Cullercoats Brewery and Ossett Brewery awarded best independent craft beers in the North East

Cullercoats Brewery in North Shields and Ossett Brewery in West Yorkshire have taken the two top spots in the Society of Independent Brewers’ SIBA North East Independent Beer Awards, which took place yesterday (3rdMay), with beer judging taking place throughout the day until the awards presentation at Gateshead Beer & Music Festival, which continues today.

Cullercoats Brewery took home overall Gold in the cask beer competition with their ‘Polly Donkin Oatmeal Stout’, a rich, thick and creamy stout which proved a hit with the expert judges. Ossett Brewery won the overall gold in the bottle & can competition with ‘Alpaca’,  an aromatic double dry-hopped IPA brewed under their new SALT Beer Factory brand.

The awards are judged by fellow brewers and other representatives from the industry, making these the much coveted ‘brewers’ choice’ awards in the North East, including beers from brewers spanning Berwick-upon-Tweed to Sheffield. Accepting the top cask beer award for Cullercoats was Bill Scantlebury, Head brewer,

“This is the most important award for us to to win as it’s judged by our peers. It’s a fantastic pat on the back from our fellow brewers and we’re very proud to win. It’s great to see a traditional beer like this winning against such varied competition too, with all of the amazing beers in this competition it’s brilliant that a traditional British Oatmeal stout can win.”

Describing the winning beer Bill added,

“It’s got a complex recipe with seven different grains and all British hops – Bramling Cross and Jester – which give fruity flavours on top of that lovely roasted malt base, which is very creamy tasting from the oats.”
The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) represents independent craft brewers across the UK, who are now brewing the broadest range of beer styles ever seen, to quench the thirst for independent craft beer from drinkers and pub-goers. Presenting the awards was SIBA’s Head of PR & Marketing Neil Walker,

“The quality of beer in this competition was astounding, with a real variety of styles including more modern New England style hazy IPA’s and fruited sour beers going head to head with traditional porters, stouts and barleywines in the final judging. I’d like to congratulate all of the winners and in particular Cullercoats and Ossett who took the overall top spots – winning these awards is a huge achievement and I wish you the best of luck at the National finals next year!”

Winners from the North East Region now go forward to compete at the national finals in Liverpool early next year.

The Gateshead Beer & Music Festival where the judging took place is run in Association with SIBA and is located in Low Fell between Durham Road and Old Durham Road – the festival continues today and sunday.

Full Winners List:

Overall Champion Cask Beer

Sponsored by Murphy & Son Ltd Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Cullercoats Brewery  Polly Donkin Oatmeal Stout 4.2
Silver  Brass Castle Brewery  Annexation 8.3
Bronze  Daleside Brewery Ltd  Monkey Wrench 5.3

Cask British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Cullercoats Brewery Polly Donkin Oatmeal Stout 4.2
Silver  Goose Eye Brewery Ltd. Black Moor 3.9
Bronze  First & Last Brewery Red Rowan 4

Cask British Dark Beers (4.5 to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  BAD CO Dark Necessities 5.5
Silver  Bridgehouse Brewery LTD BRIDGEHOUSE PORTER 4.5
Bronze  Treboom Brewery Orion’s Belt 4.5

Cask British Bitters (up to 4.4%)

Sponsored by Charles Faram & Co. Ltd Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Acorn Brewery Barnsley Bitter 3.8
Silver  Timothy Taylor’s Landlord 4.3
Bronze  Rooster’s Brewing Co. Capability Brown 4

Cask Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%) 

Sponsored by Rankin Brother & Sons Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Daleside Brewery Ltd Monkey Wrench 5.3
Silver  Hexhamshire Brewery Whapweasel 4.8
Bronze  North Yorkshire Brewing Co Ltd Flying Herbert 4.7

Cask Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Sponsored by Rastal GmbH & Co. Ltd Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Hambleton Brewery SOCIAL LUBRICANT 3.9
Silver  Ainsty Ales Flummoxed Farmer 4
Bronze  Ossett Brewing Company Ltd White Rat 4

Cask Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Great North Eastern Brewing Company LTD Hopnicity 5
Silver  Three Brothers Brewing Company Limited Hopical Storm 5.3
Bronze  Rooster’s Brewing Co. 24 7 4.7

Cask IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

Sponsored by Simpsons Malt Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Ilkley Brewery Lotus 5.9
Silver  Maxim Brewery Medusa 5.6
Bronze  Rooster’s Brewing Co. Baby-Faced Assassin 6.1

Cask Speciality Light Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  BAD CO  OFF Tempo 05-18 Milkshake IPA 5.8
Silver  Brass Castle Brewery  Fruit Lupe 4.8
Bronze  Ainsty Ales  Wild Wheat 4.7

Cask Speciality Mid to Dark Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Maxim Brewery Raspberry Porter 5
Silver  Hambleton Brewery BLACK FOREST 5
Bronze  Ossett Brewing Company Ltd Black Voodoo 5.1

Cask Strong Beers 6.5% and over

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Brass Castle Brewery Annexation 8.3
Silver  Bridgehouse Brewery LTD DANDYLION 7

Overall Champion Bottle/Can Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Ossett Brewing Company Ltd  Alpaca 6.6
Silver  Rooster’s Brewing Co.  Baby-Faced Assassin 6.1
Bronze  Cullercoats Brewery  Royal Sovereign Barley Wine 11

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

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Wensleydale Brewery Black Dub 4.4
Silver  The Hop Studio Ltd Porter 4.3
Bronze  Cullercoats Brewery Polly Donkin Oatmeal Stout 4.3


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

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Hadrian Border Brewery Ouseburn Porter 5.2
Silver  Maxim Brewery Maximus 6
Bronze  Ilkley Brewery Hanging Stone 5

Bottle/Can British Bitters (up to 4.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Acorn Brewery Yorkshire Pride 3.7
Silver  Hambleton Brewery STALLION 4.2
Bronze  Treboom Brewery Kettle Drum 4.3

Bottle/Can Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Hadrian Border Brewery Grainger Ale 4.6
Silver  Black Sheep Brewery Yorkshire Square 5
Bronze  Ilkley Brewery Hendrix 4.9

Bottle/Can Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Black Sheep Brewery Velo 4.2
Silver  Ainsty Ales Flummoxed Farmer 4
Bronze  Ilkley Brewery Limbo 1.2

Bottle/Can Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

Sponsored by Beatson ClarkLtd Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Twice Brewed Brew House  Northern Frontier 5.3
Silver  Rooster’s Brewing Co.  24 7 4.7
Bronze  Hambleton Brewery  THOROUGHBRED 5

Bottle/Can Can IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

Sponsored by Simpsons Malt Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Rooster’s Brewing Co. Baby-Faced Assassin 6.1
Silver  Black Sheep Brewery Pathmaker 5.6
Bronze  Brass Castle Brewery Sunshine 5.7

Bottle/Can Can Imperial IPA (6.5% and over)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Ossett Brewing Company Ltd Alpaca 6.6
Silver  Black Sheep Brewery Legion IX 6.5

Bottle/Can Session Lager & Pilsners

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Daleside Brewery Ltd  Lager  4.30
Silver  Firebrick Brewery Limited  Giuseppe  4.30
Bronze  Hadrian Border Brewery  Tyne Pilsner  4.10

Bottle/Can Premium Lager & Pilsners

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Black Sheep Brewery  54 Degrees North 4.5
Silver  Treboom Brewery  Trommel 5.1
Bronze  Rooster’s Brewing Co.  Pilsnear 4.8

Bottle/Can Speciality Light Beers 

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Black Sheep Brewery Pineapple IPA 5.3
Silver  Brass Castle Brewery Fruit Lupe 4.8
Bronze  Three Brothers Brewing Company Limited Honeysuckle smash 4

Bottle/Can Speciality Mid to Dark Beers 

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Black Sheep Brewery  Choc & Orange Stout 6.1
Silver  First & Last Brewery  Damson Porter 4.8
Bronze  Ilkley Brewery  Fruition 5.5

Bottle/Can Sours/Spontaneous

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Black Sheep Brewery Limoncello Sour 3.8
Silver  Rooster’s Brewing Co. One Trick Pony 4.1

Can Strong Beers 6.5% and over

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Cullercoats Brewery Royal Sovereign Barley Wine 11
Silver  Brass Castle Brewery Monsters Of The Deep 6.5

 

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