Experiments in Evil, a 10.5% ABV imperial stout from Ampersand Brew Co, has won the inaugural Champion Canned Beer of Norfolk competition.
Described by the judges as “intense and complex, with hints of Tia Maria”, the beer is an eagerly anticipated annual winter brew.
Ampersand was established in 2017 in a family barn. It recently moved to new premises in Diss.
The competition is organised by the tasting panel of the Norfolk branches of CAMRA and is intended to highlight the quality of this growing form of real ale.
“Real Ale now comes in many forms — cask, craft, bottle, and can,” said tasting panel chair, Alan Edwards. “We ran this competition after being asked by local breweries to promote their canned real ales. The judges were more than pleasantly surprised by the quality and choice submitted for the competition.”
Runner-up was Duration Brewing, of West Acre, with its Ebb and Flow. The 6.5% ABV American-style stout was described as “smooth and complex, with hints of dark fruit, vanilla, and treacle”.
Ampersand gained a second award with its Camphillsner Lager, taking third place. The judges considered this to be “crisp and hoppy, with a meadow-fresh floral background”.
