The selection of the beers was made some weeks before the event with the intention of getting in some serious quality and competition and putting a local brewery head to head with some others from further afield, each had some strong experience and a good reputation behind each of them.
The styles of beer were selected to give each brewery a chance to shine within two categories rather than three; since the first round went on for quite a while and fifteen different beers was quite a lot to drench anyone’s palate. Cutting the field down to ten beers made things manageable and a little fairer for the beers on show. The two categories selected were to break things up from the previous event, so firstly a fruit or adjunct beer was chosen to contrast the darker porter or stout ales to follow.
So, the line up of breweries and the beers they supplied were as follows:
Ilkley Brewery (Ilkley, Yorkshire) – Siberia (Rhubarb Saison) and The Mayan (Chocolate Chipotle Stout);
Partizan Brewing (Bermondsey, London) – Lemon and Thyme Saison and the Five-Grain Porter;
Peerless Brewing Company Limited (Birkenhead, Merseyside) – Jinja Ninja (Chilli and Ginger Beer) and Oatmeal Stout;
Saltaire Brewery (Saltaire, Yorkshire) – Raspberry Blonde Pale Ale and Triple Chocoholic Stout; and
Stringers Brewing Company (Ulverston, Cumbria) – Damson Beer and Dry Stout.
Hopefully that all makes sense, trust me, after a few drinks adding the scores up was rather a demonstration in focus! The winners were then announced at the event and the competition run for some excellent craft beers sourced from Holborn Cask Ales of Ormskirk and George Wrights Beer Emporium, St.Helens; I did promise a shout out to the winners too, so congratulations to:
Jackson Edmonds (1st place)
Les O’Grady (2nd Place)
Sarah Spall (3rd Place)
There was a brief interval between the stouts where the venue provided some rather excellent Scouse to compliment the stouts along with some beetroot, radish and red cabbage (very well dodged there guys!). Needless to say, this was as well received as the cheese boards and cured meats that paired with the fruit and adjunct beers.
So, which Breweries won then? Continue reading below for full details.
Fruit or Adjunct Beer Category
1. Saltaire Brewery – Raspberry Blonde (40 points)
2. lkley Brewery – Siberia (42 Points)
3. Partizan Brewing – Lemon and Thyme Saison (47 Points)
4. Peerless Brewing Company – Jinja Ninja (52 Points)
5. Stringers Brewing Company - Damson Beer (76 points)
Stout or Porter Category
1. Ilkey Brewery – The Mayan (32 Points)
=2. Saltaire Brewery – Triple Chocoholic (47 Points)
=2. Peerless Brewing Company – Oatmeal Stout (47 Points)
4. Stringers Brewing Company – Dry Stout (61 Points)
5. Partizan Brewing Company – Five-grain Porter (67 Points)
Overall Brewery Placing
1. Ilkley Brewery (74 points)
2. Saltaire Brewery (87 points)
3. Peerless Brewing Company (97 points)
4. Partizan Brewing (114 points)
5. Stringers Brewing Company (137 points)
Stay tuned for the next event folks, I shall be putting feelers out for breweries to get involved and will spread the news on my Twitter feed, Facebook page and via this blog. The aim is for another #BattleoftheBreweries to take place in Spring 2015.
Cheers and catch you all soon,
Pedro x
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Stringers Brewing Company
Web: http://www.stringersbeer.co.uk/
Mail: info@stringersbeer.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stringersbeer
Peerless Brewing Company Limited
Address: The Brewery, 8 Pool Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 3NL.
Web: http://www.peerlessbrewing.co.uk/
Mail: steve.briscoe@peerlessbrewing.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeerlessSteve
Ilkley Brewery
Web: maryjane@ilkleybrewery.co.uk
Mail: http://www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ilkleybrewery
Twenty Three Club / Clove Hitch
Address: 23 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BQ
Web: http://www.theclovehitch.com/#
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwentyThreeClub or https://twitter.com/theclovehitch
Email: the23club@hotmail.co.uk or theclovehitch@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 0151 709 6574
George Wright Beer Emporium
Address: 54 Cambridge Road, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 4HF.
Web: http://www.georgewrightbrewing.co.uk/BreweryShop.html
Tel: 01744 737 578