Session IPAs take the two overall top spots at SIBA South East Independent Beer Awards

July 8, 2019| Neil Walker | South East

Two session strength beers have surpassed stronger rivals at a flagship beer competition in the South East. Signature Brew’s ‘Roadie’ has been named the best cask beer in the South East, with West Berkshire Brewery’s ‘India Session Ale’ being awarded best bottle and can beer, at the Society of Independent Brewers’ (SIBA) South East Independent Beer Awards.

Both beers are Session IPAs, meaning they have to be 4.3% or under as apposed to the regular ‘IPA’ category where beers can be up to 6.4%, or the ‘Imperial IPA’ category where the brews are even stronger still.

Signature Brew won the cask competition Session IPA category and West Berkshire won the same category in the bottle and can competition, before both beers went on to take overall Gold in the final judging, which pits various beer styles of all strengths against each other.

Commenting on the awards was Guy Sheppard, SIBA Competitions Chair,

“Both of these beers are aromatic, inviting and hugely drinkable and were tasting on fantastic form at the South East Independent Beer Awards held once again at the excellent Juddians Beer Festival in Tonbridge. I’d like to say a huge well done to Signature Brew and West Berkshire and also to all of the other brewers who took home awards this year – the South East is an exciting region for beer and the quality of entries was impressively high, you should be very proud of your achievement.” 

George from Signature Brew was there to accept their Overall Gold Award, “Thanks so much, it means a lot, we really believe in cask beer and love how this beer is tasting right now. Roadie is our flagship beer, it’s the one that people know us for so it’s great that people are loving it so much.”

Describing the beer George added, “It’s a citra single hop beer with a light malt bill, which makes it really quaffable. It’s the only beer we do on cask at the moment and we do it because we believe in it so much, it’s a great cask beer and we’re really proud of it.”

Aiden & Will were there representing West Berkshire Brewery, and accepted the award on behalf of the whole team, “Everyone at the brewery will be celebrating tonight with a couple of session ales! This beer is one of our favourites from our new rang,e which has expanded quite a bit recently so we’re delighted to win with it.”

Describing their Indian session pale ale, Aiden added “It’s a light IPA, a session version of an india pale ale, 4.2% and nice and hoppy but very drinkable. We love it.”

The SIBA South East Independent Beer Awards took place over the weekend ahead of the SIBA Juddians Beer Festival in Tonbridge. The competition is one of eight regional competitions run by the Society of Independent Brewers across the UK, with winners going on to the National finals held at BeerX UK 2020 in Liverpool.

Full Winners List
SIBA North East Independent Beer Awards 2019

OVERALL Champion of the Cask Competition

Cask British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)

Cask British Dark Beers (4.5 to 6.4%)

Cask British Bitters (up to 4.4%)

Cask Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%) 

Cask Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Cask Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

Cask IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

Cask Speciality Light Beers

Cask Speciality Mid to Dark Beers

Cask Strong Beers 6.5% and over

OVERALL Champion Bottle/Can Beers

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

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

Bottle/Can British Bitters (up to 4.4%)

Bottle/Can Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%)

Bottle/Can Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Bottle/Can Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

Bottle/Can Can IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

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

Bottle/Can Session Lager & Pilsners

Bottle/Can Premium Lager & Pilsners

Bottle/Can Speciality Light Beers 

Bottle/Can Speciality Mid to Dark Beers 

Bottle/Can Sours/Spontaneous

Bottle/Can Strong Beers 6.5% and over

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