Sinclair & Drygate named best independent craft brewers in Scotland

Sinclair Breweries and Drygate have been named the best independent craft brewers in Scotland after taking home the two top spots in SIBA Scotland Independent Beer Awards.

The prestigious awards, run by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) at the Drygate Brewery and Taproom in Glasgow, are judged by brewers and beer experts and seen very much as the ‘brewers choice’ awards in the industry.

Sinclair’s ‘Orkney Dark Island Reserve’, a formidable barrel-aged 10% imperial stout with rich chocolate and whisky-like flavours took home the overall Gold in the cask competition and another stout, this time Drygate’s silky smooth 6% milk stout ‘Orinoco’, claimed the Overall Gold in the bottle and can competition.

SIBA Competitions Committee Chair Guy Sheppard presented the awards,

“The Scottish independent beer awards name the very best craft beers in the country and the standard of entries in 2018 was some of the best we have ever seen. I’d like to congratulate all of the winners and in particular our Overall Golds, who fought off tough competition to be named the very best of the best.” 

Collecting the Overall Cask Gold award for Sinclair Breweries was Commercial Manager Craig Steven,

“This is a fantastic achievement and we’re delighted to get the recognition for the hard work that goes into making this beer. It’s a really delicious, complex beer but what makes it so special we think is the balance of flavours that has been achieved. It’s very refined, not too bitter not too sweet, and surprisingly easy drinking for the strength. We’re delighted.”

Collecting the Overall Gold in the bottle and can competition was Drygate brewing’s Operations Director Sam Cordon,

“It means a huge amount to win this award, it’s the second time we’ve won with this stout and it shows how well it’s received by brewers and beer drinkers. This beer is as complex as it is accessible – it’s got coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and some roasted bitterness – so people who aren’t usually into dark beers love it as it tastes a lot like an espresso Martini, which everybody loves. It’s on the bar right now in the Taproom and we even have a peanut butter version for people to try!”

Full Winners List
Cask

Overall Champion of the Cask Competition

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Sinclair Breweries Orkney Dark Island Reserve 10
Silver Loch Lomond Brewery Southern Summit 4
Bronze Loch Lomond Brewery Lost in Mosaic 5

Cask British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Sinclair Breweries Orkney Red MacGregor 4
Silver Strathaven Ales Craigmill Mild 3.5
Bronze Fyne Ales Ltd Vital Spark 4.4

Cask British Dark Beers (4.5% to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Wolf 6
Silver Loch Lomond Brewery Silkie Stout 5
Bronze Keith Brewery Ltd. Stout Keith 5

Cask British Bitter (up to 4.4%)

Sponsored by
Rastal GmbH & Co. KG
Brewery Product ABV
Gold Fyne Ales Ltd Hurricane Jack 4.4
Silver Loch Lomond Brewery Bonnie n Blonde 4
Bronze Sinclair Breweries Orkney Raven 3.8

Cask British Premium Bitter (4.5% to 6.4%)

Sponsored by
Rankin Brother & Sons
Brewery Product ABV
Gold The Ferry Brewery Co. Ltd. Ferry Witches Brew 4.5
Silver Born in the Borders Dark Horse 4.5
Bronze Fyne Ales Ltd Highlander 4.8

Cask Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Loch Lomond Brewery Southern Summit 4
Silver Beath Brewing Secret Coming over 4
Bronze Hybrid Brewing Groat 3.8

Cask Premium PAs (4.4% to 5.4%)

Sponsored by
Murphy & Son Ltd
Brewery Product ABV
Gold Loch Lomond Brewery Lost in Mosaic 5
Silver Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Hurricane 4.5
Bronze Spey Valley Brewery Stillman’s IPA 4.6

Cask IPA (5.5% to 6.4%)

Sponsored by
Charles Faram & Co. Ltd
Brewery Product ABV
Gold Loch Lomond Brewery Bravehop 6
Silver Ride Brew Co. Glasgow Pale 6.4
Bronze Arran Brewery Arran ID 6

Cask Speciality Light Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Weizen 5.2
Silver Jaw Brew Wave 4.6
Bronze Williams Bros Brewing Co. Birds & Bees 4.3

Cask Speciality Mid to Dark Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Sinclair Breweries Orkney Dark Island Reserve 10
Silver Loch Lomond Brewery Lost monster 10
Bronze Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Werewolf 6

Cask Strong Beers (6.5% and Over)

Sponsored by
Bulk Storage & Process Systems Ltd
Brewery Product ABV
Gold Loch Lomond Brewery Outlander 6.5
Silver Sinclair Breweries Orkney Skullsplitter 8.5
Bronze Five Kingdoms Brewery Dark Storm 6.9

Bottle/Can

Overall Champion of the Bottle/Can Competition

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Drygate Brewing Company Orinoco 6
Silver Fyne Ales Ltd Mills & Hills 9.5
Bronze Loch Lomond Brewery Bravehop 6

Bottle/Can British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Jaw Brew Fathom 4
Silver Merchant City Brewing Unit 1 Red Ale 4
Bronze Strathaven Ales Mild 3.5

Bottle/Can British Dark Beers (4.5% to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Wolf 6
Silver Spey Valley Brewery Spey Stout 5.4
Bronze Sulwath Brewers Ltd Knockendoch 5

Bottle/Can British Bitter (up to 4.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Sinclair Breweries Orkney Raven 3.8
Silver Cairngorm Brewery Stag 4.1
Bronze Harviestoun Brewery Bitter and Twisted 4.2

Bottle/Can British Premium Bitter (4.5% to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Fyne Ales Ltd Highlander 4.8
Silver Five Kingdoms Brewery Wee McAsh Bitter 4.5
Bronze Harviestoun Brewery Broken Dial 4.5

Bottle/Can Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Cross Borders Brewing Company Ltd Wee Braw 4
Silver Barney’s Beer Ltd Vital Juices 3.8
Bronze Fyne Ales Ltd Jarl 3.8

Bottle/Can Premium PA (4.4% to 5.4%)

Sponsored by
Beatson Clark Ltd
Brewery Product ABV
Gold Drygate Brewing Company Seven Peaks 5
Silver Cross Borders Brewing Company Ltd Braw 5.2
Bronze Merchant City Brewing Moteuka Pale Ale 4.4

Bottle/Can IPA (5.5% to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Loch Lomond Brewery Bravehop 6
Silver Fyne Ales Ltd Workbench 5.5
Bronze Williams Bros Brewing Co. Impale IPA 5.5

Bottle/Can Imperial IPA (6.5% and over)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Swannay Brewery Muckle 6.6
Silver Fyne Ales Ltd Remote Parts 7
Bronze Top Out Brewery LLP The Cone 6.8

Bottle/Can Session Lager & Pilsner (up to 4.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Swannay Brewery Magnus Blonde 4.3
Silver Drygate Brewing Company Bearface Lager 4.4
Bronze Merchant City Brewing Klassisches Pilsner 4

Bottle/Can Premium Lager & Pilsner (4.5% to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Keith Brewery Ltd. Larger Keith 4.5
Silver Windswept Brewing Co Ltd Lighthouse 4.7
Bronze Knops Beer Company Cold Fury 5.2

Bottle/Can Speciality Light Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Inner Bay Brewery Ltd Pearl 6
Silver Top Out Brewery LLP Copperheid 3.4
Bronze Williams Bros Brewing Co. Birds & Bees 4.3

Bottle/Can Speciality Mid to Dark Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Drygate Brewing Company Orinoco 6
Silver Loch Lomond Brewery Lost monster 10
Bronze Harviestoun Brewery Ola Dubh 12 year old 8

Bottle/Can Sours/Spontaneous

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Drygate Brewing Company Take Me To The River 3.9
Silver Cross Borders Brewing Company Ltd Autumn 5
Bronze Keith Brewery Ltd. Frank 4

Bottle/Can Strong Beers (6.5% and Over)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold Fyne Ales Ltd Mills & Hills 9.5
Silver Loch Lomond Brewery Outlander 6.5
Bronze Williams Bros Brewing Co. Alba 7.5

 

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