CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain 2012

[oldboots]

just been put on-line:

Overall winners-
Gold-*Coniston, No.9 Barley Wine (from Coniston, Cumbria)
Silver-*Green Jack, Trawlerboys Best Bitter (from Lowestoft, Suffolk)
Bronze- Dark Star, American Pale Ale (from Horsham, West Sussex)
*
Mild category-
Gold- Rudgate, Ruby Mild (from York, North Yorkshire)
Silver- Hobsons, Hobsons Mild (from Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire)
Bronze- Son of Sid, Muckcart Mild (from Little Gransden, Bedfordshire)

Bitters-
Gold- Purple Moose, Snowdonia Ale (from Porthmadog, Gwynedd)
Silver- Tintagel, Castle Gold (from Tintagel, Cornwall)
Joint Bronze- Flowerpots, Bitter (from Cheriton, Hampshire)
Joint Bronze- Fuller’s, Gale’s Seafarers Ale (from London, W4)
Joint Bronze- Salopian, Shropshire Gold (from Shrewsbury, Shropshire)

Best Bitters-
Gold- Green Jack, Trawlerboys Best Bitter (from Lowestoft, Suffolk)
Silver, Salopian, Hop Twister (from Shrewsbury, Shropshire)
Joint Bronze- Oakwell, Senior Bitter (from Barnsley, South Yorkshire)
Joint Bronze- Milton, Pegasus (from Milton, Cambridgeshire)

Golden Ales-
Gold- Dark Star, American Pale Ale (from Horsham, West Sussex)
Silver- Cumbrian Legendary Ales, Langdale (from Hawkshead, Cumbria)
Bronze- Hobsons, Town Crier (from Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire)

Strong Bitters-
Gold- Dark Star, Festival (from Horsham, West Sussex)
Silver- O’Hanlon’s, Stormstay (from Whimple, Devon)
Bronze- Highland, Orkney IPA (Swannay, Orkney)

Speciality Beers-
Gold- Dunham Massey, Chocolate Cherry Mild (from Dunham Massey, Gtr Manchester)
Silver- Little Valley, Hebden’s Wheat (from Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire)
Bronze- Nethergate, Umbel Magna (from Pentlow, Essex)

Champion Winter Beer of Britain (from category winners announced in January 2012)-
Coniston, No.9 Barley Wine (from Coniston, Cumbria)
Hammerpot, Bottle Wreck Porter (from Poling, West Sussex)
Cairngorm, Black Gold (from Aviemore, Highlands)
Driftwood, Alfie’s Revenge (from St Agnes, Cornwall)
*
Champion Bottled Beer of Britain winners-
Gold- Stewart, Embra (from Loanhead, Midlothian)
Silver- Great Gable, Yewbarrow (from Egremont, Cumbria)
Bronze- Molson Coors, Worthington’s White Shield (from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire)

[Millay]

Thanks oldboots, there's some interesting ones to look out for. I reckon about half are new to me. Good to see Milton getting a mention. Worthington White Shield in the bottled category is interesting, don't see it much these days.

[Spinko]

Some of those are a joke but then again it is Camra. One of these days I'll be ending my subscription, just a shame the beer blogs don't give out Wetherspoon vouchers

[Oggwyn Trench]

Decent showing for Hobsons and Salopian

CAMRA seem to love Salopian Shropshire Gold at the moment , it always seems to be in the medals , up here in its home county we class it as an OK if slightly dull beer , maybe over familar with it

[oldboots]

Some of those are a joke but then again it is Camra.

I think you will have to elaborate there, which category & which beers in particular made you laugh?

[oldboots]

Worthington White Shield in the bottled category is interesting, don't see it much these days.

Always on sale in my local Booths supermarket

[Spinko]

I think you will have to elaborate there, which category & which beers in particular made you laugh?

Fuller’s, Gale’s Seafarers Ale.

[oldboots]

Fuller’s, Gale’s Seafarers Ale.

not as bad as the infamous Greene King IPA episode,

[Mobyduck]

Some of those are a joke but then again it is Camra. One of these days I'll be ending my subscription, just a shame the beer blogs don't give out Wetherspoon vouchers

I think you will have to elaborate there, which category & which beers in particular made you laugh?

Hammerpot Bottle Wreck Porter in the Champion Winter Beer category .Probably the best beer they do from what I consider a rather poor brewery, Its Quite thin tasting but does have a little flavour,It should however get nowhere near a list like this.

[Bucking Fastard]

Thanks for posting this up,oldboots.I dont know much about the workings of CAMRA or the process for awarding these gongs.Do you know how many ales were initially sampled before being whittled down to this awards list ? Does a brewery have to submit an ale to CAMRA for it to be part of this process,or can any CAMRA member suggest an ale which will then be judged ? Are there breweries who do not want to be part of this awards process ?

Just trying to understand how wide the net is cast.Perhaps I am just disappointed not to see any Marble,Mallinsons,Titanic,Magic Rock,Oakham,or Redemption on this awards list although very pleased to see Dark Star feature this year.Maybe it's just a matter of taste.