Purity Brewing in Alcester and Grainstore Brewery in Oakham have taken the overall cask and keg golds in SIBA’s Midlands Independent Beer Awards.

SIBA Midlands
Left to right: James Calder, chief executive of SIBA; Steve Fuller, sales manager at Grainstore Brewery; and Joanna Coleman, of purity Brewing Co

The awards are run by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and are hosted by the Rail Ale Festival at the Roundhouse, near Chesterfield.

Purity’s Pure Helles (5% ABV) won gold in the keg category and is a traditional German pale lager beer. Pure Helles uses the finest English Maris Otter malt, Pilgrim hops from Worcestershire, and a blend of classic German hops to give the beer a clean, refreshing taste and a bright appearance.

Paul Halsey, founder and chief executive of Purity Brewing Co, said: “We’re delighted to win this award. It’s been 17 years in the making. I’ve been working with colleagues from Maisel’s brewing in Germany for a long, long time. They are the experts of German lager and this beer was born out of a collaboration they did with us. They helped us really refine how to make a great, great Helles. This beer is gluten free, vegan, and organic. We’re delighted to win gold.”

Grainstore Brewery’s Rutland Beast (5.3% ABV) took gold in cask beer competition. Rutland Beast is strong, yet well balanced. Dark earthy brown in colour, it’s brewed using a combination of seven different malts and wheats, as well as three classic hop varieties. It’s described as a ‘bit of an animal’.

Steve Fuller, sales manager at Grainstore Brewery, said: “It’s incredible. It’s an incredible achievement for everyone at the brewery. I’m lost for words. The folks in the brewery make some exceptional beer.

“Rutland Beast is a dark beer that’s very tasty, and it sells very, very well. I hope that this gold makes my life as a sales manager that little bit easier because it’s a beer that deserves to be enjoyed in every pub across the Midlands!”

SIBA chief executive, James Calder, said: “Having poured many of the beers today I can attest to the incredibly high standard of independent beers across the Midlands region. I want to congratulate all our medal winners and, in particular, Purity and Grainstore, who were the two outstanding ‘best in show’.

“Big thanks to the team at the Rail Ale Festival at Chesterfield Roundhouse for helping to organise a fantastic competition and festival.”

Full list of winners

Overall champion of the cask competition

Sponsored by Keg Logistics BreweryProductABV
GOLDGrainstore BreweryRutland Beast5.3
SILVER Backyard Brewhouse Bad Santa, Oak Aged6.8
BRONZE Grainstore Brewery Nip7.3

Cask session dark beer

Sponsored by Abacus Flooring Solutions BreweryProductABV
GOLD Nottingham Brewery Ltd Rock Mild3.8
 SILVER Brampton Brewery Impy Dark4.3
 SILVER Little Brewing Co The Panther Stout4.2
 SILVER Brunswick Brewing Co Ltd Railway Porter4.3
 BRONZE White Horse Brewery Wayland Smithy4.4
 BRONZE Grainstore Brewery Rutland Panther3.4
 BRONZE Milestone Brewery Black Pearl4.3
 BRONZE Shipstone’s Beer Company Nut Brown4
 BRONZE Vale Brewery Red Kite4.3

Cask British dark beer

Sponsored by Murphy & Son  BreweryProductABV
GOLD Grainstore Brewery Rutland Beast5.3
SILVER Weal Ales Brewery Centwealial Milk Stout4.9
BRONZE Loose Cannon Brewery Robust Brisith Porter5
BRONZE Castle Rock Brewery Oatmeal Stout4.6
BRONZE Loddon Brewery Hocus Pocus4.6
BRONZE Dancing Duck Brewery Dark Drake4.5

Cask British bitter

                  BreweryProductABV
GOLD Everards of LeicestershireTiger4.2
SILVER Brewhouse & Kitchen Sutton ColdfieldOO4 Oaks4.2
SILVER Shipstone’s Beer CompanyOriginal Bitter3.8
SILVER Titanic BrewerySteerage3.8
SILVER Purity Brewing CompanyJIMBO – Very Best Bitter4
SILVER Rebellion Beer Co. Ltd.Overthrow4.3
BRONZE Blue Monkey Brewery Primate Best Bitter4
BRONZE Derby Brewing Company Business As Usual4.4
BRONZE Backyard Brewhouse The Hoard3.9
BRONZE Dancing Duck Brewery224.3
BRONZE Lincoln Green Brewing Company Hood4.2
BRONZE Charnwood Brewery Vixen4
BRONZE Front Row brewing Sinbin4.2
BRONZE Green Duck Brewery Blonde4.2
BRONZE White Horse Brewery White Horse Bitter3.7
BRONZE Peak Ales Bakewell Best4.2
BRONZE Phipps NBC Steam Roller4.4

Cask British best bitter

Sponsored by Charles Faram BreweryProductABV
SILVER Grainstore Brewery Ten Fifty5
SILVER Fownes Brewing Company … at the Gates of Dawn5
SILVER Titanic Brewery White Star4.5
BRONZE Everards of Leicestershire Old Original5.2
BRONZE Loddon Brewery Dragonfly5.2
BRONZE Matlock Wolds Farm Reverence5
BRONZE Milestone Brewery Little John5

Cask session pale ale

Sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Sons BreweryProductABV
GOLD White Horse Brewery  Pacific Pale 4
SILVER Purity Brewing Company Pure Gold3.8
SILVER Fownes Brewing Company The Elephant Riders4
SILVER Green Duck Brewery Session IPA4
SILVER Titanic Brewery Iceberg4.1
SILVER Nottinghham Brewery Ltd Scrum on down4
BRONZE Backyard Brewhouse Modern Sate4.4
BRONZE Little Brewing Co Loop3.7
BRONZE Milestone Brewery Maid Marian4.3
BRONZE Alter Ego Brewing Co Echo Chamber3.8
BRONZE Charnwood Brewery Blue Fox4.2
BRONZE Brampton Brewery Terminus4.2
BRONZE Castle Rock Brewery Army Of Me3.4
BRONZE Lincoln Green Brewing Company Archer4
BRONZE Welbeck Abbey Brewery Skylight4.4
BRONZE Howard Town Brewery Kerala4.2
BRONZE Navigation Brewery New Dawn Pale3.9
BRONZE Vale Brewery Vale Pale Ale4.2
BRONZE Blue Monkey Brewery BG Sips4
BRONZE Dancing Duck Brewery DCUK4.3
BRONZE Everards of Leicestershire Golden Hop3.5
BRONZE Loose Cannon Brewery Recoil4.2

Cask Pale Ale

Sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Sons BreweryProductABV
GOLD White Horse Brewery West Coast IPA4.6
GOLD Welbeck Abbey Brewery Atlas5
SILVER Castle Rock Brewery In Bloom4.5
SILVER Green Duck Brewery American Pale4.5
SILVER Little Brewing Co Taj4.6
SILVER Black Iris Brewery Endless Summer4.5
BRONZE Backyard Brewhouse Gold4.5
BRONZE Lincoln Green Brewing Company Ãine Kveik5.4
BRONZE Derby Brewing Company Mercia IPA5
BRONZE Towcester Mill Brewery Roman Road5.2
BRONZE Milestone Brewery Fletchers5.2
BRONZE Thornbridge Brewery Crackendale5.2
BRONZE Weal Ales Brewery Weller Weal4.6
BRONZE Loddon Brewery Ferrymans Gold4.4
BRONZE Uttoxeter Brewing Company Admiral Gardner4.5

Cask IPA

Sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Sons BreweryProductABV
BRONZE Blue Monkey Brewery Infinity Plus 15.6
BRONZE Thornbridge Brewery Jaipur5.9
BRONZE Derby Brewing Company You Had Me At IPA6

Cask speciality light beer

Sponsored by Ekegplus BreweryProductABV
 GOLD Peak Ales Chatsworth Gold4.6
 SILVER Milestone Brewery Raspberry Wheat Beer5.6
 SILVER Hollow Stone Brewing Co Sorbeto – Grapefruit WIT IPA6
 SILVER Weal Ales Brewery Lemon and Ginger Weal5.5
 BRONZE Titanic Brewery Raspberry Pale4.7

Cask speciality amber to dark beer

    BreweryProductABV
GOLD Backyard Brewhouse Bad Santa, Oak Aged6.8
SILVER Titanic Brewery Plum Porter4.9
 BRONZE Alter Ego Brewing Co S’more Fire5.2

Cask Imperial & Strong Beer

Sponsored by Murphy & Son BreweryProductABV
 GOLD Grainstore Brewery Nip7.3
 SILVER Uttoxeter Brewing Company Winners Enclosure6.5

Overall champion of the keg competition

Sponsored by Keg Logistics BreweryProductABV
GOLD Purity Brewing Company Pure Helles5
SILVER Fownes Brewing Company Korvak’s Downfall9
BRONZE Purity Brewing Company Double Bunny6.8

Keg lager

Sponsored by Ekegplus BreweryProductABV
GOLD Purity Brewing Company Pure Helles5
GOLD Rebellion Beer Co. Ltd. Rebellion Lager4.4
BRONZE Langton Brewery Ltd Bridge 625
BRONZE Davenports Brewery Ltd Continental lager4.5

Keg pale ale

Sponsored by Abacus Flooring Solutions BreweryProductABV
GOLD Howard Town Brewery Xanadu4.3
SILVER Green Duck Brewery Foam Party4.5
SILVER Oxford Brewery Hoptric4.4
SILVER Purity Brewing Company Session IPA4.5
BRONZE Rebellion Beer Co. Ltd. 24 Carat5
BRONZE Alter Ego Brewing Co Force Field4.5
BRONZE Matlock Wolds Farm Apogee5.5
BRONZE Brewhouse & Kitchen Sutton Coldfield Nipmuc4.8

Keg imperial and strong ale

    BreweryProductABV
GOLD Fownes Brewing Company Korvak’s Downfall9
SILVER Thornbridge Brewery Necessary Evil13
BRONZE Navigation Brewery Gravitational Anomaly11.6

Keg IPA

Sponsored by Charles Faram BreweryProductABV
GOLD Purity Brewing Company Double Bunny6.8
BRONZE Dhillon’s Brewery Red Rebel IPA6.2

Keg wheat beer

  BreweryProductABV
SILVER Dhillon’s Brewery Weizenbock7.8

Keg speciality IPA

Sponsored by Beer Box Shop BreweryProductABV
BRONZE Front Row brewing Crafty Flanker6
BRONZE Brewhouse & Kitchen Lichfield Spellman Sam4.8

Keg speciality and flavoured Beer

  BreweryProductABV
SILVER Navigation Brewery Key Lime Pale4
BRONZE Milestone Brewery Raspberry Wheat Beer5.6

Keg Belgian, French, and Trappist Ale

Sponsored by Beer Box Shop BreweryProductABV
BRONZE Navigation Brewery Blonde5

Keg non-alcoholic and low ABV

  BreweryProductABV
SILVER Birmingham Brewing Company Sober Brummie0.5

Keg double and triple IPA

  BreweryProductABV
BRONZE Navigation Brewery Square Waves8.4

Keg stout and porter

  BreweryProductABV
SILVER Milestone Brewery Black Pearl4.3
BRONZE Loose Cannon Brewery Robust British Porter5
BRONZE Fownes Brewing Company Korvak’s Verdict5
BRONZE Rebellion Beer Co. Ltd. Black5.2

Keg bitter

  BreweryProductABV
GOLD Loddon Brewery Dragonfly5.2