SIBA has revealed the winners in its year-long competition to find the UK’s best independent cask, keg, and packaged beers.
Harviestoun’s Schiehallion cask lager and RedWillow’s Perceptionless New England IPA took home overall champion gold in the cask and keg awards. Lakes Brew Co took best bottled or canned beer with its NE Session IPA.
Schiehallion impressed judges with a clean flavour and superb aromatics.
Tom Lewis, RedWillow’s brewer and cellar manager, was on hand to accept the award for Perceptionless. He said: “We’re genuinely humbled to win against what are always an amazing group of breweries and a really tough competition.
“We think this is one of our most consistent beers, with great flavour, mouthfeel, and balance, which makes it super drinkable. We’re really proud of it and glad judges agreed!”
Matt Clarke, Lakes Brew Co founder and head brewer, accepted the packaged beer award. He said: “We have only been brewing eight months, so to win this award is just amazing. It’s such a new beer for us, in fact we’ve only brewed it three times!
“It feels great to be recognised in this way and I’m glad the judges enjoyed the beer. It’s got a soft mouthfeel and some great tropical aromas, but we keep the bitterness balanced, which just keeps you drinking it.”
SIBA competitions chair, Neil Walker, said: “The 2022 awards were possibly our most important ever, being the first national beer competition back in BeerX for two years.
“A huge, huge well done to all of the winners, as to earn a place on this list is to be named the very best of the best in the UK.
“Particular praise, of course, needs to go to Harviestoun, Red Willow, and Lakes Brew Co, who were named our overall gold champions — three truly outstanding beers which you should be incredibly proud of.”
