An Edinburgh beer has been crowned the UK’s ‘Beer of the Year’ at the prestigious London Beer Competition 2025.
Edinburgh-based Cold Town Beer clinched the top national accolade for its flagship beer, Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Speyside Cask Matured.
Now in its eighth year, the London Beer Competition has become one of the most respected and international beer competitions in the world. Unlike traditional competitions that judge beers solely on taste, the London Beer Competition rewards beers based on quality, value, and packaging – the three key factors that influence consumer buying decisions.
This year’s competition brought together a panel of some of the most influential beer buyers, bar owners, and industry experts from around the world. The judging took place in London, where hundreds of beers from more than 20 countries were blind-tasted, assessed, and scored.
Winning a category award at the London Beer Competition means that Cold Town Beer’s Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Speyside Cask Matured stood out among its global peers in one of the most demanding tasting rooms in the industry.
Ian Kennedy, Head of Production for Edinburgh’s Cold Town Beer, said:
“We’re absolutely thrilled. We’ve spent the last seven years building a range we’re truly proud of, and it’s incredibly exciting to see Cold Town getting national recognition. This beer is something special. It’s a celebration of everything we’ve been working toward, and a real moment for our team to put Cold Town firmly on the map.”
The base beer for Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is taken from Cold Town Beer’s Topic Thunder Stout, which took home a gold medal at last year’s London Beer Competition.
Even before the win, the Edinburgh brewery knew they had something special on their hands, so they filled a Speyside whisky cask with 400 litres of Topic Thunder and left it to mature. One year later, they emptied the cask to create an extremely limited run of 875 cans, enriched with smooth whisky character and deep complexity.
This process took Topic Thunder one step further, refining an already award-winning beer into something truly exceptional. The result is a beer that helped Cold Town Brewery clinch the title of ‘Beer of the Year – United Kingdom’.
Euan Bain, Director at Cold Town Beer, added:
“From day one, we set out to create beers that were full of character and brewed with care—and our Barrel Aged Stout is the perfect example of that ethos. Maturing it in Speyside whisky casks was a passion project for the team, and the result has exceeded all our expectations. To see it recognised as Beer of the Year – United Kingdom is a huge honour and a testament to the dedication of everyone at Cold Town.”
For more information on Cold Town Beer’s Barrel Aged Imperial Stout and to purchase online, go to https://coldtownbeer.com/product/barrel-aged-imperial-stout
For more information on Cold Town Beer and its core range, go to https://coldtownbeer.com and follow on social media, including Instagram www.instagram.com/coldtownbeer and Facebook www.facebook.com/Coldtownbeer
For more information on the London Beer Competition, go to https://londonbeercompetition.com
Ends
Notes to editor
PHOTOS
Photos of Cold Town Beer’s Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Speyside Cask Matured, and the London Beer Competition 2025 judging panel are available via the DropBox link below. Please credit Coild Town Beer/London Beer Competition 2025:
Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Available to purchase online 12 x 440ml cans (10.2% ABV), £69.00 VAT
A small quantity of our award-winning brew was allowed to sleep for almost a year in an oak cask previously used to hold a highly regarded Speyside whisky – the name of which is a jealously guarded secret. The result is a quite stunning beer of which only 875 cans will ever be produced.
Our Speyside whisky cask finished pastry stout is a rich, dark and opaque liquid with a lusciously smooth, velvety texture and a distinctively deep mouthfeel. On the nose, the aroma is a symphony of decadence, with notes of dark malt and a whisper of Speyside malt whisky. The sweetness of this beer is pronounced yet balanced by a subtle bitterness and soft effervescence
Contains: (Allergens in bold)
- Malted Barley (Gluten), Oats (Gluten) Hops, Yeast. Lactose (Milk)
Key tasting notes
- Dark & opaque
- Dark malt, whisky
- Full bodied, rich, warming
Brew
- STYLE: Barrel Aged Pastry Stout
- HOPS: Magnum
- MALT: Malted Barley, Oats
- ABV: 10.2%
Delivery
- Mainland UK only. Free delivery for all orders over £50
Collection
- This product can be collected from Cold Town House, 4 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JU. Collection Available Sunday – Friday 12pm – 7pm
- 72-hours’ notice required on all collections.
Contact: Jon Perkins, jonjamesperkins@gmail.com
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