of Britain winner (announced in January 2011)
Dow Bridge, Praetorian Porter (5% ABV, Catthorpe, Leicestershire)
Holden's, Old Ale (7.2% ABV, Dudley, West Midlands)
Hop Back, Entire Stout (4.5% ABV, Downton, Wiltshire)
Marble, Chocolate (5.5% ABV, Manchester, Gtr Manchester)

Bottled Beer of Britain winners (sponsored by Hotel du Vin)
Gold- St Austell, Proper Job (5.5% ABV, St Austell, Cornwall)
Joint Silver- Molson Coors, Worthington White Shield (5.6% ABV, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire)
Joint Silver- Brown Cow, Captain Oates Dark Oat Mild (4.5% ABV, Selby, North Yorkshire)

Standby for the usual moans about the North/South divide :D

[Spinko]

What a hilarious list. No Brewdog, Thornbridge, Ossett, Oakham, Mallinson's, Summer Wine?

[Brewguru]

What a hilarious list. No Brewdog, Thornbridge, Ossett, Oakham, Mallinson's, Summer Wine?

I agree, apart from Brewdog , and would add several other breweries to that list.

There does appear to be a certain conservatism about several of the award winning beers, not necessarily the Gold but some of the lower placed awards.
There are 3 South West beers in the list and I wouldn't place them in the top 3 in the South West, let alone nationwide. Can't really comment about other beers that are out of area as I do not come across them very often.

Compare these results with SIBA competitions where beers are judged by brewers and landlords in the main with other industry figures (as well as a smattering of camra members). With SIBA you will see more of the type of breweries listed above. Also every beer in the country has a chance to be entered, whereas Camra relies on random beer festival winners and (probably even more random) branch suggestions. Shame really.

[oldboots]

The Pub Curmudgeon has a survey here (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V8SQ8Y5) on what people think are the best and worse three cask beers in the UK, that could be an interesting result.

[Wittenden]

Without delving into the depths of SIBA or CAMRA, how can you objectively judge a champion beer of the UK?

[Spinko]

The Pub Curmudgeon has a survey here (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V8SQ8Y5) on what people think are the best and worse three cask beers in the UK, that could be an interesting result.

Why exclude certain dispense methods of beer? ;)

[hondo]

"IT’S made in a tiny Gosport brewery with just seven staff – but a lager that is brewed like a bitter has been crowned the top speciality beer in Britain"

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/we_re_not_bitter_we_brew_the_best_beer_in_britain_ 1_2928347

[oldboots]

"IT’S made in a tiny Gosport brewery with just seven staff – but a lager that is brewed like a bitter has been crowned the top speciality beer in Britain"

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/we_re_not_bitter_we_brew_the_best_beer_in_britain_ 1_2928347

Not sure I understand why someone involved in a small brewery doesn't understand the definition of Real Ale or indeed the meaning of the word "beer" ;

‘It really did feel amazing, particularly because it was a lager rather than a beer because CAMRA is traditionally about real ales.’

presumably it's a misquote of some sort. I'll resist the obvious comment about "lager" and beer.