British beers account for half of IBC gold medal winners

British beers accounted for half of all the beers to win gold medals at the International Beer Challenge 2012.

Among the breweries to win were St Austell, Shepherd Neame, Sharp's, Oakham, Manns, Harveys, Fyne Ales, Elgood's, and English wine maker Chapel Down.

Stuart Howe, head brewer at Sharp's, which won bronze medals for Doom Bar, Chalky's Bark, Single Brew Reserve 2011 and Chalky's Bite, said: "Building on the International Beer Challenge success in 2011, the medals our beers have won this year underline the quality and breadth of Sharp's portfolio.

"We're all so pleased to have been recognised for our commitment to product innovation and new product development and to have achieved six medals this year is great testimony to the ongoing investment in the brewery and hard work at Sharp's.

Chapel Down, which started brewing beer only two years ago, won an award for its lager, Curious Brew, with the aim of bringing wine-making thinking to the beer brewing process. The vineyard uses East Anglian malt, saaz and cascade hops. It then re-ferments the lager using the same Champagne yeast that goes into its sparkling wines to create a 4.7% abv lager.

Finally, the winemaker adds a "dosage" of Nelson Sauvin hops, before cold filtering the unpasteurised beer into bottles.

The whole process is overseen by Frazer Thompson, Chapel Down's chief executive, who has held senior posts at both Heineken and Whitbread.

Thompson said: "We've changed people's minds about English wine and now we want to do the same when it comes to lager.

"Mass-produced lagers taste like corporate cardboard and have the aroma of market research rather than hops.

"We've worked really hard to craft something that is more fragrant and more refreshing than other beers when served cold."

IBC Gold Medal Winners were:

● Brasserie des Sources Bellerose (France)
● Collesi Imper Ale Chiara (Italy)
● Curious Brew Lager (England)
● Doppio Malto Mahogany IPA (Italy)
● Elgood's Marks and Spencers Sandringham Diamond Ale (England)
● Floris Kriek (Belgium)
● Fyne Hurricane Jack (Scotland)
● Fyne Jarl (Scotland)
● Harveys Imperial Extra Double Stout (England)
● Harveys Old Ale (England)
● Harveys Prince of Denmark (England)
● Innis and Gunn Irish Whisky Cask (Scotland)
● Manns Brown (England)
● McCashins Stoke Gold (New Zealand)
● Moretti Doppio Malto (Italy)
● Oakham Bishops Farewell (England)
● Oakham Citra (England)
● Samuel Adams A Dark Night In Munich (USA)
● Samuel Adams Double Bock (USA)
● Samuel Adams Third Voyage (USA)
● Samuel Adams Triple Bock (USA)
● Samuel Adams Utopias 2011 (USA)
● Septem Sunday's Honey Golden Dew (Greece)
● Sharp's Quadrupel Ale 2011 (England)
● Shepherd Neame Late Red (England)
● St Austell Marks and Spencers Cornish Ale (England)
● St Austell Proper Black (England)
● Trieste Theresianer Unfiltered Wit (Italy)
● Valscura PatriarcAle (Italy)
● Weihenstephaner Vitus (Germany)

By Neil Gerrard

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