Trying the Supreme Champion Beer of Britain

I called into the Tap and Bottles, a micropub in the Cambridge Arcade in Southport, this evening. One of the cask beers was Tiny Rebel Cwtch, the new Supreme Champion Beer of Britain, so naturally I had to try it. It's a 4.6% red beer, with a very attractive appearance and a head that lasted well. The brewer's website says: "Citrus and tropical fruit dominate the taste that is backed up with caramel malts that balance the moderate bitterness. Drinkability & balance makes [sic] this beer."

The citrus and tropical fruit completely escaped me, but I'd agree that a certain maltiness is combined with a moderate bitterness. It vaguely reminded me of a former Champion Beer, Ind Coope Burton Ale but without the sweetness. It is quite an old-fashioned beer which I found quite pleasant, but unremarkable; I really don't see it as the best beer in Britain. In fact, I'm fairly sure that I'd prefer Burton when it was at its best.

Cwtch: Welsh word for an affectionate hug. There's no literal English translation, but its nearest equivlent is "safe place". So if you give someone a cwtch, you're giving them a "safe place". It can also be used as a place to store things safely (usually a cupboard under a staircase). From the Urban Dictionary.

Champion Beers of Britain 2014

These were announced yesterday at the Great British Beer Festival in London. How many have you had? I think my total is seven. Some people will probably whinge that a regional brewer such as Timothy Taylor won, but that is just prejudice. We shouldn't discriminate against a brewer just because the beers are brewed in a proper brewery rather than a shed in the garden. 

Supreme Champions
Gold - Timothy Taylor, Boltmaker
Silver - Oakham, Citra
Bronze - Salopian, Darwin's Origin

Champion Bottled Beer
Gold - Marble, Chocolate Marble
Silver - St Austell,Proper Job
Bronze - Spire, Prince Igor Imperial Russian Stout

Mild
Gold - Bank Top, Dark Mild
Silver - Branscombe Vale, Mild
Bronze - Castle Rock, Black Gold

Best Bitter
Gold - Salopian, Darwin’s Origin
Silver - Redwillow, Directionless
Joint Bronze - Langton, Inclined Plane Bitter, and Purity, Mad Goose

Speciality
Gold - Saltaire, Triple Chocoholic
Silver - Offbeat, Way Out Wheat
Bronze - Peak Ales, Chatsworth Gold

Bitter
Gold - Timothy Taylor, Boltmaker
Silver - Mighty Oak, Captain Bob
Joint Bronze - Flowerpots, Flowerpots Bitter, and Sambrooks, Wandle Ale

Golden
Gold - Oakham, Citra
Silver - Hawkshead, Cumbrian Five Hop
Bronze - Salopian, Hop Twister

Strong Bitter
Gold - Church End, Fallen Angel
Silver - Blue Monkey, Ape Ale
Bronze - Loch Ness, HoppyNESS

Baron's Bar Beer Competition

The Scarisbrick Hotel, Southport, hosted the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) regional conference, competition and festival for many years, but this year SIBA took the event to Manchester. The Baron's Bar (part of the hotel) decided to hold its own beer competition on Friday 14th January, and invited me to be one of the judges, along with quite a few others. I was on one the panels for the heats and was selected by my fellow panelists to be on the final panel. Either that or I was the mug who didn't say no quickly enough.

It was interesting and good fun, and I have no argument with the overall winner. I'm just surprised that Tetley Mild won in its category; I thought it was thin and without much flavour myself, and I can't imagine anyone choosing it over Prospect Nutty Slack, but there you go - I suppose that's why they have more than one judge. After the competition, the Baron's Bar opened its spring festival. The results are:

Bitter Category
Gold Winster Valley – Best Bitter
Silver Kirkby Lonsdale – Ruskins
Bronze Arkwrights – Trouble At The Mill

Best Bitter Category
Gold Moorhouses – Blond Witch

One of the judging panels

Silver Lytham – Gold

Bronze Timothy Taylor – Landlord

Premium Ales Category
Gold Hart – Validiction
Silver Bank Top – Blonde
Bronze Lancaster – Red

Strong Ales Category
Gold Lancaster – Redder

Silver Moorhouses – Pendle Witches Brew
Bronze Kirkby Lonsdale – WPA

Judges Shirley & Barbara
with organiser George Sourbutts

Mild Category
Gold Tetley – Mild

Silver Bank Top – Dark Mild

Bronze Prospect – Nutty Slack



Porters / Old Ales / Stouts Category

Gold Lancaster – Black

Silver Southport – Old Shrimper

Bronze Lytham – Stout

OVERALL CHAMPION BEER

1st Place Moorhouses – Blond Witch
2nd Place Winster Valley - Best Bitter
3rd Place Lancaster - Redder

Baron's Bar Beer Competition

The Scarisbrick Hotel,
home of the Baron's Bar.

I've received an e-mail from George Sourbutts, the manager of the Barons Bar, one of our leading local real ale venues, giving me details of the 1st Baron's Bar Beer Competition, which will take place on Friday 14th January. This is to replace the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) competition and beer festival that took place in the Scarisbrick Hotel on Lord Street in Southport for many years from 2002, and which has apparently outgrown the hotel, resulting in a move to Manchester.

If I've read the e-mail correctly, I've been invited to be a judge. I must check that it's not been sent to me in error; if not, it sounds interesting. The New Year Beer Festival begins immediately after the judging ~ I'll give more details when I have them.

P.S. Yes, I've checked and I am to be a judge. I'm looking forward to it.

SIBA AGM and beer festival

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Northern region wll be holding its AGM in the Scarisbrick Hotel in Lord Street, Southport, this weekend.  The Scarisbrick's connection with SIBA goes back to 2002.

SIBA will also be holding its regional beer competition, won by Southport Brewery last year, and putting on a beer festival with the beer sold at reasonable prices (£2 a pint last year).  It will be a good chance to sample beers not often available in Southport; they should be on sale from around lunchtime on Saturday.