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.

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.

#CraftBeerHour: Birmingham Beer Bash

Social media is a strange thing; 4 years ago it brought together the team that have latterly become known to all as @BirminghamCubed.  So with that in mind we're proud to announce that on 23rd June 2015, we have been asked to host #CraftBeerHour live on Twitter and Instagram.  The concept of a twitter hour is relatively simple, using the hash tag #craftbeerhour users can follow a live Q&A session and discussion around the focus of the hour.

2015 will be the third outing for Birmingham Beer Bash following hot on the heels of the second Birmingham Beer Bash (bCubed) in 2014 and a follow-up series of pop up bars at the Bond Co, Digbeth throughout the remainder of last year.  In three years I'd like to think that both I and the wider collective of individuals behind Birmingham Beer Bash have achieved an awful lot; for starters we took a drunken idea and made it reality and in doing so we have had a hand in galvanising the beer scene in Birmingham.  That's not to say we're entirely responsible for how far Birmingham has come in respect to beer in the last few years, oh no but we were there.  

So how then do we approach the task of hosting a twitter event focusing on beer given that we are not a producer ourselves?  Well after some debate, we thought it best to ask the core team members to each make a personal recommendation based on the breweries we have confirmed to date.  That's not to say we should disregard all of the other wonderful breweries we will have represented at this year's festival (they are all still fair game, and at last count I think we have 40 or so confirmed).  So below you will find a list of beers that we think you should stock up on and drink along with us whilst we are hosting. 

David Bascombe (@MrDavidJ)  - Sadlers: Mud City Stout (6.0%)

David Shipman (@OthertonAleman) - Wild Beer Co: Modus Operandi (7.0%)

Shaun McSweeney (@19IrishDragon) Weird Beard: 5 O'Clock Shadow (7.3%)

Chris Dixon (@ckdsaddlers) - Siren Craft Beers: Calypso (4.0%)

Tim Rowe (@PolymathTim) - Marble Beers: Dobber (5.9%)

Stewart Sandilands (@TheRealStewbert) - Kernel: Export India Porter (6.3%)

Krishan Rajput (@StirchleyWines) - Kernel: Table Beer (3.2%)

Danny Brown (@Mediocre_Dan) - Thornbridge:  Wild Raven (6.6%)

Ross Lang (@Ross1875Lang) - Siren Craft Beer: Soundwave IPA (5.6%)

Carl Durose (@CarlDurose) - Purity: Longhorn IPA (5.0%)

10 fantastic beers to get in your collective fridges during our slot; so go on charge your glasses and join us for an hour of beer celebration, questions and most likely a fair bit of general silliness...  Hang on though we promised something a bit extra didn't we?  

So we have arranged in collaboration with one of our favourite haunts The Craven Arms (@CravenArmsBrum) to make all ten of the beers above available for the evening.  We will collectively be there too enjoying a wee tipple (er read that as being entirely sensible and diligently answering your questions), so if you're in the vicinity of Birmingham and at a loose end come along and join us.

For more information regarding the concept of #craftbeerhour click here.