After over a year of local tasting panels and regional heats leading up to the finals, the Campaign for Real Ale, CAMRA, has announced that today Chocolate Marble has been crowned the Best Winter Beer in Britain at the National Winter Ales Festival, Derby.
The Manchester stout was crowned the Champion Winter Beer of Britain five years after coming place in the 2011 Champion Beer of Britain.
CAMRA national director Nik Antona said: “Marble Chocolate is a more than worthy winner of one of CAMRA’s highest accolades. It embodies everything a great winter beer should be, packed with flavour, complexity and depth, but still incredibly drinkable.
“No beer gets through to the final of the Champion Winter Beer of Britain without being good, and our three finalists really stood out for our judges in Derby.
“It’s a fitting close to three fantastic years of the National Winter Ales festival in Derby. I think we can all raise a glass to the great team here and wish Norwich well for 2017.”
The chocolately stout was crowned the Winter Champion over a host of other finalists in four different beer categories (barley wine strong old ales, old ale strong milds, porters and stouts), including beers from both small microbrewers and large regional brewers.
Comments from Christine Cryne, chair of the National Winter Ales final judging panel:
“The Chocolate Marble had a lovely chocolately aroma, with flavour of marmalade, mocha and raisins. The chocolate notes perfectly underlaid the mocha character and made a second drink a must”.
This year’s Silver went to Elland’s 1872 Porter while Inncognito Stout by Plain Ales took home the Bronze award.
All three of the beers will be available at the National Winter Ales Festival.
NWAF winners
Overall winners-
Gold – Marble, Chocolate Marble
Silver – Elland, 1872 Porter
Bronze – Plain Ales, Inncognito Stout
Gold winners from each category judged at Derby went through to the final round of judging:
Barley Wine Strong Old Ales –
Gold – Tring, Death or Glory
Silver – Orkney, Skull Splitter
Bronze – Robinson’s, Old Tom
Old Ale Strong Milds –
Gold – Old Dairy, Snow Top
Silver – Beowulf, Dark Raven
Bronze – Adnams, Old Ale
Porters-
Gold – Elland, 1872 Porter
Silver – Ayr, Rabbies Porter
Bronze – Red Fox, Black Fox Porter
Stouts-
Gold – Plain Ales, Inncognito Stout
Silver – Cairngorm, Black Gold
Bronze – Thornbridge, St Petersburg Russian Stout
Manchester Beer Festival Winners:
Each gold winner from the categories judged in Manchester in January were put through the final judging in Derby
Barley Wine Strong Old Ales –
Gold – Darwin, Extinction Ale
Silver – Moor, Old Freddy Walker
Bronze – Broughton, Old Jock
Old Ale Strong Milds –
Gold – Marble, Chocolate Marble
Silver – Palmers, Tally Ho!
Bronze – Brampton, Mild
Porters-
Gold – Facer’s, North Star Porter
Silver – RCH, Old Slug Porter
Bronze – 8 Sails, Victorian Porter
Stouts-
Gold – Wibblers, Crafty Stoat
Silver – Thornbridge, St Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout
Bronze – Cairngorm, Black Gold
COPY ENDS
Notes to editors-
Gold from each of the categories judged at the two festivals were put through to final judging for Champion Winter Beer of Britain
Darwin, Extinction Ale
Marble, Chocolate Marble
Facer’s North Star Porter
Wibblers, Crafty Stout
Tring, Death or Glory
Old Diary, Snow Top
Elland, 1872 Porter
Plain Ales, Inncognito
NWAF Press Contacts:
Tom Stainer,
Head of Communications, CAMRA
07801 720379
tom.stainer@camra.org.uk
CAMRA Press Office:
Telephone: 01727 337863
Email: press@camra.org.uk
Ayo Kila, CAMRA, Communications Assistant
ayo.kila@camra.org.uk
01727 337863