The finalists in the 5th annual Scottish Beer Awards have been announced with 207 beers all brewed in Scotland progressing to the finals of the national competition, sponsored by ALDI.
The awards programme is the largest independent assessment of the Scottish brewing sector on record and the results provide an important indicator into the quality of Scottish beer and the performance of Scotland’s brewing businesses.
In a challenging year for breweries when many had their on trade business devastated by the impact of the pandemic, organisers of the awards made a commitment to stage the competition in an effort to present medals and assist brewers with positive publicity before Christmas.
In September, 314 beers were tasted blind by a panel of 26 judges which include many of the UK’s foremost brewing and beer experts. Samples were marked in a carefully staged COVID compliant process which booked judges into socially distanced sessions under the licence of the Edinburgh Corn Exchange.
The tasting competition is also supported by 41 written submissions from brewing businesses which have been judged in a day of business judging in areas including business performance, product development, branding, sales, and marketing. 6 breweries have been selected in the Scottish Brewery of the Year category and these are 71 Brewing, Bellfield Brewery, Drygate, Fierce Beer, Loch Lomond Brewery and Stewart Brewing.
Chair of the judging panel, Hilary Jones, commented.
“It has been an extremely challenging year for Scottish - and global - brewing but it has been inspiring to read how many of the brewers in Scotland have taken some of the challenges head on. This year we were particularly impressed with the quality of the entries in the business categories, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of many of the smaller businesses in the sector during the pandemic. We learned about some really innovative thinking, with breweries turning their hand to new skills in order to protect their businesses, stay relevant and engage directly with their loyal consumers. Congratulations to all the entrants, we have much to be proud of our Scottish brewing sector this year.”
Since inception, the Scottish Beer Awards has been sponsored by ALDI. Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director for ALDI Scotland, commented;
“It has been a very difficult year for breweries and we very much support the efforts of the Scottish Beer Awards in presenting awards this year. In the most adverse of circumstances, Scotland’s breweries continue to produce outstanding beer and we’re very proud at ALDI to be able to continue to support the growth of the brewing sector in Scotland through our ongoing collaborations. We wish all the finalists the very best of luck in this year’s competition.”
All medal winners will be announced as part of a live digital broadcast which takes place on Thursday 26 November 2020 at 630pm. The event which is staged as a virtual awards celebration will be presented live from Glasgow by comedian and broadcaster, Des Clarke. The ticketed event will be staged using the latest event technology with guests able to join virtual tables, network with other guests, watch live interviews with winners and celebrate as the awards are presented.
The awards programme created and designed by KD Media in 2015, is also raising funds for The BEN, the Benevolent Society of the Licensed Trade of Scotland and guests will be encouraged to make donations on the night to support the charity.
THE FINALISTS IN FULL
TASTE AWARDS
BEER OF THE YEAR
This award will be presented to the highest scoring beer in the competition and will be announced at the digital event.
BEST AMBER OR DARK ALE
Ferry Alt; The Ferry Brewery
Highlander; Fyne Ales
Inveralmond Brewery Lia Fail; The Innis and Gunn Brewing Company
Pavlov's Dog; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Rivet Red; 71 Brewing
The J'Ale; Brew Toon
Vital Spark; Fyne Ales
BEST AMPLIFIED BEER SPONSORED BY CARA TECHNOLOGY
AlmondHill; The Ferry Brewery
Auld Toon; six°north
Big Joe; Overtone Brewing
BLACK; The Ferry Brewery
Immovable Object; Drygate Brewing Co
Jim's Treble; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Lost Monster; Loch Lomond Brewery
Marshmallow Milk Stout; Barney's Beer
Old Jock Scotch Ale; Broughton Ales Ltd
VERY BIG MOOSE; FIERCE BEER
VP04; The Innis and Gunn Brewing Company
BEST BARREL-AGED BEER
Barrel-Aged Imperial Cafe Racer; Fierce Beer
Bourbon Barrel-Aged Very Big Moose; Fierce Beer
Lost in Leith 1; Campervan Brewery
Lost in Leith 2; Campervan Brewery
Lost in Leith 3; Campervan Brewery
Nightmare of Cake; Drygate Brewing Co
Ol' Seamus; Barneys Beer
Origins Brewing – Elegy; Fyne Ales
Origins Brewing - Expedition II; Fyne Ales
Over the sea to Skye; Cuillin Brewery
Tennents Whisky Oak Aged; Tennent Caledonian Breweries
The Original; The Innis and Gunn Brewing Company
Uisge Beatha Stout; Spey Valley Brewery
Wolf of Glen Moray; Windswept Brewing Co
BEST BRITISH-STYLE ALE
Belhaven Scottish Ale; Belhaven Brewery
Blonde; Windswept Brewing Co
Edinburgh Gold; Stewart Brewing
Fraoch; Williams Bros Brewing Co
G40; WEST Brewery
Inveralmond Brewery Ossian; The Innis and Gunn Brewing Company
Maverick; Fyne Ales
Stewart's 80/-; Stewart Brewing
Wolf; Windswept Brewing Co Ltd
BEST FRUITED SOUR BEER
Blueberry And Pomegranate Sour; Overtone Brewing
Caught By The Fuzz; 71 Brewing
Cherry Crush; Brew Toon
Fierce By Nature: Wild Bramble Sour; Fierce Beer
Jam Slam; 71 Brewing
Mimosa; Campervan Brewery
Mirabelle Plum And Ginger Gose; Overtone Brewing
Oh Ya Bassa; Winton Brewery
Origins Brewing – Acres; Fyne Ales
Sour to the People; Brew Toon
Trinitone (Grapefruit) Blast; Drygate Brewing Co
Trinitone (Raspberry) Blast; Drygate Brewing Co
BEST FRUIT-FORWARD BEER
Big Blue; Stewart Brewing
Cranachan Killer; Fierce Beer
Disco Forklift Truck; Drygate Brewing Co
Hoppy Botanist; Campervan Brewery
Mango Unchained; Brew Toon
Mangoes on the Run; The Innis and Gunn Brewing Company
Otis; Williams Bros Brewing Co & ALDI
Raspberry Carronade; Brew Toon
Raspberry Ripple; Brew Toon
Raspberry Sun; Reids Gold Brewing Company Ltd
Rubus; Williams Bros Brewing Co & ALDI
Stooty Fruity; Winton Brewery
Wit Man!; Overtone Brewing
BEST IMPERIAL OR DOUBLE IPA
Big Yin; Overtone Brewing
Black Rain; Loch Lomond Brewery
Double Joker IPA; Williams Bros Brewing Co
D-Up; The Ferry Brewery
Fancy Juice; Fierce Beer
Sapien; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Unstoppable Force; Drygate Brewing Co
BEST IPA SPONSORED BY BREWERS SELECT
Anti-Establishment IPA; ALDI UK
Big Sur West Coast IPA; Overtone Brewing
Bravehop; Loch Lomond Brewery
Gladeye IPA; Drygate Brewing Co
Hare of the Dog; Hurly Burly Brewery
Hip Pop; Stewart Brewing
Hop Pinata; WooHa Brewing Company
Hopo 6.2 IPA; Broughton Ales Ltd
Hothead IPA; Stewart Brewing
India Pale Ale; Cross Borders Brewing Company
Klute; Williams Bros Brewing Co & ALDI
Pale Keith; Keith Brewery
Radical Road; Stewart Brewing
Roubaix; six°north
Split Shift; Fierce Beer
Studio 54; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Tin Man; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Tornado; Windswept Brewing Co
BEST JUICY OR HAZY BEER
Citra Ekuanot New England IPA; Cross Borders Brewing Company
Ferry American; The Ferry Brewery
Hazy IPA; Stewart Brewing
Late Shift; Fierce Beer
Lotus Oat Cream NEIPA; Overtone Brewing
Luminous Lights; 71 Brewing
Northern Hemisphere; Overtone Brewing
Oatmeal Pale Ale; Cross Borders Brewing Company
Southern Hemisphere; Overtone Brewing
Southern Summit; Loch Lomond Brewery
Spey's Software ; Spey Valley Brewery
Yippie IPA; St Andrews Brewing Company
Zoom Time; Loch Lomond Brewery
BEST LAGER
Bearface Lager; Drygate Brewing Co
Craft Lager; Bellfield Brewery
Craft Lager; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Franz; Stewart Brewing
Grape and Grain; Reids Gold Brewing Company
Hopo Blonde Gluten Free Lager; Broughton Ales
Lager Beer; The Innis and Gunn Brewing Company
Munich Red; WEST Brewery
St Mungo; WEST Brewery
Stewart's Lager; Stewart Brewing
Tennents Gluten Free Beer; Tennent Caledonian Breweries
Tennents Lager; Tennent Caledonian Breweries
Tennents Light Lager; Tennent Caledonian Breweries
WEST 4; WEST Brewery
BEST LOW OR NO ALCOHOL BEER
Designated Driver; Reids Gold Brewing Company
Hop 0%; Broughton Ales Ltd
Low; Barney's Beer
NIX; WEST Brewery
Yardarm Lager; Jump Ship Brewing
BEST PALE ALE SPONSORED BY KEGSTAR
90 Mile Pale; Overtone Brewing
Cascadian East; Stewart Brewing
Cloud Fall; 71 Brewing
Hollyrood; Stewart Brewing
Kai Pai; Stewart Brewing
North Sea Haar; Reids Gold Brewing Company
Pale Ale ; St Andrews Brewing Company
Peelywally; Winton Brewery
Small Giant; Stewart Brewing
Southern Summit; Loch Lomond Brewery
TA; The Organic Laundry-Hidden Lane Brewery
Talking Head; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Winter Sunshine; Spey Valley Brewery
BEST PILSNER
1814; Spey Valley Brewery
Bohemian Pilsner; Bellfield Brewery
Caesar Augustus; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Electric Café; Loch Lomond Brewery
Fierce Pilsner; Fierce Beer
Pilsner; Cross Borders Brewing Company
BEST PORTER
Cafe Racer; Fierce Beer
Coffee Porter; Windswept Brewing Co Ltd
Dirty Sanchez; Fierce Beer
Glasgow Porter; Out of Town Brewing
Leith Porter; Campervan Brewery
Midnight Sun; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Rauch n Roll; WooHa Brewing Company Ltd
Sugar Bush; The Ferry Brewery
The Shortie; Brewgooder / Ardberg
BEST SESSION BEER
Birds & Bees; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Echelon ; six°north
Green Monkey Wheat; Reids Gold Brewing Company
Heffen Heff; Fierce Beer
Heidi-Weisse; WEST Brewery
Hurricane; Windswept Brewing Co Ltd
IPA; St Andrews Brewing Company
Jarl; Fyne Ales
Kvltvre; Barney's Beer
Leith Juice; Campervan Brewery
Omnium; six°north
Perfect Storm; Williams Bros Brewing Co & ALDI
Session IPA; Stewart Brewing
Wanderlust; six°north
Wee Braw; Cross Borders Brewing Company
BEST SOUR BEER
BA Hopocrisy; six°north
Blood of Nidhoggr; Fierce Beer
Exhale; six°north
Fierce by Nature: Brett IPA; Fierce Beer
Flemish Black; six°north
Inhale; six°north
Origins Brewing - Home 3-Year Blend 2018; Fyne Ales
Sour Red Rye; Barney's Beer
Unfinished Symphony; Drygate Brewing Co
Zest Life; six°north
BEST SPECIALITY BEER
Belgian Saison; The Ferry Brewery
Bombini; six°north
Bounty Like It; Reids Gold Brewing Company
Brevet; six°north
Coco Noco; Drygate Brewing Co
Coconut Cookie; Reids Gold Brewing Company
Eskimo Joe; Fierce Beer
Ethiopian Coffee IPA; Overtone Brewing
Great White; Loch Lomond Brewery
Hi-Hefe; The Ferry Brewery
Last Sheep Sheared; Hurly Burly Brewery Ltd
Maple Pancake; Fierce Beer
Origin; six°north
Transient 2; Campervan Brewery
BEST STOUT
Cauld Reekie; Stewart Brewing
Chokka Blokka; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Dark Nite; Brew Toon
March of the Penguins; Williams Bros Brewing Co
Moose Mousse; Fierce Beer
Orinoco ; Drygate Brewing Co
Silkie Stout; Loch Lomond Brewery
Spey Stout; Spey Valley Brewery
Stout Jock: Black Thistle Malt Stout; Broughton Ales
Stout Keith; Keith Brewery
Tennents Export Stout; Tennent Caledonian Breweries
WEST Black; WEST Brewery
White Russian; Stewart Brewing
Witch Pricker; Windswept Brewing Co Ltd
BUSINESS AWARDS
BREWER OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY CLOSE BROTHERS BREWERY RENTALS
Tony Kotronis; Consolidated Craft Breweries
Daniel Miller; Overtone Brewing
Barry Reid; Reids Gold Brewing Company
Craig Scotland; Stewart Brewing
Simon Roberts; WEST Brewery
BEST BEER BAR
Cross Borders Brewing Company – Portobello, Edinburgh
six°north - Stonehaven
St Andrews Brewing Company – St Andrews
The Innis and Gunn Brewing Company – Leith, Edinburgh
Winton Brewery – Dunbar, East Lothian
BEST BEER DESTINATION
Bellfield Brewery
Stewart Brewing
The Innis and Gunn Brewing Company
WEST Brewery
EXCELLENCE IN BRANDING SPONSORED BY RANKIN BROTHERS & SONS
Barney's Beer
Bellfield Brewery
Cuillin Brewery
Jump Ship Brewing
Loch Lomond Brewery
Stewart Brewing
The Ferry Brewery
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY MUNTONS
Barney's Beer
Keith Brewery Ltd.
Loch Lomond Brewery
Stewart Brewing
Williams Bros Brewing Co
Windswept Brewing Co Ltd
SALES TEAM OF THE YEAR
71 Brewing
Stewart Brewing
WooHa Brewing Company
SCOTTISH BREWERY OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY ALDI
71 Brewing
Bellfield Brewery
Drygate Brewing Co
Fierce Beer
Loch Lomond Brewery
Stewart Brewing