No 9 Barley Wine wins champion beer of Britain

Coniston Brewery’s No 9 Barley Wine  has been named champion beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival.

The brewery in Cumbria created a 8.5% ABV classic strong golden beer, which is brewed only once a year.

The beer won the competition after a blind tasting conducted by beer experts and judges. It was brought forward to the competition after winning the winter category.

Roger Protz from the judging panel said of the winner, “The judges in the final tasting were overjoyed by the tremendous quality of the beers this year. There wasn’t a poor beer in the competition, and they were all of the highest quality. It was a tough choice, and the final results were very close.”

David Smith of Coniston brewery, said, “We were delighted to win the competition in 1998 with Bluebird, and we are delighted to win again! We’ve always been at the top and we’re glad to regain the recognition we deserve. It’s an all-British beer using solely British ingredients, very fitting for this Diamond Jubilee year.”

The silver winner was Green Jack Brewery Trawlerboys Best Bitter with the bronze going to Dark Star, America Pale Ale.

Overall winners:
Gold – Coniston, No.9 Barley Wine (from Coniston, Cumbria)
Silver – Green Jack, Trawlerboys Best Bitter (from Lowestoft, Suffolk)
Bronze – Dark Star, American Pale Ale (from Horsham, West Sussex)

Mild category:
Gold – Rudgate, Ruby Mild (from York, North Yorkshire)
Silver – Hobsons, Hobsons Mild (from Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire)
Bronze – Son of Sid, Muckcart Mild (from Little Gransden, Bedfordshire)

Bitter category:
Gold – Purple Moose, Snowdonia Ale (from Porthmadog, Gwynedd)
Silver – Tintagel, Castle Gold (from Tintagel, Cornwall)
Joint Bronze – Flowerpots, Bitter (from Cheriton, Hampshire)
Joint Bronze – Fuller’s, Gale’s Seafarers Ale (from London, W4)
Joint Bronze – Salopian, Shropshire Gold (from Shrewsbury, Shropshire)

Best Bitters category:
Gold – Green Jack, Trawlerboys Best Bitter (from Lowestoft, Suffolk)
Silver – Salopian, Hop Twister (from Shrewsbury, Shropshire)
Joint Bronze – Oakwell, Senior Bitter (from Barnsley, South Yorkshire)
Joint Bronze – Milton, Pegasus (from Milton, Cambridgeshire)

Golden Ales category:
Gold – Dark Star, American Pale Ale (from Horsham, West Sussex)
Silver – Cumbrian Legendary Ales, Langdale (from Hawkshead, Cumbria)
Bronze – Hobsons, Town Crier (from Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire)

Strong Bitter category:
Gold – Dark Star, Festival (from Horsham, West Sussex)
Silver – O’Hanlon’s, Stormstay (from Whimple, Devon)
Bronze – Highland, Orkney IPA (from Swannay, Orkney)

Speciality Beers category:
Gold – Dunham Massey, Chocolate Cherry Mild (from Dunham Massey, Gtr Manchester)
Silver – Little Valley, Hebden’s Wheat (from Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire)
Bronze – Nethergate, Umbel Magna (from Pentlow, Essex)

Champion Winter Beer of Britain (from category winners announced in January 2012):
Coniston, No.9 Barley Wine (from Coniston, Cumbria)
Hammerpot, Bottle Wreck Porter (from Poling, West Sussex)
Cairngorm, Black Gold (from Aviemore, Highlands)
Driftwood, Alfie’s Revenge (from St Agnes, Cornwall)

Champion Bottled Beer of Britain winners:
Gold – Stewart, Embra (from Loanhead, Midlothian)
Silver – Great Gable, Yewbarrow (from Egremont, Cumbria)
Bronze – Molson Coors, Worthington’s White Shield (from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire)