It was brilliant to see Scotland's breweries dominate the high-profile SIBAX beer awards in Sheffield a couple of weeks back.
Of the 28 golds on offer, Scottish breweries took away eight, as well as many more silvers and bronzes. Not bad if you consider that Scotland has about 120 breweries out of a UK total of towards 2,000 (although many of these didn’t enter of course).
The event was hosted by the Society of Independent Brewers, with the judging panel made up of about 80 people working in the drinks sector, from brewers and brewery owners to hoteliers, sommeliers, bar staff and journalists. The SIBAX event didn't just focus on beers, however. Thirst, a Glasgow design agency that specialises in the craft beer sector, won a gold for their stylish rebranding of Loch Ness Brewery.
It was Loch Lomond Brewery who were the runaway winners at the SIBAX event. They won three golds in total, and their stunning Southern Summit blonde beer was crowned the competition’s Champion of Champions. They also took a gold for their smooth and delicious Silkie Stout.
Losing out to Loch Lomond’s Southern Summit in the Champions’ category were The Waen Brewery’s Lemon Drizzle and Harbour’s Pale Ale, from Wales and Cornwall respectively.
The other Scottish gold winners were Fyne Ales’ Double IPA Ragnarok and their classic golden ale Jarl; Swannay Brewery’s Pale Ale; Drygate’s Bearface Lager; and Harviestoun’s hop-heavy golden ale Broken Dial.
All great beers, and all worth seeking out. A hearty congratulations to all.
Four gold-winning beers
Southern Summit (4%) by Loch Lomond Brewery
Britain’s champion beer is a classic blonde beer made with Summit and Citra hops. Southern Summit is light, zesty, dangerously easy to drink and satisfyingly refreshing. With flavours of lemon, passionfruit, mango and grapefruit, there’s also enough fruit to fulfil your five a day. Expect to see more of this as pubs and specialists race to stock it.
Lemon Drizzle (3.7%) by The Waen Brewery
Another award-winning golden beer, Lemon Drizzle took gold in SIBA’s standard bitter round. The aroma is heavy citrus, with some tangerine and grapefruit amid the dominant lemon. This is a zesty, refreshing and sessionable beer that is more lemon curd than lemon sour.
Pale Ale (6%) by Harbour Brewing Company
Taking gold in the strong bitters and pale ales round was Harbour’s own Pale Ale, a vibrant and medium-bodied beer inspired by the hop-forward beers of the US. Harbour's version has big flavours of citrus and tropical fruits on both the aroma and the taste, and finishes with a long bold bitterness.
Dark Side of the Moo (7%) by Old Dairy Brewery
This belter of an imperial porter won the overall champions' prize for bottles and canned beers. Dark Side of the Moo is big in body, flavour and bitterness. Smooth, with just enough carbonation, there are strong flavours of roasted malt, as well as some coffee and chocolate in the middle and finish; but it’s the pungent American hops that make this beer stand out, giving it deliciously fruity notes and aroma.
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