All of the medallists for the Beer and Cider Masters 2023

Bursts of flavour won out in this year’s blind tasting competition, with juicy beers and ciders from a host of tastemakers receiving medals, writes Jessica Mason.

Something that was particularly apparent during the Global Beer & Cider Masters 2023 – people are drawn towards flavour above all else. In what marked db’s 17th blind tasting competition of 2023, judges sampled approximately 36 beers and 12 ciders, ranging from imperial brown stout right through to zero-alcohol beers. However, the trends that shone most traversed styles, from a zesty hop-forward pale to an impeccable Trappist brew.

One big winner this year was Athletic Brewing, which won two Gold medals for its Upside Dawn and Run Wild beers, which impressed the judges by their level of flavour, especially considering that they were alcohol-free. From a retail perspective, Aldi secured an astounding 10 medals across its contract-brewed portfolio – most of which were flavoured and fruit beers such as its distinctive Watermelon Pale Ale and Rhum Finish Beer.

Hofmeister was awarded three medals, while Prime Time, a profit-share venture which donates funds to support the homeless, gained two medals for its lagers during this year’s tasting.

Thornbridge also fared well, winning a Gold medal for its Jaipur IPA, while Verdant also took home a Gold for its “hugely moreish” New England hazy pale ale Headband.

Our judges were struck by the drinkability of each of the offerings, noting that Harp lager from Saint James Gate was a lesson in how to achieve crispness and balance in a subtle brew. There were also a handful of more mainstream standouts, with Asahi’s Peroni showing hat can be achieved with a well-made beer, and gaining a Gold medal during the judging. But the star of the show was really Pressure Drop’s Pale Fire, a tropical, fullflavoured riff on a sessionable pale ale. Mount Saint Bernard Abbey’s Tynt Meadow Trappist Ale also hit the high notes with the judges and, even though it was more about fruit cake flavours and fullness, the judges were unanimous in describing it as a “simply outstanding beer”. An accolade that, just about, seemed to cover it.

Following on from last year’s plethora of new entrants and medal-winners, this year our judges witnessed the low and no alcohol category solidifying its reputation with four medals handed out for delicious beers that were uncompromising in terms of flavour, body and refreshment – no small challenge. Our team of tasters was clearly impressed by the progression seen in the category in just one year.

For the breweries that mixed things up, styles such as porters, stouts, wood cask and fruit-flavoured beers led the way ahead of some of the more confected and sweeter offerings. The judges felt that the true difference between those that won accolades and those that didn’t was evident in the depth of flavour, complexity and memorable nature of each product.

This year, four Gold and five Silver medals were granted in the lager category. Most interestingly, one Gold winner was a lower-calorie and caffeineinfused style, illustrating how far the brewing world has come in appealing to different lifestyle choices. Judges also applauded The Kernel for its imperial brown stout, which they said absolutely succeeded in turning a malt-forward beer into “an utter masterpiece.” >

Beer – Low & No

Brewery	Name	Country	Medal
Athletic Brewing Co	Upside Dawn	USA	Gold
Athletic Brewing Co	Run Wild	USA	Gold
Hofmeister Brewing Company	Hofmeister Ultra Low	Germany	Bronze
St Peter’s Brewery	Without® Original	UK	Bronze

 

Lager – Light Lager

Brewery	Name	Country	Medal
Asahi	Peroni	Italy	Gold
Hofmeister Brewing Company	Hofmeister Helles	Germany	Silver
Jake’s Drinks at Balfour Winery	Jake’s Lager	UK	Silver

 

Lager – International Lager

Brewery	Name	Country	Medal
Aldi	Rossini Gran Riserva	Italy	Gold
St James Gate	Harp	Ireland	Gold
Asahi	Super Dry	Japan	Silver
Aldi	Indian Pale Lager	UK	Silver

 

Lager – Lower Calorie Lager

Brewery	Name	Country	Medal
Prime Time	Prime Time Lager+ (caffeine-Infused)	UK	Gold
Prime Time	Prime Time Lager	UK	Silver

 

Ale – Hop Forward

Brewery	Name	Country	Medal
Pressure Drop	Pale Fire	UK	Master
Verdant Brewing	Headband	UK	Gold
Thornbridge Brewery	Jaipur	UK	Gold
Jake’s Drinks at Balfour Winery	Jake’s IPA	UK	Gold
St Peter’s Brewery	Pale Ale	UK	Silver
Dark Star Brewing Co	Hophead Dark Star	UK	Silver
Meantime Brewery	Meantime Anytime IPA	UK	Silver

 

Ale – Other

Brewery	Name	Country	Medal
Hofmeister Brewing Company Limited	Hofmeister Weisse	Germany	Gold
Aldi	Traditional Triple Beer	UK	Gold
Aldi	Vintage Dry Hopped Beer	UK	Bronze

 

Ale – Malt Forward

Brewery	Name	Country	Medal
Mount Saint Bernard Abbey	Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale	UK	Master
The Kernel Brewery	Imperial Brown Stout	UK	Gold
St Peter’s Brewery	Cream Stout	UK	Gold

 

Beer – Flavoured & Fruit Beer

Brewery	Name	Country	Medal
Aldi	Memphis Boulevard	UK	Gold
Aldi (Williams Bros Brewing Co)	Rubus	UK	Gold
Aldi	Watermelon Pale Ale	UK	Silver
Aldi	Passionfruit Pale Ale	UK	Silver
Aldi	Golden Ale with Elderflower	UK	Silver
Aldi	Rhum Finish Beer	UK	Silver
St Peter’s Brewery	Plum Porter	UK	Bronze

Cider

Now in its fourth year, the Global Cider Masters showcased a diverse range of products lined up for the judges to taste – and gave a whistlestop tour of the globe too.

In terms of what stole the show, the modern-style category won hands down with offerings from around the world gaining Master medals, from Canada and the UK to South Africa.

In terms of flavoured ciders, refreshing styles were preferred over anything overly sweet and fruit-infused, not an easy thing to achieve within this category. Here, two authentic fruited ciders in particular proved the category’s versatility, picking up two Gold medals. These were: Loxtonia Cider’s African Sundowner Baobab Flavoured Apple Cider, andMont-Rouge Strawberry & Basil Cider by Cidrerie Arista in Canada.

Cider – Traditional/West Country

Cider House	Name	Country	Medal
Westons Cider	Henry Westons Vintage Cloudy	UK	Gold
Westons Cider	Henry Westons Vintage	UK	Gold
Bristol Cider Company Limited	Bristol Cider – Steam	UK	Silver
Mistérios da Quinta Unipessoal	aRRebITa	Portugal	Silver

 

Cider – Natural Sparkling

Cider House	Name	Country	Medal
Arba Wine	Adem Alma 2022	Kazakhstan	Master

 

Cider – Modern Style

Cider House	Name	Country	Medal
Cidrerie Arista	Dublin’s Pub Authentic	Canada	Master
Jake’s Drinks at Balfour Winery	Jake’s Cider	UK	Master
Sxollie	Golden Delicious	South Africa	Master

 

Cider – Speciality

Cider House	Name	Country	Medal
Mistérios da Quinta Unipessoal	aRReblTa	Portugal	Gold

 

Cider – Flavoured

Cider House	Name	Country	Medal
Loxtonia Cider	African Sundowner Baobab Flavoured Apple Cider	South Africa	Gold
Cidrerie Arista	Mont-Rouge Strawberry & Basil	Canada	Gold

Looking ahead to 2024, it seems likely that we’re going to see more flavourful global brands, as well as speciality and modern-style beers and ciders, not to mention an increase in natural sparkling and west country options that will become more available.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the rise of fine cider and independent premium beers that are low in ABV will continue, with products created to answer the demands increasingly made by consumers. Now that the categories are no longer in their infancy, the quality of offerings in the Global Beer and Cider Masters has, as we can see, already begun to rise.

About the competition

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