Best Beer Awards 2012

DRAFT BEER
Best Overall Beer (from anywhere): Buxton, Axe Edge IPA, Buxton, Derbs 6.8%










Best Regular Cask Beer (UK):
Buxton, Axe Edge IPA, Buxton, Derbs 6.8%
Five Towns, Peculiar Blue, Wakefield, W Yorks 6.0%
Summer Wine, Diablo, Honley, W Yorks 6.0%
North Riding Brewpub, Pedro’s Shorts, Scarborough 3.8%
Thornbridge, Jaipur IPA, Bakewell, Derbs 5.9%

Best Special Cask Beer (UK):
Brodie’s, Dalston Black IPA, Leyton, London 7.0%
Brodie’s, Hoxton Special IPA, Leyton, London 4.4%
St Austell, Proper Black, St Austell, Cornwall 5.0%
Bend Brewing, Eclipse Cascadian Dark Ale, 4.8%

Best Keg Beer (UK):
Brew Dog, Hardcore Double IPA, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 9%
Brew Dog, Punk IPA, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 6%

Best Cask Beer (world): Hopworks, IPA, Portland, OR, USA 6.6%

Best Keg Beer (world):
Wet Dog, Killer Bitch IPA, Astoria, OR, USA 8.2%
Russian River, IPA, CA, USA 6.5%
Hopworks, IPA, Portland, OR, USA 6.6%

Best Beer (available reasonably local regularly):
Cheriton, Perridge Pale, Cheriton, Hants 3.6%
Bowman, Elderado, Droxford, Hants 3.5%
Downton, Chimera IPA, Downton, Wilts 6.8%

Worst Draft Beer tasted:
Greene King, Ruddles Best Bitter, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk 3.7%

Favourite Hop:
Most beginning with C: Cascade, Citra, Chinook, Columbus, Centennial, Challenger, Crystal, Cluster etc. Oh, and Amarillo, Mount Hood, Willamette, Yakima, Nelson Sauvin.

BOTTLED BEER
Best Bottled beer (conditioned):
Buxton, Black Rocks Black IPA, Buxton, Derbs 5.5%
Buxton, Wild Boar IPA, Buxton, Derbs 5.7%
Thornbridge, St Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout, Bakewell, Derbs 7.7%
Yorkshire Dales, Butter Tubs, Askrigg, W Yorks 3.7%
Acorn, Gorlovka, Barnsley, S Yorks 6.0%


Best Bottled beer (unconditioned):
Russian River, Pliny the Elder, Double IPA, CA, USA 8.0%
Epic, Hop Zombie, Double IPA, Auckland, NZ 8.5%
Thornbridge, Raven Black IPA, Bakewell, Derbs 6.6%
Williams, Profanity Stout, Alloa, Scotland 7.0%
Mallinsons, Danger Hops, Huddersfield, W Yorks 5.1%
Thornbridge, Jaipur IPA, Bakewell, Derbs 5.9%



Worst Bottled Beer: Badger/Marstons (for having dozens of beers that all taste the same)

BREWERY
Best Brewery (overall winner): Buxton, Buxton, Derbs
Best Brewery (local): Brodie’s, Leyton, London
Best Brewery (national): Buxton, Buxton, Derbs
Best Brewery (international): Hopworks, IPA, Portland, OR, USA

Greatest improvement in a Brewery:
St Austell, Cornwall (from below average to real contender on selected beers)

Greatest decline in a Brewery:
Fullers, London (from best beers in Britain in the 90s to undrinkable now)

PUB
Best Pub (overall winner): North Riding Brewpub, Scarborough, N Yorks
Best Pub (local): Guide Dog, Southampton, Hants
Best Pub (national): Ship & Mitre, Liverpool
Best Pub (international): Bailey’s Taproom, Portland, OR, USA
Best Brew-Pub (local): Brodie’s, Leyton, London
Best Brew-Pub (national):
North Riding Brewpub, Scarborough, N Yorks
The Grove, Huddersfield, W Yorks
Best Brew-Pub (international): Hopworks Bike Bar, Portland, OR, USA
Best New Pub (UK): Brew Dog Camden, London

Worst Pub(s):
Holland Tringham, Streatham, London (for hinting at having good beer but never having it and an atmosphere that would make Michael McIntyre glum)
Wetherspoons (many of their pubs pay only lip-service to good beer and I would rather they didn’t serve any than ruin the ones they do sell. Not all of them, mind)

Best landlord/lady (local): Paul/Margaret, Guide Dog, Southampton, Hants
Best landlord/lady (national): Binnie Walsh, The Harp, Covent Garden, London
Best landlord/lady (international): Hopworks Bike Bar, Portland, OR, USA

BREWER
Best Male Brewer (national): Stuart Neilson, North Riding Brewpub, Scarborough, N Yorks
Best Male Brewer (international): John, Wet Dog, Astoria, Portland, USA
Best Female Brewer (national): Tara, Mallinson, Huddersfield, W Yorks
Best Female Brewer (international): Tonya Cornett, Bend Brewing, Bend, Oregon, USA