Scotland’s Best Bottled and Canned Beers Revealed: Just in time for Christmas
The best beers in Scotland have today been revealed with the announcement of this year’s winners in the SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2021 – the UK’s leading beer competition judged by brewers, beer sommeliers and expert tasters.
The winning bottled and canned beers from Scotland will now go forward to fight it out with the best from across the UK in the National finals, taking place in the New Year.
Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes were awarded to breweries from across the region in a variety of beer styles; from hoppy IPAs and Pale Ales, to Lagers, Stouts and even Speciality beers featuring German style Weizens and traditional ‘milk’ stouts.
The SIBA Bottle & Can Independent Beer Awards 2021 are judged by a fleet of expert judges, who this year conducted the judging sessions live over Zoom, and who mark the beers on appearance, aroma, flavour, aftertaste and saleability.
Neil Walker is SIBA’s Competitions Committee Chair and helped run the two-day judging, “The SIBA Bottle & Can Independent Beer Awards name the very best craft beers in the region, all from small independent breweries who make quality beers that are full of flavour. With medalists beating competition from across the region I’d like to say a huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners as the qualirty of entries was incredibly high, and encourage anyone looking for a great tasting local beer to enjoy or gift this Christmas to give these breweries a try – you won’t be disappointed.”
SIBA are the voice of British independent brewing and as well as the SIBA Bottle & Can Independent Beer Awards also run Regional and National competitions for cask and keg beer – all judged by beer sommeliers, experienced beer judges and perhaps most importantly fellow brewers – making these awards very much the ‘brewers choice’ awards for beer in the UK.
SIBA Bottle & Can Beer Independent Beer Awards 2021
Scotland Winners
British Dark Beers (up to 4.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Strathaven Ales Ltd | Craigmill Mild | 3.5 | S |
| SILVER | Cairngorm Brewery Company | Black Gold | 4.4 | S |
| BRONZE | MoR Beers | Auld Money | 4.4 | S |
British Dark Beers (4.5 to 6.4%)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Windswept Brewing Co Ltd | Wolf | 6.0 | S |
| SILVER | Glasgow Beer Works | Jaggery & Cacao Nib Stout | 5.2 | S |
| BRONZE | SaltRock Brewing Company | Clocktower | 4.8 | S |
British Bitters
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Aye Been Brewing Company | Blonde Ale | 4.0 | S |
| SILVER | Born Brewery | Born Brewery Amber | 4.0 | S |
| BRONZE | Kelburn Brewery | Goldihops | 3.8 | S |
Premium Bitters
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | SaltRock Brewing Company | Red Wagon | 4.7 | S |
| SILVER | Stewart Brewing Ltd | Edinburgh Gold | 4.8 | S |
| BRONZE | Born Brewery | Born Brewery Dark | 4.5 | S |
Session IPA
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Dog Falls Brewing Co | Colloidoscope | 4.3 | S |
| SILVER | Swannay Brewery | Banyan | 3.9 | S |
| BRONZE | Stewart Brewing Ltd | Session IPA | 3.7 | S |
Premium PAs
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Top Out Brewery | GIPFEL | 4.8 | S |
| SILVER | Swannay Brewery | Low Roller | 4.9 | S |
| BRONZE | Burnside Brewery | Stone River | 5.0 | S |
IPA
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Fyne Ales Ltd | Workbench IPA | 5.5 | S |
| SILVER | Windswept Brewing Co Ltd | Typhoon | 6.2 | S |
Imperial IPA
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Five Kingdoms Brewery | Such is Life NEIPA | 6.9 | S |
| SILVER | Williams Bros Brewing Co | Nth Degree | 7.5 | S |
| BRONZE | Dog Falls Brewing Co | Split the Tree | 7.2 | S |
Session Lager & Pilsners
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Glasgow Beer Works | Pilsner Lager | 4.0 | S |
Premium Lager & Pilsners
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Williams Bros Brewing Co | El Perro Negro | 4.5 | S |
| SILVER | Harviestoun Brewery | Schiehallion | 4.8 | S |
| BRONZE | Top Out Brewery | KELLERBIER | 5.2 | S |
Speciality Light Beers
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Barney’s Beer | Kvltvre DDH Pale Ale | 4.0 | S |
| SILVER | Windswept Brewing Co Ltd | Weizen | 5.2 | S |
| BRONZE | Dog Falls Brewing Co | Awaroa | S |
Speciality Mid to Dark Beers
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Barney’s Beer | Not Milk Stout | 5.9 | S |
Strong Beers
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Inner Bay Brewery Ltd | Jet | 9.0 | S |
| SILVER | Five Kingdoms Brewery | Dark Storm Stout | 6.9 | S |
| BRONZE | Simple Things Fermentations | Wheat Wine | 9.0 | S |
Sours/Spontaneous
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Loch Lomond Brewery | Pretty in Pink | 10.0 | S |
| SILVER | Fyne Ales Ltd | Origins Brewing – Nàdar Blackcurrant | 7.1 | S |
| BRONZE | Barney’s Beer | Cranberry Margarita | 3.4 | S |
No/Low Alcohol Beer
| Brewery | Product | ABV | Region | |
| GOLD | Harviestoun Brewery | Wheesht | 0 | S |
