A STOUT produced by Loch Lomond Brewery has been named Champion Beer of Scotland by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).
The Alexandria-based brewer’s 5% ABV Silkie Stout took the top gold award at the Scottish Real Ale Festival in Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange last week.
Cromarty Brewing Co’s 5.7% ABV Rogue Wave took silver at the three-day festival, while bronze awards went to Isle of Skye Brewing Co for Young Pretender (3.8% ABV) and Castle Douglas-based Sulwath Brewers for its 4.4% ABV Black Galloway.
Loch Lomond Brewery’s most decorated beer and winner of a number of SIBA and CAMRA awards, Silkie Stout is described as a “rich and indulgent chocolate, coffee and orange stout” which is named after the mythical Silkies, or Selkies – ‘seal-people’ who were said to shed their skins to walk on land.
Fiona MacEachern, managing director of Loch Lomond Brewery, which was founded in 2011 by Fiona and Euan MacEachern, described Silkie Stout’s win as “another great achievement in Loch Lomond Brewery’s journey”.
“We are over the moon to win the Champion Beer of Scotland award,” she said.
“The Silkie Stout is one of our originals and has been a great beer for us; it has just gone from strength to strength and consistently does us proud in competition throughout the UK.”
Sarah Bellis, CAMRA’s director for Scotland and Northern Ireland, said judges were particularly impressed with Silkie Stout’s “balanced flavours of chocolate and coffee and its drinkability”.
“It truly is a beer for any occasion,” said Bellis.
