North Brewing Co and Wolf Brewery beers named best in the UK

By Nikkie Sutton

- Last updated on GMT

Award winners: North Brewing Co, Tring Brewery and Wolf Brewery took top gongs home
Award winners: North Brewing Co, Tring Brewery and Wolf Brewery took top gongs home
Wolf Brewery and North Brewing Co won Overall Champion Gold in the Cask and Keg Awards at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Beer Awards 2018.

Hertfordshire-based Tring Brewery was named the best bottled or canned at the awards, which were held in Liverpool at SIBA’s BeerX event last night (15 March).

The Champion Cask beer was Sirius Dog Star from Wolf and was described as being a “uniquely flavoured red ale. Lightly hopped with American Galena and Cluster hops, a smooth beer with a soft, fruity finish”.

Transmission from Leeds-based North Brewing Co took home the top gong in the Craft Keg competition and the brew was hailed as “hugely drinkable with a light body and dry finish”.

In the bottle and can category (known as ‘Small Pack’), it was Death or Glory from Tring Brewery – a “rich, sweet barley wine with a heady, alcoholic nose and incredibly complex flavour profile”.

Making great beer

North Brewing Co director John Gyngell said: “This award means so much to the whole team, who have been hustling hard and constantly growing the business and making great beer.

“This beer started life as a trial brew before our brewer Seb Brink even joined us full time. He’s still constantly improving it and, now with this beer, we think we have nailed that combination of drinkability and a modern, full flavour.”

Georgina Edwards from Wolf Brewery outlined the hard work that goes into the brews and how  important the win was.

She said: “A lot of blood sweat and tears go into that beer so it means a huge amount to win.

“It means the world to the family. We were aiming for a smooth, dark, session beer that is accessible but with a huge flavour – something, I think, we achieved.”

Tough competiton

Sam Reed from Tring Brewery said: “One of our original founders was a royal lancer and this beer is his creation. It has proved so popular, we have been brewing it ever since!

“It is a great barley wine and it is nice to know that we are doing the right things after all these years of brewing it.”

SIBA chairman and Brecon Brewing brewer Buster Grant congratulated the winners on their achievement.

He said: “Making it to the finals is an achievement in itself, winning your style category is something to be even more proud of, and then going on to be named the Overall Champion Gold against such tough competition really is something truly special.

"These are the three best beers from independent craft brewers across cask, keg, bottle and can – beers that I would encourage both beer drinkers and publicans across the UK to seek out while they still can because demand for these beers is surely about to go through the roof!”

The full winners list:

Overall Cask Champions (sponsored by Close Brothers Brewery Rentals)

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Wolf Brewery

 Sirius Dog Star

4.4

Silver

 Oakham Ales

 Green Devil IPA

6.0

Bronze

 Bedlam Brewery Ltd

 Porter

5.0

 
Cask Champion Standard Mild Ales & Brown Ales (sponsored by Murphy & Sons)

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Wolf Brewery

Sirius Dog Star

4.4

Silver

 Langham Brewery

Triple XXX

4.4

Bronze

 Jaw Brew

Fathom

4.0

Cask Champion Standard Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Close Brothers Brewery)

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Wye Valley Brewery

 The Hopfather

3.9

Silver

 Purity Brewing Company

 Bunny Hop

3.5

Bronze

 Lacons Brewery

 Encore

3.8

Cask Champion Best Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Napthens)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Grain Brewery

Redwood

4.3

Silver

 Brew York Ltd

Keras

4.1

Bronze

 Ludlow Brewing Company

Blonde

4.0

 
Premium Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Thomas Fawcett & Sons)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Hooded Ram Brewing Company

 Liberty East Coast Pale

4.8

Silver

 Dark Star Brewing Co Ltd

 American Pale Ale

4.7

Bronze

 The Backyard Brewhouse

 Gold

4.5

Cask Champion Strong Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Charles Faram & Co)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Oakham Ales

Green Devil IPA

6.0

Silver

 Rooster's Brewery Ltd

Baby-Faced Assassin

6.1

Bronze

 Cairngorm Brewery

Wildcat

5.1

Cask Champion Premium Strong Beers (sponsored by Crisp Malting Group)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Big Smoke Brew Co

 The Judge DIPA

8.5

Silver

 The Loose Cannon Brewing Co 

 Double IPA

7.5

Bronze

 Brecon Brewing

 Mind Bleach

10.0

Cask Champion Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales (sponsored by SPAsoft)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Bedlam Brewery Ltd

Porter

5.0

Silver

 Northern Monkey Brew Co

Underdog

6.0

Bronze

 Windswept Brewing Co

Wolf

6.0

Cask Champion Speciality Light Beers (sponsored by Ranking Brothers & Sons)

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Dancing Duck

 Wot the Duck? Duck a l'orange

6.4

Silver

 Loch Lomond Brewery

 Out of Range

5.9

Bronze

 Green Jack Brewing Co

 Orange Wheat

4.2

Cask Champion Speciality Mid to Dark Beers (sponsored by Pentair Food & Beverage Solutions

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Orkney Brewery

Dark Island Reserve

10.0

Silver

 Blue Monkey Brewery

Guerrilla Chocolate Amaretto

4.9

Bronze

 Mantle Brewery

Dark Heart

5.2

Champion Small Pack Beers (sponsored by Croxsons)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Tring Brewery

 Death or Glory Ale

7.2

Silver

 Gun Brewery

 Imperial Whisky Stout

7.4

Bronze

 Wily Fox Brewery

 Karma Citra

4.3

Small Pack Champion Standard Mild Ales & Brown Ales

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Wolf Brewery

Sirius Dog Star

4.4

Silver

 Brampton Brewery

Impy Dark

4.3

Bronze

 Inner Bay Brewery

Jasper

3.9

Small Pack Champion Standard Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Norriq)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Wily Fox Brewery

 Karma Citra

4.3

Silver

 Loch Lomond Brewery

 Southern Summit

4.0

Bronze

 Ashover Brewery

 Littlemoor Citra

4.1

Small Pack Champion Premium Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Vigo)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Thornbridge Brewery

AM:PM

4.5

Silver

 Tring Brewery

Pale Four

4.6

Bronze

 Rooster's Brewery

Twenty-Four Seven (24/7)

4.7

Small Pack Champion Strong Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Russell Scanlan)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Windsor and Eton

 Uprising's Treason

5.8

Silver

 Maxim Brewery

 Maximus

6.0

Bronze

 Loch Lomond Brewery

 Bravehop Amber

6.0

Small Pack Champion Premium Strong Beers (sponsored by Beatson Clark)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Tring Brewery

Death or Glory Ale

7.2

Silver

 Knops Beer Company

Black Cork

6.5

Bronze

 Geipel Brewing

Zoiglator Bock

6.7

Small Pack Champion Standard Lager & Pilsners (sponsored by Vale Labels)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Stewart Brewing

 Franz

4.0

Silver

 Charnwood Brewery

 Liska

4.0

Bronze

 The Norfolk Brewhouse

 DewHopper lager

4.0

Small Pack Champion Premium Lager & Pilsners (sponsored by Saxon Packaging)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Calvors Brewery

Premium Pilsner

5.0

Silver

 Harviestoun

Schiehallion

4.8

Bronze

 Whitstable Brewery Co 

Whitstable Pilsner

4.9

Small Pack Champion Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales (sponsored by Zoedale)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Black Sheep Brewery

 Glug M'Glug

6.2

Silver

 Loch Lomond Brewery

 Silkie Stout

5.0

Bronze

 Ashover Brewery

 Milk Stout

6.0

Small Pack Champion Speciality Light Beers (sponsored by Anton Paar)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Flack Manor Brewery Ltd

Romsey Gold

4.5

Silver

 Salopian Brewery

Lemon Dream

4.5

Bronze

 Lymestone Brewery

Cherry Stone

5.2

Small Pack Champion Speciality Mid to Dark Beers (sponsored by Cask Brewing Systems)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Gun Brewery

 Imperial Whisky Stout

7.4

Silver

 Windswept Brewing Co

 Bear

10.5

Bronze

 Purple Moose Brewery 

 Chocolate Moose

4.5

Champion Keg Beers (sponsored by Kegstar)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 North Brewing 

 Transmission

6.9

Silver

 Neckstamper Brewing

 Elbow Crooker Session IPA

4.0

Bronze

 Orkney Brewery

 Dragonhead

4.0

Keg Champion Standard Mild Ales & Brown Ales (sponsored Keg Logistics UK)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Orkney Brewery

 Dragonhead

4.0

Silver

 

 

 

Bronze

 

 

 

Keg Champion Standard Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Premier Systems)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Neckstamper Brewing

 Elbow Crooker Session IPA

4.0

Silver

 Brass Castle Brewery

 Misfit 

4.3

Bronze

 Bewdley Brewery

 Worcestershire Way

3.6

Keg Champion Premium Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Close Brothers Brewery Rentals)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

Ilkley Brewery

 Alpha Beta

4.5

Silver

Gloucester Brewery

 Session IPA

4.5

Bronze

Harviestoun Brewery

 Broken Dial

4.5

Keg Champion Strong Bitters & Pale Ales (sponsored by Muntons)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Gloucester Brewery 

 American Pale Ale 

6.4

Silver

 Arundel Brewery

 Uptown New England IPA

6.2

Bronze

 Quantock Brewery 

 Titanium 

5.1

Keg Champion Premium Strong Beers (sponsored by Brewers Select)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 North Brewing Co

 Transmission

6.9

Silver

 Grain Brewery

 Lignum Vitae

6.5

Bronze

 Sambrooks Brewery

 Russian Imperial Stout

10.4

Keg Champion Standard Lager & Pilsners (sponsored by Kegstar)

 
 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Geipel Brewing 

 Aloha from Bala

4.4

Silver

 Adnams 

 Dry Hopped lager  

4.2

Bronze

 Whitstable Brewery Co 

 Kentish Lager 

4.1

Keg Champion Premium Lager & Pilsners (sponsored by Festival Glass)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Otter Brewery

 Tarka

4.8

Silver

 Knops Beer Company

 Cold Fury

5.2

Bronze

 Hogs Back Brewery

 Hogstar

4.5

Keg Champion Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales (sponsored by Schafer Container Systems)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 Greyhound Brewery

 Rainbow Eyes

5.2

Silver

 Grain Brewery

 Slate

6.0

Bronze

 Cheddar Ales Ltd

 Velvet Bottom

4.7

Keg Champion Speciality Light Beers (sponsored by Brewfitt)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

Windsor and Eton Brewery

 Uprising's White Riot

5.3

Silver

Merchant City Brewing

 American Pale Ale

4.7

Bronze

Barngates Brewery

 Weiss

4.8

Keg Champion Speciality Mid to Dark Beers (sponsored by Rastal GmbH & Co)

 

 

Brewery

Product

ABV

Gold

 RedWillow 

 Restless

8.5

Silver

 Elephant School Brewing Co

 Mallowphant

4.8

Bronze

 Purity Brewing Company

 Saddle Black 

5.8

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