Scottish success at SIBA awards

Breweries bring home the silverware in Sheffield

Scott Williams picks up his prize at the SIBA awards.

SCOTTISH breweries celebrated success at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) National Independent Beer Awards, taking home more than one third of the gold awards up for grabs at the UK-wide event.

Alloa-based Williams Bros stuck its nose ahead of the pack picking up the Supreme Champions of the Cask Beer Competition Gold award with its Williams Black, which also topped the mild and brown ales category.

Orcadian brewer Swannay Brewery secured second spot in the top cask award, picking up silver in the Champion of Cask Beer competition for its 3.9% ABV Island Hopping.

Eight Scottish brewers cleaned up at the SIBA awards, picking up a total of 11 gold awards from a possible 29.

This year’s awards was reportedly the biggest ever, with SIBA judges assessing hundreds of cask, keg, bottled and canned beers across five days before announcing the winners at the organisation’s BeerX event in Sheffield.

Success for Williams Bros marks the second year running that a Scottish brewery has won the best cask beer award, following Loch Lomond taking home the top prize last year with its citrusy Southern Summit pale ale.

Scott Williams, co founder of Williams Bros, said the gold award was a “fantastic win” and “hugely exciting” for the brewer.

“This was one of our very first beers we ever brewed, so for it to still be winning awards is amazing,” said Williams.

“Mild has an image as an older, more old-fashioned style but it’s a great beer. Maybe Mild is the new IPA.”

Jo Stewart of Stewart Brewing, which picked up Champion Keg Standard Bitters and Pale Ales Gold for its 3.7% ABV Jack Back, said competition at this year’s awards was “fierce” with many “amazing beers from well-respected brewers”.

“It’s a massive result for our whole team and our customers who continue to support us,” said Stewart.

“It was also great to see many other Scottish brewers do so well in the competition too.”

Full list of SIBA winners (Scottish breweries in bold).

Brewery Beer ABV CLASS Award
Williams Bros Brewing Co Williams Black 4.2 Supreme Champion of the Cask Beer Competition GOLD
Swannay Brewery Island Hopping 3.9 Supreme Champion of the Cask Beer Competition SILVER
Eight Arch Brewing Co. Corbel 5.5 Supreme Champion of the Cask Beer Competition BRONZE
Williams Bros Brewing Co Williams Black 4.2 Champion Cask Standard Mild & Brown Ales GOLD
Earl Soham brewery Ltd Sir Rogers porter 4.2 Champion Cask Standard Mild & Brown Ales SILVER
Blackedge Brewing Company Ltd Dark MIld 3.9 Champion Cask Standard Mild & Brown Ales BRONZE
Swannay Brewery Island Hopping 3.9 Champion Cask Standard Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
York Brewery Ltd Blonde 3.9 Champion Cask Standard Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Combined Brewers Ltd Nibley Ale 3.8 Champion Cask Standard Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Wantsum Brewery Ltd Montgomery 4.0 Champion Cask Best Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
Barngates Brewery Tag Lag 4.4 Champion Cask Best Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Black Sheep Brewery Special Ale 4.4 Champion Cask Best Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Alechemy Brewing Ltd Bad Day At The Office 4.5 Champion Cask Premium Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
Salopian Brewery Hoptwister 4.5 Champion Cask Premium Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Cullercoats Brewery Ltd Pilot 4.8 Champion Cask Premium Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Eight Arch Brewing Co. Corbel 5.5 Champion Cask Strong Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
Slater’s Ales Haka 5.2 Champion Cask Strong Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Daleside Brewery Monkey Wrench 5.3 Champion Cask Strong Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
St Austell Brewery Big Job 7.2 Champion Cask Premium Strong Beers GOLD
Harrogate Brewing Company Kursaal Imperial Stout 7.5 Champion Cask Premium Strong Beers SILVER
Black Cat Brewery Tzar Imperial Stout 6.8 Champion Cask Premium Strong Beers BRONZE
New Lion Brewery Totnes Stout 4.4 Champion Cask Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales GOLD
Great Newsome Brewery Liquorice Lads Stout 4.3 Champion Cask Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales SILVER
Bespoke Brewing Co Ltd Money for Old Rope 4.8 Champion Cask Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales BRONZE
RCH Brewery Chocolate Slug 4.5 Champion Cask Speciality Beers GOLD
Blackedge Brewing Company Ltd Ginger 4.5 Champion Cask Speciality Beers SILVER
Northern Monk Brewing Co Northern Star 5.9 Champion Cask Speciality Beers BRONZE
Fyne Ales Mills & Hills 9.5 Supreme Champion of the Small Pack Competition GOLD
Loch Lomond Brewery Silkie Stout 5.0 Supreme Champion of the Small Pack Competition SILVER
Hawkshead Brewery Lakeland Lager 5.0 Supreme Champion of the Small Pack Competition BRONZE
Strathaven Ales Craigmill Mild 3.5 Champion Small Pack Standard Mild & Brown Ales GOLD
The Loose Cannon Brewing Company Abingdon Bridge 4.1 Champion Small Pack Standard Mild & Brown Ales SILVER
Wolf Brewery Sirius Dog Star 4.4 Champion Small Pack Standard Mild & Brown Ales BRONZE
Idle Valley Brewery Ltd Vacant gesture 3.8 Champion Small Pack Standard Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
Gloucester Brewery Ltd Gloucester Gold 4.1 Champion Small Pack Standard Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Hawkshead Brewery Windermere Pale 4.0 Champion Small Pack Standard Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Thornbridge Brewery AM:PM 4.5 Champion Small Pack Premium Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
Woodfordes Nelsons Revenge 4.5 Champion Small Pack Premium Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Liberation Brewery Liberation IPA 4.8 Champion Small Pack Premium Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Purity Brewing Company Longhorn IPA 5.0 Champion Small Pack Strong Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
Irwell Works Brewery Mad Dogs & Englishmen 5.5 Champion Small Pack Strong Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Hambleton Ales LLP Thoroughbred Pale Ale 5.0 Champion Small Pack Strong Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Fyne Ales Mills & Hills 9.5 Champion Small Pack Premium Strong Beers GOLD
Lacons Brewery Audit 8.0 Champion Small Pack Premium Strong Beers SILVER
Windsor and Eton Brewery Uprising’s Treason 6.0 Champion Small Pack Premium Strong Beers BRONZE
Brass Castle Brewery Helles Lager 4.4 Champion Small Pack Standard Lager & Pilsners GOLD
The Norfolk Brewhouse DewHopper Norfolk Lager 4.0 Champion Small Pack Standard Lager & Pilsners SILVER
Charnwood Brewery Liska 4.0 Champion Small Pack Standard Lager & Pilsners BRONZE
Hawkshead Brewery Lakeland Lager 5.0 Champion Small Pack Premium Lager & Pilsners GOLD
The Norfolk Brewhouse StubbleStag 5.0 Champion Small Pack Premium Lager & Pilsners SILVER
Edinburgh Beer Factory Paolozzi 5.2 Champion Small Pack Premium Lager & Pilsners BRONZE
Loch Lomond Brewery Silkie Stout 5.0 Champion Small Pack Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales GOLD
Salopian Brewery Midnight Express 5.2 Champion Small Pack Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales SILVER
Bristol Beer Factory MIlk Stout 4.5 Champion Small Pack Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales BRONZE
Swannay Brewery Barrel Aged Orkney Porter (2014 Arran Ed) 10.5 Champion Small Pack Speciality Beers GOLD
Elgood & Sons Ltd Q E Cherry Wheat 3.6 Champion Small Pack Speciality Beers SILVER
The Five Points Brewing Company London Smoke 7.8 Champion Small Pack Speciality Beers BRONZE
Burning Sky Brewery Limited Easy Answers 6.0 Supreme Champion of the Keg Competition GOLD
Grain Brewery Slate 6.0 Supreme Champion of the Keg Competition SILVER
Grain Brewery Weizen 5.0 Supreme Champion of the Keg Competition BRONZE
Arran Brewery Arran Dark 4.3 Champion Keg Standard Mild & Brown Ales GOLD
Everards Brewery Tiger 4.2 Champion Keg Standard Mild & Brown Ales SILVER
Elgoods Brewery Ltd Black Dog 3.6 Champion Keg Standard Mild & Brown Ales BRONZE
Stewart Brewing Jack Back 3.7 Champion Keg Standard Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
Red Squirrel Brewing Company Hopfest 3.8 Champion Keg Standard Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Acorn Brewery Barnsley Bitter 3.8 Champion Keg Standard Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Charnwood Brewery American Pale Ale 4.8 Champion Keg Premium Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
New Lion Brewery Pandit 4.9 Champion Keg Premium Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
The Dark Star Brewing Co Ltd American Pale Ale 4.7 Champion Keg Premium Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Charnwood Brewery India Pale ale 5.8 Champion Keg Strong Bitters & Pale Ales GOLD
Salopian Brewery Kashmir 5.5 Champion Keg Strong Bitters & Pale Ales SILVER
Grain Brewery Pale 5.0 Champion Keg Strong Bitters & Pale Ales BRONZE
Burning Sky Brewery Limited Easy Answers 6.0 Champion Keg Premium Strong Beers GOLD
Saltaire Brewery Ltd Kala Black IPA 6.2 Champion Keg Premium Strong Beers SILVER
St. Peter’s Brewery Black IPA 7.0 Champion Keg Premium Strong Beers BRONZE
Coniston Brewery Oliver’s Lager 3.4 Champion Keg Standard Lager & Pilsners GOLD
Williams Bros Brewing Co Caesar Augustus 4.1 Champion Keg Standard Lager & Pilsners SILVER
Daleside Brewery Daleside Larger 4.0 Champion Keg Standard Lager & Pilsners BRONZE
Barngates Brewery Vienna 5.2 Champion Keg Premium Lager & Pilsners GOLD
Calvors Brewery Limited Calvors Premium Pilsner Lager 5.0 Champion Keg Premium Lager & Pilsners SILVER
St Austell Brewery Co Ltd Korev 4.8 Champion Keg Premium Lager & Pilsners BRONZE
Grain Brewery Slate 6.0 Champion Keg Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales GOLD
Thornbridge Brewery Baize 6.0 Champion Keg Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales SILVER
Hardknott Brewery Dark Energy 4.9 Champion Keg Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales BRONZE
Grain Brewery Weizen 5.0 Champion Keg Speciality Beers GOLD
The London Beer Factory Fruit Loop 4.1 Champion Keg Speciality Beers SILVER
Purple Moose Brewery Chocolate Moose 4.5 Champion Keg Speciality Beers BRONZE