Goldene Pënten

Everyone loves a good list don't they? 

2018 what a year; one marked by division, indecision and absolute chaos.  The culmination of two years of directionless political stagnation.  One thing I have clung to during this festival of stupidity is that the brewing industry and beer itself is still populated with lots to celebrate.

So without further ado I give you my one and only contribution to the beer blogging community for the year.   I mean I'd probably do it more if I had anywhere like the time and inclination to do it but life, friends and all that get in the way so sate yourself with this little lot....

Best UK Cask Beer

 Bathams - Best Bitter

Living in the Black Country as I do I always consider myself increasingly lucky to live less than a 5 minute drive away from Batham's flagship pub The Bull & Bladder (The Vine to give it non colloquial title).  To say that Batham's is scarce pretty much anywhere other than the midlands is a massive understatement and when it does appear outside of its normal hunting ground its rightly revered.  Its not a complicated beer, because lets face it the best beer in the country doesn't need to be.  There is something about that taste (not the sweet sting of too little Diacetyl rest that most believe is a hall mark of West Midlands brewing) it catches like the snatch of a good pint of bass, or the combo of light citrus and summer fruits in Timothy Taylors Landlord it goes down far too easily then you find yourself on pint 3 or 4 and you still haven't moved.  

That's the mark of really really good cask beer, combine that with a cellar that knows what they're doing with their product and what more do your need?

Neptune Brewery - Nammu
Fixed Wheel - Single Speed: Simcoe

Best UK Keg Beer

Lost & Grounded - Keller Pils

Best UK Smallpack Beer

Summer Wine - Rippa

Lost & Grounded - This Is Nowhere
Marble/Fullers/Gales - Old Ale (all variants)

Best Overseas Draught

Funk Factory Geuzeria - Meerts

A

Best Overseas Smallpack Beer

Half Acre Beer Company - Daisy Cutter

A

Best Collaboration Brew

Best Branding

Marble Brewery

I've been a fan of Marble no nonsence branding for many years and was equally happy to see that translated to their recent switch to canned products.  The simple utility branding that is so sonomous with their pumpclips and on bar branding has translated brilliantly onto their recent can releases.  Then earlier this year with their newer seasonal range a refresh came to differentiate from the core range and well they are simply fantastic.  Not only that the refresh has been put together in such a way that they still feel like a key part of the overall range.  This is especially important in the current climate where more and more breweries are approaching label art as a statement of artistic intent as much as the contents of the packaging.

Best UK Brewery

Burning Sky

Burning Sky seemingly defy expectations every year from their quiet Sussex base; from their first releases way back in 2013 right the way up to the recent comissioning of their coolship Mark and the team have made no wrong steps.  Each release is considered and brilliant; be it from their core range (Plateau is always a pleasure to see on any bar in cask varient), through the increasingly fantastically conceived range of small bottles and on into their barrique/foeder aged larger releases they do no wrong.  Stand outs this year the Orval like Recusant which with your eyes closed you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference, a Blended Stock Ale and Cuvee that are just amazing to Coolship No 1you'd be hard pushed to better it.

I have a bottle of Coolship No 1 (along with the first Saison de la Provision) tucked away for consumption on my 40th next year, that's how special Burning Sky are.

Summer Wine Brewery
Marble Brewery

Best International Brewery

Best New Brewery 2018

Burnt Mill Brewery // Mills Brewing

Two breweries stand out for me this year...  

First up Burnt Mill Brewery who arrived at the tail end of 2017 but for reasons of availability in West Midlands didn't come to my attention until very early in 2018.  A modern hop focused brewery which under the guidance of head brewer (and founder of IWCBD) Sophie de Ronde they have landed hit after hit on the beer front.  But it was with their core session pale Pintle that they sealed their place in my list of infamy.  Like all good session beers this is an uncomplicated and endlessly drinkable beer the likes that should be in everbodies fridge.  However the real masterstroke is their higher strength beers, eschewing the overly sweet hop laden approach popularised in recent years (I have no problem with them persay) and goign stright for the throat by bringing back a healthy dose of bitterness.  Asterism their triple IPA being a case in point; hop forward, full of body and with healthy dose of mouth feel and their at the back bitterness, like an old friend returning from a far too long holiday.  More please!!!

Secondly there is Mills Brewing who from their base of operations in gloucester have been in production since early 2017, but due to the spontaeneous nature of their brewing, the brew-length of their production and the their wood/barrel aging programme they have only had a few sporadic releases to date.  Those that have landed in the limited quantities they have landed in however have been beguiling.  Like Burning Sky before them, their understanding of spontaneous brewing and blending is second to none.  With a laundry list of well recieved beer already in their cannon, each one with a complexity to rival even the most Belgian of guezue. I await each new release with the kind like my son is doing with his daily countdown to Christmas.

Pub/Bar of the Year

Stoneworks, Peterborough // The Smithfield, Derby

 A

Best New Pub/Bar 2018

Kilder Bar, Birmingham

 A

Independent Retailer/Wholesaler of the Year

Jolly Good Beer (Yvan Seth)

A

Best Beer Blog or Website

Simon Johnson Award for Best Beer Twitterer/Social Media

Best Brewery Website/Social media

Pilot Brewery

Its always going to be Pilot Brewery you might as well just give up now, each acid soaked tweet is pure gold.  With their increasing focus on breaking into the heady world of office stationary always on the horizon, one day they will get rid of that stupid brewery and hit the big time.  Just remember us small people on the way there eh?!?

-fin-

ʻO Palima

 

 

Whim Ales - Arbor Light

 

Whim are one of those breweries that have been around for long enough to have a good handle on their beer.  Traditional yet seemingly by the same measure progressive long before being a forward thinking brewer was seen to be a marketable quality.  Their beers very much at their best in hands of a capable cellar person, as was the case when I happened upon Arbor Light in Derby this year.  In the comfortable surrounds of The Peacock it was was the kind of drink that could very easily ruin a day's drinking because of its sheer simplicity.  When folks talk about cask being a dying market, this is the anomaly...  Simple, clean but oh so effective!

Special Commendations:

Marble - Brett the Hitman Tart

Elusive Brewing - 2 UP

When Elusive's Andy Parker was offered the second runnings from this year's iteration of Siren's Maiden (their ongoing barrel blended anniversary barely wine) he obviously grabbed the opportunity with both hands and used the wort to concoct his very own Baby Barley Wine in 2 UP.  A full bodied beer with a rich chewy toffee/bready backbone and then an intense hit of oily marmalade followed by spoonfuls of hedgerow fruits.  Proof if ever it were needed that sometimes an IPA just won't do!

Special Commendations:

Alpha State - Plum Saison
Fixed Wheel - Mule Kick

 

Summer Wine Brewery - Diablo

Summer Wine are one of those breweries that not many folks pay attention to, but have always been quietly capable of knocking it out of the park without ever really trying.  Diablo their punchy yet approachable West Coast IPA arrived in 2011, an addictive combo of Cascade and Citra weighing in at 6%.  Fast forward to 2017 and with news in the wind that Summer Wine were moving to packaging their beers in can, furthermore Diablo was going to be one of the first into can.

From the can in 2017 this is everything that Diablo promised back in 2011, big flavour, solid malt backbone and with hefty bitterness.  A beer that proves sometimes it's not always necessary to constantly chase the new.


Special Commendations:

Mills Brewing - Saison Lees

 

Other Half - DDH Mylar Bags

Sampled as part of the Moseley Craft Beer Festival this delivered everything this year's beer style du anee promised.  A big unashamedly hoppy NEIPA, with a soft too drinkable body.  Other Half have put out some stellar beer in the UK this year through a series of collaborations with the likes of Cloudwater, Magic Rock and Northern Monk, but it was this solo brew that stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Special Commendations:

Brouweerij Van Eecke - Popperings Hommelbier

Firestone Walker - Bretta Rosé

Russian River Brewing - Pliny the Elder

 

Not new by any stretch of the imagination but a beer that has eluded me some time, I've had the odd bit here and there from Russian River through sheer luck more than anything else but not Pliny the Elder not that is until the middle of this year (a fresh in package one to boot).  Wow what a beer, seriously the kind of IPA that is endlessly drinkable, clean and doesn't drink its strength at all.  Its very easy to see why so many have spoke highly of this beer in the past and now I can too.

 

Burning Sky/Fork and Brewer - Les Amis Du Brassage

Old definitely seems to be a recurrent them for me this year, so why deny it....  Brewed way back in 2014, this collaboration between Burning Sky's Mark Tranter and Fork & Brewer's Kelly Ryan (also of numerouss UK based breweries) is a masterful take on a barrelled saison blend.  This is a beer of serious pedigree and with multiple layers of flavour that seemingly fire off one another.  The vanilla woodiness of the chardonnay barrique poke through the dry crisp base of the saison then the wild nature of the blending lambic kicks in.  All together as a package this is a stunningly well put together beer and testament to the spirit of collaboration and the friendship of brewers.

Special Commendations: 

Northern Monk/Marble - Black Hole Sun
Cloudwater/Deya/Northern Monk/Verdant - Awkward Phase

Northern Monk

 

Northern Monk's branding and packaging has really hit its stride this year thanks in no small part to their Patrons Project; a series of collaborations both across the beer industry and with the art community.  Aside from the beer inside (which was pretty fantastic in all cases) the patrons project has been a fantastic highlight as to how two radically differing areas of culture/industry can work together in an innovative manner.  Now that we have that does that then make way for a new platform for Art/Beer to interact?  I certainly hope so!

Marble Brewery, Manchester

2017 has undoubtedly been a fantastic year for Marble; not only have they recently celebrated 20 years of production they have had a year of brewing which many have viewed to be utterly faultless.  Under the direction of head brewer JK we have seen countless collaborations with a stellar cast of breweries from the world over, the establishment of a barrel programme rich with special treats and the return of a very very sorely missed beer in Dobber.  All this from a brewery that had until fairly recently been a bit of a guarded secret that the North West kept to themselves.  Its been fantastic to watch from the sidelines as people have started to take more notice of all of their efforts.

If 2017 is anything to go by then 2018 is going to be another vintage Marble year!
 
Special Commendations:

Northern Monk Brewing Co, Leeds

 

Brasserie de la Senne, Belgium

Call them old hat if you want but that will not ever take away from the fact that time and time again I find myself returning to their beers.  Tarras Boulba and Zinnebier are two essentials that should be on any beer menu purporting to have a world beer selection, and also two beers which I can get endless pleasure from drinking.  Those two aside however and you have a core lineup of beers that have an amazing array of depth and flavour from ridiculously drinkable high ABV of Jame du Bois to the barely controlled wild nature of Bruxellensis.  There is pretty much a De La Senne beer for every mood.

 

Good Chemistry Brewing, Bristol

Good Chemistry are the kind of brewery that have quietly impressed me this year, and whilst technically they have been going since 2015; its this year they have started to reach out beyond Bristol and appear in limited numbers up and down the country.  Their beer is most definitely something to track down with a wide range of well executed contemporary style already under their belt...  Want a recommendation start with Kokomo Weekend and carry on from there!

Special Commendations:

Birmingham Brewing Company
Affinity Brewing Co 

 

The Smithfield, Manchester (NQ) / The Dark Horse, Birmingham

Two up here; one local and one further afield.  First up Manchester's The Smithfield defacto home to Blackjack never fails to impress me winner of Manchester Food & Drink's "Pub of the Year" in 2016.  This place has gone from strength to strength since Blackjack took over thr reigns in 2015.  Excellent selection of beers, always well kept and an evolution for the Smithfield which in past years had started to lose it's former charm.



Closer to home (in Moseley) in fact is my second deserved nominee/winner; The Dark Horse on Alcester Road in the leafy suburbs of Birmingham is a gateway to all things about beer (and indeed bbq).  Over the last year they have appeared on my radar as an excellent addition to Birmingham with a focus on providing a gateway into more contemporary beer.  Beer is kept in exemplary condition and always with an eye on quality.  Also of note was the debut of Moseley Craft Beer Festival which was conceived by the Dark Horse as part of their efforts for this year's Birmingham Beer Week.  This was both well run and provided to serve as a reminder of the bonhomie attitude which fuelled Birmingham Beer Bash.

Special Commendations:

Clink, Birmingham
The Wolf, Birmingham

 

The Malt Miller

I thought long and hard about this and had to give it to the guys at Malt Miller because of their excellent service when ordering brewing ingredients/equipment.  But not only that as their website is also a one stop shop for homebrewing advice and inspiration.  Also this year they provided me with the opportunity to get my hands on some Yeast Bay cultures which have definitely been the reason for some of my happiest brewing mistakes this year.  Here's hoping that they get more exotic yeast cultures in next year, or even provide a permanant conduit to the smaller yeast labs over in the states on a more regular basis so that I can spend hours staring blanking at an oddly satisfying shelf full of demijohns again in the coming months.

 

Beer Compurgation (@MarkNJohnson)

 

Mark's blog has become a must read over the last year or so; covering the kinds of topics that have for a long time have gone unchecked in an industry and social sphere that is still happy to navel gaze about issues such as mental health, sexism (both covert and open) and the ethics of beer itself.  I normally spend my time on the beer Internet consuming technical brewing nonsense in the hope that it might pay dividends in my sporadicc forays into homebrewing.  So for a blog to grab my attention so much overr the last year and to have me nodding in tacit agreement is definitely a sign of a good blog.

Special Commendations:

GoodBeerHunting

 

@BeerNouveau (Steve Dunkley) 

 

Steve's voice on social media is one of reason; often times providing a steadying influence to discussions both technical or otherwise that are otherwise lost in the morass that is the Internet.  As a person and as a brewery he is engaging and open which is a quality I look for when wanting to talk beer.

Special Commendations:

@ShaneSwindells

 

@CKDSaddlers

Who else could it be that has kept me entertained and or at least partially sane this last year via the medium of twitter?  He's by far an awful lot more active in the twitter sphere than I could ever really be and he's also quite good at drinking Bathams.  A former brother in arms in things beer related in Birmingham, and also a half decent shoulder to lean on during drunken escapades (except that one where he sloped off early leaving me to go drunken shopping in Waitrose).  So yeah an all round good egg, also he won't read this because he hates lists; so there you go, keep on keeping on you bat fastard!

Pintes D'or 2016

Marble - Pint

Sometimes it's the simple things that are most pleasing and this classic from Manchester's Marble Brewery is just that.  My first encounter with this beer happened quite some time ago and it would be safe to say it has always been a grand beer (even in the shadow of its big brother Dobber).  

This iteration was slightly reformulated under new head brewer JK's watch and was an absolute delight to drink.  When we had occasion to invite Marble to the Craven Arms for a Meet the Brewer, the cask was gone within 24 hours which is in my eyes the sign of a beer done good!

Bubbling Under:

• Cloudwater - Vermont ESB
• Weird Beard - Curse of the Ryeclops
• Siren Craft Brew - Tidal Wave

Alpha State - Saison # 1

Kent based Alpha State excite me in a way that not many can or often do; the beer that Jon Queally brews tends to mostly go to international shores so what little of it is left for the domestic market should always rightfully be seen as gold dust.  Saison # 1 is no exception to this rule; essentially this a fairly straight laced beer but delivered with massive aplomb.  Kentish elder-flower and the Du Pont yeast strain are the stars here and deliver a stylish take on a classic style that is endlessly drinkable.

Bubbling Under:

• Elusive - Spectre's Lair
• Bexar County - El Diablo De Timanfaya
• Siren Craft Brew - Hillbilly Wine
• Cloudwater/Magic Rock/JW Lees - Three's Company

Little Earth Project - Organic East India Pale Ale

So get this a relatively tiny and and practically brand new brewing operation from Sussex have swept in at the 89th minute and snatched victory with their take on brewing historic styles.  Little Earth Project's Organic East India Pale Ale is far and away not the easiest drink for the uninitiated; for a start its all sour and lacks any real carbonation, its full of that woody flavour your get from fermenting exclusively in  wood.  But then equally that is the beauty of them too, a beer that confounds expectation one which is not easy but at the same time is.  I'd happily give over whatever it takes to drink this again and again and again, I think you should too!  

Bubbling Under:

• Burning Sky - Gaston
• Odyssey Brewing Co - Dr Green Thumb
• Marble - Into the Void
• Buning Sky - Descent Into the Maelstrom

Moor Beer Co

Call this a cop out if you will but I think pretty much everything that Moor Beer Co package into cans is of the most exceptional quality.  I'll be the first to admit that I am not 100 percent on board with the canning revolution and I've had more than one from a few folks that has been less than what I was expecting.  So it really is good to know that their is a level of dependency that makes all Moor beers (in can specifically) stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Be that Hoppiness, Nor Hop, So Hop, JJJ, Claudia, PMA, TFA, Agent of Evil, Guardian of Peace...  I could go on and name every beer they have in can and be happy to recommend it every time!

Bubbling Under:

• Magic Rock - Inhaler

Cigar City- Jai Alai IPA

Something familiar this, one which I have tried a few times over the years but haven't seen for a while; cue The Craven Arms scoring a rare UK bound keg in the mid part of this year and putting it on the bar.  Instantly familiar and always rewarding this is that classic American IPA done exceptionally well, one which has malt balanced so well against hops that you can go back again and again.

Pirate Life Brewing - IIPA

The beer which Pirate Life first brewed at the beginning of their journey and one which they seemingly nailed on their first attempt.  A bold and indeed balanced Double IPA which is all about drink-ability.  I had the pleasure of hosting Mick and Jack from the brewery in Birmingham a few weeks back and they bring that Australian bonhomie with them when they speak to any crowd.  If you see their beer at any point in, you should not question for a second whether to buy it.  Their beer has quality stamped across it on all levels!

Cascade Brewing - Sang Noir

I had the opportunity to try Sang Noir when Cascade Brewing first washed ashore in the early part of the year and its a beer that has stuck in my memory all year.  Having devoured Michael Tonsmiere's "American Sour" the previous year I had read much in to the positioning  of Cascade in the ascendancy of sour brewing culture in the US, but put it down as something I'd never really have the chance to experience first hand.

On opening the bottle all of the various elements are present in an un-muddled order but at the same time they are together in the most fantastic homage to the Flanders Red style as you can imagine without actually being the one.  Then the cherries kick in and it becomes a beguiling halfway house between the former and something akin to a Lou Pepe Kriek.  Its simply that good!!!

Cloudwater/Magic Rock/JW Lees - Three's Company

Collaboration is fairly common place these days; so it takes something fairly special to pique my interest and in this threeway collaboration for Manchester Beer Week all three delivered something spectacularly good.  Originally envisioned as a collaboration between Magic Rock and Cloudwater; the beer produced added an extra player through the use of JW Lees house yeast strain (whom Cloudwater had previously collaborated with as part of the further Manchester Beer Week preparations).  The beer itself took all of the best elements of both main parties knowledge and parlayed it into a spectacular display of what is possible in beer.

Cloudwater Brew Co

I think this is two years in a row for Cloudwater Brew Co and its testament to just how good their constantly evolving branding is.  All of their branding is clean and concise and provides exactly what I "the drinker" want; it gives me enough information to be able to make an informed choice as to what goes into my glass at point of sale.

Burning Sky

Mark Tranter's Burning Sky has a rare quality in today's brewing scene; one which sees attention to detail stand side by side with quality.  Its rare thing to see a brewery put out a faultless run of seasonal saison releases, alongside a well considered range of more conventional beers.  The thing that Burning Sky do particularly well is understand how all of the parts come together to make beer and for this they should be lauded...  The fact that I am writing this whilst drinking the utterly fantastic "Saison Anniversaire" and wishing it will not end is in itself its own recommendation.  

Now where did I put those two bottles of the the original run of Saison A La Provision?

Brouwerij Alvinne / Brouwerij Kees

In a year where the relative standard of brewing in the UK has been of such a high standard I've found myself at times not paying a great deal of attention to breweries from too far away from these shores.  However I have found myself returning to both Brouwerij Kees and Brouwerij Alvinne on a fairly regular basis.  

Glenn, Davy and the guys at Alvinne continue to put out an almost continual succession of to die for for sour and fruited beers.  Meanwhile Kee's puts out beer of an exceptional quality only to then usurp it by collaborating with some of the best the UK has to offer.

Bubbling Under:

• Põhjala

Lost & Grounded / Elusive Brewing

Two winners here because I can... 

 When Andy Parker initially mooted his plan to finally turn Elusive Brewing into a real life living and breathing brewery in the mid part of last year  its fair to say there was most definitely some excitement.  Some months later we finally got our first glimpse of what the up-scaled Elusive beers would actually be.  The verdict is they were good, here's to your first year  in production Andy you've deserve every plaudit that is thrown your way.

Lost and Grounded Brewers are an assured joint winner here; Alex, Annie and the brewing team have achieved an amazing run of beers in a stunningly short amount of time.  The first I heard of Lost and Grounded was a chance meeting with them in Manchester in January this year.  With their honest approach to explaining their motivations for the choice of core range, branding and equipment it meant that when I finally got to try their beer at the Meet the Brewer event at The Craven Arms it was indeed a revelation. 

The Craven Arms, Birmingham

Its a bittersweet award this one; as at the time of writing this The Craven Arms will have reverted back to what it was prior to Chris and Sharon's stewardship.  I had planned to pen my own feelings on the developments at Upper Gough Street but have not yet felt it appropriate to do so.  Over the close to four years that Chris and Sharon ran this pub there have been many many high points.  I have been honored to have worked both behind the bar and to have been given opportunity to arrange the Meet the Brewer events there also.  I've also made two very good friends who have helped me through some dark days.

Above all else the beer that passed through the cellar at Upper Gough Street has been of the most extraordinary quality; Birmingham has lost two very prescient reasons to drink within its borders...  

York you are incredibly lucky, please do not squander the opportunity in the same way in which Brum has!

Cafe Beermoth

Simply put Cafe Beermoth is the model for what all modern bars should aspire to be both cutting edge and at the same time affordable.  Using the fantastic Beermoth bottle shop as a blueprint and taking in elements from both Europe's cafe bar scene and the America's taproom culture Cafe Beermoth is a high point for beer culture.  Combining a very well conceived and put together beer list with a bottle list to die for it would be very possible to lose a few hours here, or possibly days!

Jolly Good Beer (Yvan Seth)

In my humble opinion no one person in the UK beer industry at large is more deserving of the title of "Independent Retailer of the Year" than the self confessed misanthrope that is Yvan Seth, and by extension Jolly Good Beer.  His tireless efforts towards the promotion of quality at critical points in the mechanism of beer should be sung from the trees/hills/mountains.  A true independent spirit interested in making sure good beer gets from producer to consumer in its best possible condition.  If beer advocacy groups were to get behind the ideals that Yvan talks about the industry as a whole would be in a better position to move forward in a quality focused manner that to date has at best eluded them for the most part!

Beers Manchester (Jim Cullen)

Jim's musings via Beers Manchester are incredibly pleasing to read; the man behind the sadly now defunct Independent Salford Beer Festival is a writer of much talent.  He writes from a very honest albeit slightly Northern perspective (you didn't think I'd get through this without at least one jibe did you Jim?) about all things beer.  His greatest posts this year were sadly informed by personal tragedy which were as always with Jim honest and with an underlying and very pertinent message.  If he doesn't write anything again next year he'd still have his archive of writing to be very proud of... 

Pilot Brewing (@PilotBeerUK)

Those Scottish neer'do wells at Pilot Brewing have given me more laughter this year than I thought possible; from nonchalantly providing the best food and beer pairings to running a poll on which pose would be best to strike for an impending visit from a press photographer they have provided many belly laughs.  Then there was the whole stapler business, which in itself is a whole other matter.

Oh and they make good beer too, on the odd occasion it makes it down below the border!

Cloudwater Brew Co

In an age where most of the world is driven by information; Cloudwater Brew Co have taken the issue to its logical extreme.  No other brewery questions itself so much, but in doing so they prove that openness about their processes can be parlayed into providing a fascinating insight into the mysteries of brewing.  This has seen some criticism landed at their door, and the creation of a bizarre self populating so called "hype" bubble, but with typical aplomb and without missing a beat co-owner Paul Jones has taken it all in his stride and proved that being customer focused is not a bad thing and it need not cost the earth to achieve.