South West winners of SIBA Independent Beer Awards announced

Cornwall brewery St Austell and Bristol's Moor Beer Co were big winners at the SIBA South West Independent Beer Awards 2016, which took place at Tuckers Maltings beer festival yesterday (14 April).

St Austell's Big Job - an American-style Double IPA - won the Overall Champion Gold in the Cask competition and Moor's Old Freddie Walker - a strong ale - took the Overall Champion Gold in the small pack (bottled and canned)

SIBA Chairman, Guy Sheppard, said: “The standard of entries this year was incredibly high and the judges had a very difficult job in picking the winners of the categories and the overall Champions.

"These brewers’ choice awards represent the very best in independent craft beer in the South West and I would like to personally congratulate all the winners and particularly St Austell and Moor who took home the overall Champion Gold Awards.”

The competition is the first regional round of 2016 and winners from each category go forward to compete against winners of other regions at the national finals in March 2017.

Mervyn Westaway, trade quality brewer at St Austell, said: “This is down to the amount of effort everybody at the brewhouse puts in to make Big Job special - it’s a big, punchy beer, with loads of American hops and is something we’re very proud of.”

Justin Hawke, head brewer at Moor Beer Co said: “We’re thrilled to win this award with Old Freddie, it’s a classic, iconic beer that we are very proud of and which remains hugely popular with drinkers - and keeps winning awards!”

Full Winners List:

Cask

Overall Champions of the Cask Competition

Gold - Big Job by St Austell

Silver - Rale Head by Quantock Brewery 

Bronze - Blackheads Mild by Driftwood Spars Brewery 

Best Bitters & Pale Ales (4-4.4% abv)

Sponsored by Charles Faram

Gold - Summathis by Branscombe Vale

Silver - Lushingtons by Skinner’s Brewery Co Ltd

Bronze - Hart of Gold by Forge Brewery

Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales (4.5- 6.4% abv)

Sponsored by ABUK

Gold - Totnes Stout by New Lion Brewery 

Silver - Daggers Black by Three Daggers Brewery

Bronze - Port Stout by Hanlons Brewery

Premium Bitters & Pale Ales (4.5- 4.9% abv)

Sponsored by Murphy & Son Ltd

Gold - Porthleven by Skinner’s Brewery Co Ltd

Silver - Old Higby by Great Western Brewery

Bronze - Independence by Bristol Beer Company

Premium Strong Beers (6% abv and over)

Sponsored by East West Ales

Gold - Big Job by St Austell Brewery 

Silver - Harbinger by Branscombe Vale Brewery 

Bronze - Exmoor Beast by Exmoor Ales

Speciality Beers

Sponsored by SPA- Soft Ltd

Gold - Chocolate Slug by RCH Brewery

Silver - Devonshire 10 DER by Country Life Brewery

Bronze - Tinge of Ginge by Arkells Brewery Ltd

Standard Bitters & Pale Ales (up to 3.9%)

Sponsored by Hallamshire Brewery Services 

Gold - Rale Head by Quantock Brewery

Silver - Citra by Isca Ales Ltd

Bronze - Dartmoor Best by Dartmoor Brewery Ltd

Standard Mild & Brown Ales (upto 4.4%)

Sponsored by Flying Firkin

Gold - Blackheads Mild by Driftwood Spars Brewery

Silver - Moat Mild by Castle Brewery

Bronze - Merry Maidens Mild by Coastal Brewery 

Strong Bitter & Pale Ales (5-5.9% abv)

Sponsored by AVS Wines & Beers

Gold - Gaucho by Twisted Brewing Co

Silver - Corbel by Eight Arch Brewing Co

Bronze - Danish Dynamite by Stonehenge Ales Ltd

‘Smallpack’ (Bottle and Can)

Overall Champions of the Small Pack Competition

Gold - Old Freddy Walker by Moor Beer Company

Silver - Nightjar by Quantock Brewery

Bronze - Mexi-cocoa by Rebel Brewing Co.

Small Pack Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales (4.5-6.4% abv)

Gold - Milk Stout by Bristol Beer Factory

Silver - Porter by Tavy Ales

Bronze - Daggers Black by Three Daggers Brewery

Small Pack Premium Bitters & Pale Ales (4.5-4.9% abv)

Sponsored by Warminster Maltings Co

Gold - Liberation IPA by Liberation Brewery

Silver - Moonlight by Arkells Brewery

Bronze - Ramsbury Gold by Ramsbury Brewing & Distilling Co

Small Pack Premium Lager & Pilsners (4.5-5.9%)

Sponsored by Beatson Clark Ltd

Gold - Korev by St Austell Brewery

Silver - Edison Czech Style Lager - Electric Bear Brewing Co

Bronze - Styrian Wolf by Cerne Abbas Brewery

Small Pack Premium Strong Beers (6.0% abv and over)

Sponsored by Jigsaw Bag in Box Ltd

Gold - Old Freddy Walker by Moor Beer Co

Silver - Ultra by Dawkins Ales

Bronze - Mighty Chi by Glastonbury Ales

Small Pack Speciality Beers 

Sponsored by Vale Labels Ltd

Gold - Mexi-Cocoa by Rebel Brewing Co 

Silver - Elderflower IPA Slow Beer by Red Rock Brewery 

Bronze - Bees Organic by Arkells Brewery Ltd

Small Pack Standard Bitters & Pale Ales (up to 4.4% abv)

Sponsored by Muntons PLC

Gold - Nightjar by Quantock Brewery

Silver - Martyrs’ Relief by Piddle Brewery

Bronze - Raven Black Tor Brewery Ltd

Small Pack Standard Lager & Pilsners (up to 4.4% abv)

Gold - Pilsner by Red Rock Brewery Ltd

Small Pack Standard Mild & Brown Ales (up to 4.4% abv)

Sponsored by Crisp Malting Group

Gold - Stormstay by Hanlons Brewery

Silver - Pheasant Plucker by Hunters Brewery Ltd

Bronze - Black Rock by Noss Beer Works

Small Pack Strong Bitters & Pale Ales (5.0-5.9% abv)

Sponsored by Charles Faram & Co

Gold - Padstow May Day by Padstow Brewing Co

Silver - Dartmoor Gold by Dartmoor Brewery Ltd 

Bronze - Wild Hare by Bath Ales Ltd