The national awards programme for Scottish brewing has revealed the names of the best beers brewed in Scotland this year as part of its annual competition.

The 6th annual Scottish Beer Awards, sponsored by Aldi, has named 18 gold medal winning beers as the highest rated beers in Scotland according to 34 expert tasters who participated in a wide-ranging blind tasting competition.

The competition judges various according to their beer style with marks awarded for quality, appearance, and flavour without judges having any information on brewers, branding or labels.

The ultimate award of the competition, Scottish Brewery of the Year, went to Aberdeen’s Fierce Beer who collected 10 medals and a record breaking 6 gold medals.  The brewery was commended by the judges for its transformational journey which resulted in phenomenal sales success and high-quality production.   The team also collected the prize for Product Development Team of the Year.

Glasgow’s Drygate Brewery were the second most successful brewer in the competition after collecting 8 medals including 1 gold medal.   In Edinburgh, Bellfield Brewery collected the gold medal for its Marzen Festival Lager in the Best Lager category and newcomer, Cold Town Brewery collected the Gold Medal for Best Pilsner for their popular Cold Town Lager, brewed in pilsner style. 

Hilary Jones, Chair of the Judging Panel commented,

“The Scottish Beer Awards is quite possibly the largest and most comprehensive beer competition now in the UK.   The results are endlessly fascinating, and this is helped by the fact we rate our entered beers against some of the world’s biggest selling brands which are also assessed.  The results show that Scottish beers are simply the best in the world.

“Congratulations to all our winners and we wish them every success as they continue their journeys out of an incredibly challenging year and into a busy Christmas period and successful 2022.”

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland commented:

“It’s a huge priviledge for all of us at Aldi to be able to show out support to the world leading Scottish brewing industry by sponsoring the Scottish Beer Awards for the sixth year in a row.  There’s no denying it's been a really tough couple of years for the beer industry but we at Aldi remain completely committed to providing a platform for sharing amazing beers with our Scottish shoppers. 

“This month we celebrate our 25th Scottish Beer Festival and we are already looking forward to planning our next 25 festivals and working with more breweries than ever before.  Congratulations to all the winners.”

The awards programme was broadcast live on digital media to ticket holders and nearly 200 guests working in Scottish brewing attended the live dinner in Glasgow, presented by comedian Des Clarke. 

 HIGHLIGHTS

·        Three brewers collected multiple Gold Medals Fierce Beer, Aberdeen (6) Stewart Brewing (2) and Born Brewery (2)

·        Bellfield Brewery’s Marzen Festival Lager won Gold Medal for Best Lager.

·        Cold Town Lager won Gold in Best Pilsner for their Cold Town Lager, brewed in pilsner style

·        Fierce Beer collected the most Gold medals in the competition winning 6

·        Coco-Noco by Drygate won Gold in Best Stout for the first time and ended a three-year run of Gold Medals for their Orinoco Stout which still came in 2nd place with Silver.

THE SCOTTISH BEERS THAT BEAT THE GLOBAL BRANDS

·        Bellfield Brewery’s Marzen Festival Lager scored higher than Budweiser

·        Drygates’ Coco Noco, a Stout, scored higher than Guinness

·        Fierce Beer’s Late Shift, a Hazy IPA, scored higher than Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing

·        Jump Ship’s Yard Arm, an alcohol free lager, scored higher than Heineken 0.0

·        Cold Town Lager, a Pilsner, scored higher than Budvar

For full details visit www.scottishbeerawards.co.uk. 

#scotbeerawards21

Full List of Winners:

Scottish Brewery of the Year

WINNER: Fierce Beer

Bellfield Brewery

Cold Town Beer

Drygate Brewing

Tennent Caledonian

Windswept Brewing Co.

 

Best Lager or Pilsner

GOLD:  Bellfield Brewery, Marzen Festival Lager

SILVER: Tennent Caledonian, Tennents Lager

BRONZE: Drygate Brewing, Bearface Lager

Finalists:

Bellfield Brewery, Craft Lager

Brew Toon, Weekend Hooker

Innis & Gunn, Innis & Gunn Lager

Loch Lomond Brewery, Helles Glen

Stewart Brewing, Stewarts Lager

Tennent Caledonian, Tennents Light lager

Top Out Brewery, Kellerbier

WEST, St. Mungo

WEST, Munich Red

WEST, 4% session

WEST, DRK

Williams Bros, Caesar Augustus

 

Best Pale Ale

GOLD:   Stewart Brewing, Ka Pai

SILVER:  Williams Bros Brewing Co, Talking Head

BRONZE:  Loch Lomond Brewery, Southern Summit

Finalists:

Cross Borders Brewing, Braw

Dog Falls Brewing Co, Inside Line

Dookit Brewing Co, Southside Pale

Fyne Ales, Avalanche

Six°North, Echelon

Stewart Brewing, Small Giant

Stewart Brewing, Hollyrood

The Ferry Brewery, Ferry Pale

Top Out Brewery, Gipfel

WEST, GPA

Winton Brewery, Barryswally

 

Best IPA

GOLD:   Stewart Brewing, New Relic

SILVER:  Dog Falls Brewing Co, Resinate

BRONZE:  Cross Borders Brewing, India Pale Ale

Finalists:

Aldi, Aldi’s Anti Establishment IPA

Bellfield Brewery, Jex-Blake Mosaic IPA

Bellfield Brewery, Lawless Village IPA

Bellfield Brewery, Rational Creatures IPA

Born Brewery,    Born Brewery IPA

Drygate Brewing Co, Gladeye IPA

Drygate Brewing Co, Crossing the Rubicon

Fierce Beer, Fierce IPA

Fyne Ales, Workbench IPA

Loch Lomond Brewery, Lost in Mosaic

Stewart Brewing, Masterplan

Stewart Brewing, Radical Road

The Ferry Brewery, West Coast

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Tin Man

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Ten Cents

Winton Brewery, Peelywally

 

Best Session Beer

GOLD:   Loch Lomond Brewery, Zoom Time

SILVER:  Dog Falls Brewing Co, Colloidoscope

BRONZE:  Six°North, Omnium

Finalists:

Cross Borders Brewing, Wee Braw

Drygate Brewing Co, Seven Peaks

Fierce Beer, Field of Simcoe

Fierce Beer, Heffen Heff

Innis & Gunn, Session IPA

Stewart Brewing, Session IPA

The Ferry Brewery, Dunkelweizen

The Ferry Brewery, 3 Bridges

WEST, Heidi-Weisse

Windswept Brewing Co, Hurricane

 

Best Pilsner

GOLD:   Cold Town Beer, Cold Town Lager (Pilsner Style)

SILVER:  Bellfield Brewery, Bohemian Pilsner

BRONZE:  Harviestoun Brewery, Schiehallion

Finalists:

Bellfield Brewery, Three Rivers Pils

Drygate Brewing Co, Kelvin Pilsner

Six°North, Peloton Pilsner

The Ferry Brewery, Ferry Pils

WEST, Feirerabend

 

Best Juicy or Hazy Beer

GOLD:   Fierce Beer, Late Shift

SILVER:  Stewart Brewing, Clara Rosa

BRONZE:  Cross Borders Brewing, Oatmeal Pale Ale

Finalists:

Brew Toon, Juicy Belter

Brew Toon, Mayday!

Cold Town Beer, New England IPA

Dog Falls Brewing Co, Split the Tree

Drygate Brewing Co, Unsmashable

Fierce Beer, Stuff and Nonsense

Fierce Beer, Fierce Hazy IPA

Overtone Brewing Co, Mosaic Oat Cream

Overtone Brewing Co, Ella-Mentary

Six°North, Crab With The Golden Claw

Stewart Brewing, Skeleton Blues

Stewart Brewing, Hazy IPA

The Ferry Brewery, SunKiss

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Juice Tiger

Winton Brewery, Mon Then!

 

Best Imperial or Double IPA

GOLD:   Overtone Brewing Co, Heavy Pop

SILVER:  Overtone Brewing Co, PLUR

BRONZE:  Drygate Brewing Co, Double Disco

Finalists:

Fierce Beer, Fancy Juice 4

Six°North, Arenberg

The Ferry Brewery, Ferry Juice Double IPA

Up Front Brewing, Mosaic And Strata Nectar IPA

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Sapien

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Double Joker IPA

 

Best British Style Ale sponsored by Wolffe

GOLD:   Born Brewery, Born Brewery Dark

SILVER:  The Ferry Brewery, 40/- Fine

BRONZE:  Windswept Brewing Co, Wolf

Finalists:

Cross Borders Brewing, What the FX! Export Ale

Cross Borders Brewing, Heavy

Fyne Ales, Hurricane Jack

Harviestoun Brewery, Bitter & Twisted

Innis & Gunn, Inveralmond Ossian

Isle of Arran Brewery, Arran Blonde

Stewart Brewing, St Giles

Stewart Brewing, Edinburgh Gold

Stewart Brewing, Stewarts 80/-

WEST, G40

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Fraoch

Windswept Brewing Co, Blonde

 

Best Amber or Dark Ale

GOLD: Born Brewery, Born Brewery Amber

 SILVER:  Fyne Ales, Vital Spark

BRONZE:  Brew Toon, The J’Ale

Finalists:

Dog Falls Brewing Co, Red Hook

Top Out Brewery, Altbier

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Pavlov's Dog

 

Best Porter

GOLD:   Fierce Beer, Café Racer

SILVER:  The Ferry Brewery, Milkshake Porter

BRONZE:  Dookit Brewing Co, Beelzebub

Finalists:

Bellfield Brewery, Daft Days Porter

Stewart Brewing, Gallus Porter

The Ferry Brewery, Sugar Bush, Maple Porter (John Martine Series)

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Midnight Sun

Windswept Brewing Co, Clavie

 

Best Stout

GOLD: Drygate Brewing Co, Coco Noco

SILVER:  Drygate Brewing Co, Orinoco

BRONZE:  The Ferry Brewery, Oatmeal Stout

Finalists:

Fierce Beer, Moose Mousse

Loch Lomond Brewery, Silkie Stout

Loch Lomond Brewery, Mocha Doodle Dhu

Williams Bros Brewing Co, March Of The Penguins

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Chokka Blokka

Windswept Brewing Co Ltd, 1806

Windswept Brewing Co Ltd, Witch Pricker

 

Best Amplified Beer sponsored by Cara Technology

GOLD:   Fierce Beer, Very Big Chomp

SILVER:  Fierce Beer, Very Big Moose

BRONZE:  Fierce Beer, Big Night In Part 1

Finalists:

Cross Borders Brewing, Bier Gegen Profitgier $E£

Drygate Brewing Co, Nightmare of Cake 2021 Edition

Fierce Beer, Big Night In Part 2

Fyne Ales, Mills & Hills

Glasgow Beer Works, Jaggery Imperial Stout

Innis & Gunn, The Original

Loch Lomond Brewery, Waiting for the Rain

Six°North, Chapeau

The Ferry Brewery, Marty, Imperial Milk Porter (John Martine Series)

The Ferry Brewery, Big John, Imperial Nut Porter (John Martine Series)

 

Best Sour

GOLD:   Fierce Beer, Dark Amber Sour

SILVER:  Fyne Ales Origins Brewing, Home 2019

BRONZE:  Fierce Beer, Lots of Nelson

Finalists:

Brew Toon, Sour House

Fyne Ales Origins Brewing, Nàdar Celeia

Fyne Ales Origins Brewing, Nàdar Jester

 

Best Fruited Sour

GOLD:   Windswept Brewing Co, Summit Sour

SILVER:  Brew Toon, Dark Fruit

BRONZE:  Up Front Brewing, Das Ist Techno Sex

Finalists:

Brew Toon, Sour to the People

Brew Toon, Cherry Crush

Drygate Brewing Co, Analogue Rock Watermelon and Basil

Drygate Brewing Co, Trinitone Blast Calamansi

Fierce Beer, All Gose South

Fierce Beer, Wild Stone Fruit Sour

Top Out Brewery, First Ascents - Scarlet Sour

Top Out Brewery, Triple Lemon Sour

Up Front Brewing, Scottish Blackcurrants

Up Front Brewing, Imperial Passionfruit And Kalamansi Gose

Winton Brewery, OH YA CAN'T (make a cherry sour this guid!)

Winton Brewery, OH YA BASSA

 

Best Fruit Forward Beer

GOLD:   Fierce Beer, Cranachan Killer

SILVER:  Williams Bros Brewing Co, Paolo

BRONZE:  Williams Bros Brewing Co, Roisin

Finalists:

Aldi, Aldi’s Memphis Boulevard

Brew Toon, Mango Unchained

Brew Toon, Raspberry Carronade

Brew Toon, Pineapple Pils

Cold Town Beer, Pornstar Martini Ale

Drygate Brewing Co, Rancho Rosa

Drygate Brewing Co, Jammy Bastart

Drygate Brewing Co, Disco Forklift Truck

Drygate Brewing Co, Orange Gates of the West

Fierce Beer, Fierce Rhubarb

Loch Lomond Brewery, Exiting Piers

Six°North, Framboise

Six°North, Maglia Rosa

Stewart Brewing, Island Getaway

Stewart Brewing, Bellini Brut

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Rubus

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Che Guava

Williams Bros Brewing Co, Otis

Windswept Brewing Co Ltd, Citrus Tsunami

 

Best Low or No Alcohol Beer

GOLD:   Jump Ship Brewing, Yardarm

SILVER:  Tennent Caledonian, Tennent’s Zero

BRONZE:  Jump Ship Brewing, Flying Colours

Finalists:

Harviestoun Brewery, Wheesht

Jump Ship Brewing, Goosewing IPA

WEST, Nix

 

Best Speciality Beer

GOLD:   Williams Bros Brewing Co, Ginger

SILVER:  Drygate Brewing Co, Dessert Menu: Christmas Pudding

BRONZE:  Six°North, Brevet

Finalists:

Cross Borders Brewing, Liberté, Égalité, Pas de Frais Cachés!

Dog Falls Brewing Co, Awaroa

Drygate Brewing Co, Big Dumb Object

Six°North, Hopclassic

Stewart Brewing, First World Problems

The Ferry Brewery, Belgian Saison

 

 Best Barrel Aged Beer

GOLD:   Fierce Beer, B.A Maple VBM

SILVER:  Glasgow Beer Works, Ex-Bourbon Whisky Cask Aged Jaggery Imperial Stout

BRONZE:  Fyne Ales, Deep Space Echo

Finalists:

Drygate Brewing Co, Crimson Corsair

Drygate Brewing Co, Can I Just Shock You?

Fierce Beer, B.A Imperial Café Racer

Fyne Ales, Cognac Barrel-Aged Mills & Hills

Fyne Ales, Moscatel Barrel-Aged Mills & Hills

Glasgow Beer Works, Glenfarclas Cask Aged Jaggery Imperial Stout

Innis & Gunn, VP05

Innis & Gunn, Caribbean Rum Cask

Innis & Gunn, Islay Whisky Cask Laphroaig

Isle of Arran Brewery, Milestone - Special Reserve

Overtone Brewing Co, Twisted Sense

The Ferry Brewery, Black Bourbon (John Martine Series)

Windswept Brewing Co, Wolf of Glen Moray

Windswept Brewing Co, Bear

 

Scottish Brewer of the Year

WINNER: Trevor Sproul, Brew Toon

Euan MacEachren, Loch Lomond Brewery

Peter Samson, Drygate Brewing 

 

Beer Bar of the Year

WINNER: Cold Town House

Bellfield Brewery and Tap Room 

West Brewery and Tap Room

Winton Brewery Tap Room

 

Excellence in Branding

WINNER: Cold Town Beer

Bellfield Brewery

Dookit Brewing Co.

Glasgow Beer Works

JUMP SHIP BREWING LTD

Overtone Brewing Co.

Six°North

Stewart Brewing

The Ferry Brewery

Top Out Brewery
 

Consumer Engagement Excellence Award

WINNER:  Windswept Brewing Co

Brew Toon

Cold Town Beer

Dog Falls Brewing Co

Fyne Ales

Harviestoun Brewery

WEST

 

Product Development Team of the Year

WINNER: Fierce Beer

Cold Town Beer

Cross Borders Brewing Company

Loch Lomond Brewery

Stewart Brewing

Williams Bros Brewing Co

 

Excellence In Social Media

WINNER: Bellfield Brewery

Aldi

Brew Toon

Cold Town Beer

 

Sustainable Brewery of the Year

WINNER: Tennent Caledonian Breweries

Arran Brewery