Leigh on Sea Brewery has taken home overall gold at the SIBA East Independent Beer Awards, beating brewers from across the East of England, stretching from North Lincolnshire down to Hertfordshire.
The brewery’s SS9 — a hefty 9% ABV imperial stout, with deep flavours of coffee and chocolate — wowed the judges and was named the overall cask champion. All of the category winners fwill now go on to battle it out at the national finals in Liverpool next year.
The awards are run by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA). The competition was held at Elgood’s Brewery, in Wisbech, prior to its beer festival.
Ian Rydings, owner and head brewer at Leigh-on-Sea Brewery, said: “It’s always been a quality beer, but it’s never done as well as this before. It’s amazing to win. It’s just so full of flavour, full of chocolate and coffee flavour that all comes from the specialty roasted malts we use. There’s absolutely no additions — it’s a pure stout.”
Buster Grant, SIBA’s competition committee chair, said: “It was great to be back in Wisbech to judge these superb awards, and the quality of entries this year was higher than ever.
“Huge congratulations to all of the winners, and in particular Leigh-On-Sea, who were named the ‘best of the best’ as overall gold champions, with what is a really special beer. Good luck to them and all of the winners in the national finals at BeerX in Liverpool next March.”
The full list of winners
Overall champion cask ale
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Leigh on Sea Brewery | SS9 | 9.0 | |
| Silver | Brentwood Brewing Company TA Elephant School Brewing Co | My Milk Stout Brings All The Boys To The Yard | 4.5 | |
| Bronze | Green Jack | Red Herring | 5.0 |
Cask session dark beer (up to 4.4% ABV)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | The Norfolk Brewhouse – Moon Gazer | Nibbler | 4.0 | |
| Silver | Milton Brewery | Minotaur | 3.3 | |
| Silver | Billericay Brewing Company | Woody’s Bark | 4.3 | |
| Bronze | Lacons Brewery | Norfolk Gem | 3.6 | |
| Bronze | Tring Brewery | Moongazing | 4.2 |
Cask British dark beer (4.5% to 6.4% ABV)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Brentwood Brewing Company TA Elephant School Brewing Co | My Milk Stout Brings All The Boys To The Yard | 4.5 | |
| Silver | Wibblers Brewery | Crafty Stoat | 5.3 | |
| Silver | The Norfolk Brewhouse – Moon Gazer | Bouchart | 4.9 | |
| Silver | Tring Brewery | Colley’s Dog | 5.2 | |
| Bronze | Bowlers Brewery Ltd | Brown Derby | 4.8 | |
| Bronze | Milton Brewery | Nero | 5 | |
| Bronze | Green Jack | Lurcher | 4.8 | |
| Bronze | 8 Sail Brewery | Victorian Porter | 5 | |
| Bronze | Grain Brewery | Slate | 6 | |
| Bronze | Lincolnshire Craft Beers Ltd | Bomber County | 4.8 |
Cask British bitter (up to 4.4% ABV)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Grain Brewery | Best Bitter | 4.2 | |
| Gold | 8 Sail Brewery | Windmill Bitter | 3.8 | |
| Gold | Barsham Brewery | Norfolk Topper | 3.8 | |
| Silver | Mauldons | Mole Trap | 3.8 | |
| Bronze | Hadham Brewing Co Ltd | Gold | 3.7 | |
| Bronze | Milton Brewery | Pegasus | 4.1 | |
| Bronze | Green Jack | Nightingale | 4.0 | |
| Bronze | Wibblers Brewery | Apprentice | 3.9 | |
| Bronze | Mile Tree Brewery Limited | Rolling Mile | 3.9 | |
| Bronze | Tring Brewery | Sidepocket for a Toad | 3.6 |
Cask British best bitter (4.5% to 6.4% ABV)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Brentwood Brewing Company | Lumberjack | 5.2 | |
| Silver | Billericay Brewing Company | Rhythm Stick | 4.8 | |
| Silver | Farr Brew | Lock In | 4.5 | |
| Silver | Green Jack | Trawlerboys | 4.6 | |
| Silver | Bowlers Brewery Ltd | Sundance | 4.5 | |
| Silver | Mauldons | Suffolk Pride | 4.8 | |
| Bronze | Baker’s Dozen Brewing Co. | Straight Outta Ketton | 4.5 |
Cask session pale ale (up to 4.4% ABV)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | 8 Sail Brewery | Froglet | 4.0 | |
| Gold | Leigh on Sea Brewery | Legra Pale | 3.8 | |
| Gold | Mauldons | Silver Adder | 4.2 | |
| Silver | Adnams | Mosaic | 4.1 | |
| Silver | Oakham Ales | Citra | 4.2 | |
| Silver | Tydd Steam Brewery Ltd | Golden Kiwi | 4.1 | |
| Bronze | Tring Brewery | Citra | 3.9 | |
| Bronze | Brentwood Brewing Company | Galaxy | 4.4 | |
| Bronze | Ferry Ales Brewery | Push the Envelope | 4.1 | |
| Bronze | Hadham Brewing Co Ltd | Dragonfly | 4.2 | |
| Bronze | Nethergate Brewery | Venture | 3.7 | |
| Bronze | Green Jack | Golden best | 3.8 |
Cask pale ale (4.5% to 5.5% ABV)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Grain Brewery | OPA | 4.5 | |
| Silver | Ferry Ales Brewery | Magic | 5.2 | |
| Silver | Mauldons | Suffolk Punch | 4.5 | |
| Bronze | Nethergate Brewery | Growling Dog – Big Sesh IPA | 4.5 | |
| Bronze | Farr Brew | Farr Apart | 4.8 | |
| Bronze | Milton Brewery | Minerva | 4.6 | |
| Bronze | Billericay Brewing Company | Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll | 5 | |
| Bronze | The Norfolk Brewhouse – Moon Gazer | White Face | 5 | |
| Bronze | 8 Sail Brewery | Old Colony | 5.3 | |
| Bronze | Brentwood Brewing Company | Falcon Punch | 5.1 |
Cask IPA (5.6% ABV and over)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Oakham Ales | Green Devil IPA | 6.0 | |
| Silver | Leigh on Sea Brewery | Cockle Row Spit | 5.6 | |
| Bronze | Grain Brewery | Lignum Vitae | 6.5 | |
| Bronze | Baker’s Dozen Brewing Co. | Martes Trece | 5.8 | |
| Bronze | Green Jack | Mahseer | 5.8 |
Cask speciality light beer
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Grain Brewery | Weizen | 5.0 | |
| Bronze | Nethergate Brewery | Umbel Ale | 3.8 |
Cask speciality amber to dark beer
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Green Jack | Red Herring | 5.0 | |
| Gold | Billericay Brewing Company | Billericay Barista | 5.9 | |
| Gold | Nethergate Brewery | Umbel Magna | 5.0 | |
| Gold | Oakham Ales | Black Magic | 5.0 | |
| Bronze | Elgood & Sons Ltd | Plum Porter | 4.5 |
Cask imperial and strong beer (6.5% ABV and over)
| Brewery | Product | ABV | ||
| Gold | Leigh on Sea Brewery | SS9 | 9.0 | |
| Silver | Green Jack | Ripper | 8.5 |
