Aureum Sextarii 2015

Winner:

• Weird Beard – Faithless Spreadsheet Ninja

Bubbling Under:

• The Cheshire Brewhouse – Govinda (BA Chevalier Edition)
• Siren – Caribbean Chocolate Cake

It takes a beer of some class to usurp everything that has come before this late in the year, however Weird Beard managed just that with Faithless Spreadsheet Ninja.  The beer a Black Pilsner was dreamt up by Weird Beard head brewer Bryan Spooner and primarily intended to be packaged in bottle and keg (as you would expect for a pilsner); but for two casks which adds to the rather special nature of the beer.  One cask was sent out to Camden for Weird Beard’s own official launch whilst the other winded its way to the Craven Arms, Birmingham.

The spreadsheet ninja series of beers from Weird Beard were designed primarily by Gregg Irwin to showcase his preference for the colder crisper Germanic styles of beer, have been well received since their inception, a chance mishearing/typo led to Bryan being given the keys to the castle.  A darker variant (pitch darker in fact) of the classic pilsner profile with more akin to the dryer darker laagered beers of Japan; is packed full of fruity aromas and pleasing smack of the breweries signature hop bring this to beer to life.  In cask this is a beer of many layers initially appearing to be porter-esque but on second inspection reveals that classic crisp pilsner profile.  The beer lasted just shy of 24 hours on the bar at the Craven Arms and to me that is testament to how deserving this beer is to be crowned my UK Cask Beer of the year in this year’s Golden Pints.  

Winner:

• Cloudwater – Summer Lager

Bubbling Under:

• Almasty – Kettle Sour
• Burning Sky – Flanders Red

Cloudwater have achieved many things this year, not least delivering a damn good hop laden hit in their Humulus Lupus celebrating DIPA; however I find myself rewinding back to summer and their understated but incredibly drinkable Summer Lager for my choice in UK Keg Beer of the year.  All at once Summer Lager delivers thirst quenching clean sustenance on so many levels that it has stuck with me since.  To have achieved this in such a way and with primarily British ingredients shows that restraint can work wonders.  This should be held up as the blueprint for all British laagered beers; if you missed it you should be begging Paul, James et al to make it again next year!

Winner:

• Wild Beer - The Blend, Summer 2015

Bubbling Under:

• Cloudwater - DIPA
• Burning Sky - Cuvée

Wild Beer are noted in the UK beer scene as being very happy to use time to create their fantastic beers and in the Summer 2015 edition of The Blend that is exactly what they have done.  Three years in the making this is an homage to the classic Belgian Gueuze style, but to call it an homage does The Blend a disservice because this beer (the product of blending together five beers including one of their first beers that went into barrel three years ago) is as damn near close to Gueuze as you can get without getting into that grey area of openly using protected terms.  The best thing about this beer is that it heralds the long awaited start of Wild Beer’s blending programme and whatever treasure that will bring forth!

Winner:

• Magic Rock - Cannonball

Bubbling Under:

• Moor Beer Co - Hoppiness

The long awaited canned range from Magic Rock arrived late in the year but what beautiful things they are; of the three launched in can Cannonball is my personal stand out.  Sweet tropical body, gives way to a long bitter finish, it’s been a classic since it first launched and now its ultra-portable too.

Winner:

• Gueuzerie Tilquin – Draft

Bubbling Under:

• Brouwerij Emelisse – Crème Brûlée Stout
• Yeastie Boys - Gunnamatta

I have long awaited a chance to try the draft version of Tilquin (also the bottled Mûre Tilquin à L'ancienne) and that opportunity came at this year's Indy Man Beer Con.  It delivered in spades, now all I need in my life is for draft Tilquin to make an appearance in Birmingham.

Winner:

• Brouwerij Alvinne – Beer Geek Wedding IV

Bubbling Under:

• Brouwerij Lindermans/Mikeller – Spontanbasil
• Upright Brewing - Seven

Not enough is said about Brouwerij Alvinne for my liking; the brewery which has been active since the early 2000s has been casually knocking out some of the best wild and sour fermented beers (certainly from my perspective at least) for some time.  Beer Geek Wedding IV is a blend released occasionally to celebrate the special day of select friends of the brewery.   This most recent edition a blend of two of their fruited cuvée and their Flanders Red 'Kerasus'.  Separately these beers would be really quite lovely, but together they are on another level.

Winner:

• 21st Amendment - Back to Black

Bubbling Under:

• Modern Times – Blazing World

A slew of 21^st Amendment can’s made it into the UK earlier this year much to the annoyance of the brewery themselves.  I managed to find one of these decidedly grey imports (in fact the last one on the shelf) before the realisation of their decidedly dodgy route to the UK came to light and it was utterly sublime.  An aggressively hop forward IPA with colour a plenty; this lands on the right side of the ongoing debate regarding the notion of the Black IPA.

Winner:

• Wild Beer/Hanging Bat/Tim Anderson - Yadokai

Bubbling Under:

• Hawkshead/Crooked Stave - Key Lime Tau

Wild Beer are noted for their mind bending ability to produce beer that adds a little something extra and Yadokai is no different.  When they collaborate (as they have in this instance Hanging Bat Brewery, Blackfriars Restaurant and MasterChef winner 2012 Tim Anderson) all concepts of normalcy are effectively thrown out of the window.  At the heart of Yadokai is a strong Belgian ale, but that is where the simplicity ends; flaked rice, sea buckthorn, yuzu and sake yeast combine to make one of the most beguiling beers I've had the pleasure of this year.

Winner:

• Cloudwater Brew Co

Cloudwater are worthy successors to the previous occupants (Wild Beer) of this category to me, thanks in no small part to their approach to their branding.  Branding which is informed in a similar way to their constantly shifting focus on seasonality.  Each season's beers are given over to local artists who can do with the template whatever they feel is most fitting.  The end result is a brand which is infinitely defined but changing; it is to channel my inner Kevin MacLeod: approaching a modern state of zen!

Winner:

• Buxton Brewery

Bubbling Under:

• Cloudwater Brew Co
• Almasty Brewing Co
• Burning Sky

A huge and unequivocal nod toward Geoff, Colin and all of the guys involved in the day to day operation of Buxton Brewery.  The Buxton team have knocked things out of the park several times this year and still seemingly come back with more; the only question is when are going to see Double Ace? 

Winner:

• Brouwerij Lindermans/Mikeller – Spontanbasil

Bubbling Under:

• Wild Beer/Firestone Walker - Violet Underground

Spontanbasil came from left of centre this year a collaborative effort between two breweries to skew accepted norms.  Mikkeller have been producing the 'spontan' series for several years now (with varying success), so when this curious herb infused beer was announced it was naturally going to need a bottle befitting it.  The end result a screen printed green design based on the classic Lindermans branding with a gentle nod to Mikkeller should by all rights be considered an instant classic.

Winner:

• Brouwerij Kees

Bubbling Under:

• Brouwerij Alvinne

I've long been a fan of Kees Bubberman’s beers so when the former head brewer of the masterful Brouwerij Emelisse announced he was going it alone late in 2014 my anticipation only began to build.  Brouwerij Kees has hit the ground running and the beer has been exceptional to the point that I have actively sought out any and all that has reached this shore. 

Winner:

• Cloudwater Brew Co
• Almasty Brewing Co

Bubbling Under:

• Chorlton Brewing Co
• Three Blind Mice Brewery

Joint winners for me this year both Cloudwater Brew Co and Almasty Brewing Co have had undeniably good year’s in beer this year.  The former made a bang on their arrival in Feb/March and have been consistent in their output since.  I’ve also had the pleasure of hosting both Paul (Jones) and James (Campbell) at the inaugural Meet the Brewer event at the Craven Arms in September this year.  Both Paul and James were well received by the audience and have helped lay out the blueprint for future events that are planned for 2016.  They have had many Eureka moments in this first year and principle in this cannon is their celebratory DIPA; packed to bursting point with hops whilst remaining eminently drinkable (by the gallon).

Almasty Brewing Co have been quietly plugging away putting out an exemplary range of beers that explore the further reaches of what is possible within the scope beer.  The moment I realised just how good Mark’s beers are were with his Kettle Sour at Birmingham Beer Bash a refreshing sour that was on the tongue for a fleeting moment before vanishing completely. It takes an awesome talent to nail that kind of clean sour so early in a breweries history and Almasty have done just that!

Winner:

• The Craven Arms

Three year's now I've awarded my pub of the year to The Craven Arms and for good reason; under the direction of Chris and Sharon Sherratt this pub continues to go from strength to strength.  Every day is a beer festival at the Craven Arms, with a range of beers selected from the good and the great from not just the UK but from the world over.  The cellarmanship of all of the beers that come and go to the Craven is exemplary, with every single pint poured being served at its absolute best.  More recently Team Craven have started a calendar of events focusing on the best breweries in the UK and bringing them wholesale to Birmingham to engage with a community of beer drinkers which has not always been so well served.

Winner:

• Magic Rock Tap

I don't get out as much as I used to but for sheer anticipation I feel that the Magic Rock Tap is a deserved winner of Best New Pub/Bar Opening 2015.  Maybe just maybe I'll possibly even venture up there as well next year to confirm my suspicions. 

Winner:

• Indy Man Beer Con
• Birmingham Beer Bash

Joint winners for me again this year; two festivals which both show and highlight the camaraderie of the modern beer scene in both the UK and further afield.  Between them there is surely the blueprint for the best UK beer related festival ever! 

Winner:

• Marks & Spencer's

Supermarkets are admittedly something of a blight on the UK highstreet.  That aside though and due in no small part to their efforts to engage the modern drinker M&S have really upped their game in terms of the range of beers they stock in the last 12 months.

Winner:

• Beer Moth

Bubbling Under:

• Cotteridge Wines
• Stirchley Wines
• Jolly Good Beer

A worthy winner this year; after a chance to revisit this excellent bottle shop again this year it reaffirmed why I believe that a small well selected range of beer in a complimentary location and with a committed, knowledgeable and friendly staff is tantamount to being a good bottle shop.

Winner:

• Etre Gourmet

The prices and range of beer available from Etre Gourmet often defy belief; it is to my knowledge one of the only places that regularly stocks a huge range of beers from many Belgian producers both past and present.

Winner:

• Matt Curtis (Total Ales)

Bubbling Under:

• JC's Beer Blog

My nominee here is less a nomination for a specific blog this year more for a writer whose style has matured and come of age this year.  Admittedly I've not always got on with Matt's writing; however early this year he published a piece for Good Beer Hunting titled 'Oak & Magic - Discovering Lambic and Gueuze in Pajottenland and the Zenne Valley'.  In my eyes this is the writing of someone who has slipped the shackles of amateurism and has taken on an altogether more mature view of beer in the modern age.

Winner: 

• @CraftBeerHour

My winner this year is someone I feel has helped to unify beer twitter in the last 12 months; on a weekly basis Tom has tirelessly played compere once a week to ensure each week's hosts are both well received and fully briefed on the format.  I have even had the dubious honour of being part of the hosting team myself, and the even more dubious honour of getting the #CraftBeerHour tag trending in the UK.

Winner:

• Cloudwater Brew Co

Bubbling Under:

• Pilot Beer Co

Cloudwater Brew Co I feel are communicators extrodinaire; this is due in no small part to owner Paul Jones excellent helming of the social media channels with a level of professional bon homie.  Throw into the mix a well written and genuinely informative complimentary brewery blog and you have the full package.