“Raspberry Wheat” & “Oxford Dark Blue” named best independent craft beers in the Midlands

Raspberry Wheat Beer by Milestone Brewery and Oxford Dark Blue by White Horse Brewery have taken home the two top spots at the SIBA Midlands Independent Beer Awards 2019, winning overall Gold in “Cask” and “Bottle & Can” at the prestigious awards.

The “Brewers’ Choice” awards, run by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and hosted by the Peterborough CAMRA Beer Festival, are judged by brewers and beer experts looking for the very best independent craft beers from the region.

Milestone Brewery’s Raspberry Wheat Beer is brewed with heaps of fresh British raspberries, which give the beer a rose-gold appearance and a light floral, fruity aroma. The beer proved a huge hit with judges and took home the overall Gold in the cask competition. Accepting the award for Milestone was brewer Gary Gooch,

“It means absolutely everything to win this award! We have been going for 16 years but we’ve never won big with this one despite it being a beer we are hugely proud of – so it’s amazing to take home the overall Gold! We think it’s a great beer and hugely seasonal as we use real fresh British raspberries, which we puree by hand before adding to the beer. They give the finished beer a rose-gold appearance and beautiful flavour and aroma.”

White Horse Brewery’s Oxford Dark Blue, which nods to Oxford University’s colours, is a dark British bitter with aromas of chocolate and coffee, and a fruity full-bodied flavour. The classic British ale scored extremely well with judges and took the overall Gold in the Bottle & Can competition, collecting the award was MD Anneli Baxter,

“This award is all down to the brewers, the hard work from our brewery team who all contribute into making our beers taste the best they can. We’re delighted to win. It’s a beer that is traditional but it’s full of flavour, with loads of chocolate and coffee, which just leaves you wanting more.”

SIBA’s Chief Executive James Calder presented the breweries with their top awards and had this to say on the quality of entries at this year’s awards

“The winning beers really are the best of the best from the SIBA Midlands region and will now go on to fight it out with the best beers from across the UK at our National Finals in Liverpool next year. I’d like to congratulate all of the winners, particularly our overall Gold Champions Milestone and White Horse, and also thank all of the brewers who help out in the running of the competition. It’s a competition run by brewers, for brewers, and the whole operation was this year better than ever.”

The competition took place immediately before the opening of the Peterborough CAMRA Beer Festival 2019, which continues through to the weekend. For more information on one of the UK’s biggest and best beer festivals, visit https://pborobeerfest.camra.org.uk or follow the event on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PeterboroughBeerFestival.

SIBA Midlands Independent Beer Awards 2019 – Full Winners

DATE  OF JUDGING: 20thAugust

Overall Champion of the Cask Competition

Sponsored by Murphy & Sons Ltd Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Milestone Brewery  Raspberry Wheat Beer 5.6
Silver  Lincoln Green Brewery  tuck 4.7
Bronze  Grafton Brewery  CARAMEL STOUT 4.8

Cask British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Milestone Brewery Lock Prop & Barrel 4
Silver  Nottingham Brewery ltd Rock Mild 3.8
Bronze  The Loose Cannon Brewing Company Abingdon Bridge 4.1

Cask British Dark Beers (4.5 to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Lincoln Green Brewery  tuck 4.7
Silver  The Backyard Brewhouse 1898 4.9
Bronze  Derby Brewing Company  Dashingly Dark 4.8

CaskBritish Bitters (up to 4.4%)

Sponsored by Charles Faram & Co Ltd Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Purity Brewing Company Pure Gold 3.8
Silver  The Backyard Brewhouse The Hoard 3.9
Bronze  Brampton Brewery Brampton Best 4.2

Cask Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%) 

Sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Sons Brewery Product ABV
Gold  The Backyard Brewhouse Gold 4.5
Silver  The Grainstore Brewery Limited Ten Fifty 5
Bronze  Towcester Mill Brewery Ltd Saxon Shield 4.7

Cask Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Sponsored by Rastal GmbH & Co KG Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Blue Monkey Brewery Marmoset 3.6
Silver  The Loose Cannon Brewing Company Session IPA 4.1
Bronze  Church Farm Brewery Session IPA 3.8

Cask Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

Sponsored by Crisp Malt Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Magpie Brewery  Pow Pow 4.6
Silver  Purity Brewing Company  Longhorn IPA 5
Bronze  Shipstones Beer Company  Hollow Stone Waitomo 4.5

Cask IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

Sponsored by CFB Boilers Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Blue Monkey Brewery Infinity Plus 1 5.6
Silver  Navigation Brewery Saviour 5.5
Bronze  Shipstones Beer Company India Pale Ale 5.5

Cask Speciality Light Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Milestone Brewery Raspberry Wheat Beer 5.6
Silver  Grafton Brewery apricot jungle 4.8
Bronze  Titanic Brewery Raspberry Wheat 4.7

Cask Speciality Mid to Dark Beers

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Grafton Brewery CARAMEL STOUT 4.8
Silver  Old Sawley Brewing Co Plummeth The Hour 4.5
Bronze  Blue Monkey Brewery Guerrilla Plum Stout 4.9

Cask Strong Beers 6.5% and over

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  The Grainstore Brewery Limited  Nip 7.3
Silver  Navigation Brewery  Chocolate Coconut Stout 7
Bronze  Kinver Brewery  Over the Edge 7.5

Champion Bottle & Can Beers

Sponsored by Beer Box Shop Brewery Product ABV
Gold  White Horse Brewery  Oxford Dark Blue 4.3
Silver  Purity Brewing Company  Pure Helles 5
Bronze  Titanic Brewery  Plum porter 4.9

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

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  White Horse Brewery Oxford Dark Blue 4.3
Silver  Brampton Brewery Impy Dark 4.3
Bronze  Great Oakley Brewery Welland Valley Mild 3.6


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

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Weal Ales Brewery  Centwealial Milk Stout 4.9
Silver  Loddon Brewery  Hocus Pocus 5
Bronze  Dancing Duck Brewery  Dark Drake 4.5

Bottle & Can British Bitters (up to 4.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Dancing Duck Brewery 22 4.3
Silver  Derby Brewing Company Business As usual 4.4
Bronze  Slater’s Ales Premium 4.4

Bottle & Can Premium Bitters (4.5 to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Tunnel Brewery  Ravenstone 5
Silver  Brampton Brewery  Wasp Nest 5
Bronze  Peak Ales Ltd.  Flat Cap 4.5

Bottle & Can Session IPA (up to 4.3%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Slater’s Ales 1 Hop 4
Silver  Brewhouse and Kitchen Lichfield Tricky Spires 4
Bronze  Purity Brewing Company Bunny Hop 3.5

Bottle & Can Premium PAs (4.4 to 5.4%)

Sponsored by Beatson Clark Brewery Product ABV
Gold   Rebellion Beer Company  24 Carat 5
Silver  Brampton Brewery  Tudor Rose 4.6
Bronze   Slater’s Ales  Haka 5.2

Bottle & Can IPA (5.5 to 6.4%)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Brampton Brewery Speciale 5.8
Silver  Loddon Brewery Forbury Lion IPA 5.5
Bronze  Dancing Duck Brewery Abduction 5.5

Bottle & Can Imperial IPA (6.5% and over)

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Intrepid Brewing Co  Pecsaetan IPA 6.5

Bottle & Can Session Lager & Pilsners

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Rebellion Beer Company Lager 4.4
Silver  Derby Brewing Company Python Pilsner 4.2
Bronze  Charnwood Brewery Liska 4

Bottle/Can Premium Lager & Pilsners

Sponsored by Saxon Packaging Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Purity Brewing Company  Pure Helles 5
Silver  Milestone Brewery  Helles Lager 4.7
Bronze  The Loose Cannon Brewing Company  Oxford PILS 5

Bottle & Can Speciality Light Beers 

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Rebellion Beer Company White 5
Silver  Peak Ales Ltd. Chatsworth Gold 4.6
Bronze  Dhillon’s Brewery brigth eyes 3.8

Bottle & Can Speciality Mid to Dark Beers 

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Titanic Brewery  Plum porter 4.9

Bottle & Can Sours/Spontaneous

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Castle Rock Brewery Sourlero 4

Bottle & Can Strong Beers 6.5% and over

Brewery Product ABV
Gold  Brampton Brewery  Menin Gate 7.4

 

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