Ale Street News Online

Judging the Americans at Great British Fest

"Fancy judging American beers?" Andy Benson asked me at the opening session of the Great British Beer Festival (London Aug. 5-9, 2008). Andy is in charge of the Bieres Sans Frontieres booth at GBBF where all the non-British beer is served – Belgian, German, Italian, Scandinavian, Japanese and 46 casks of Real American Ale.

"Sure," I said. It meant an early start the next day, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the cause of good beer. I showed up at Earls Court at 10 the next morning, then had to cool my heels, prepare my palate etc., while the preliminaries were judged.

Four beers made it to the final round, to be judged by eight of us – a Belgian, a Dane, an American (moi) and five Brits. The first beer I pegged as a Double IPA, very hoppy, but perhaps lacking a bit of body. This, I found out was because it was just a very hoppy IPA, not in the Double category; the second was a very chocolaty, fruity, dark porter; the third was back in the hoppy vein, but seemed to me to have a not exactly pleasant bitter aftertaste; the fourth was poetry, a dark ale with whisky and vanilla notes. I was pretty sure I knew what it was too; the last beer I had sampled at the previous day’s opening session. The Belgian I was sitting next to thought he knew too – a lovely, 12.5%5 cask-conditioned version of the bourbon-barrel aged The Angel’s Share from Port Brewing near San Diego.

It became evident rather quickly that the judges had fallen hook, line and sinker for number 4. So we decided to work backwards. Number 3, was the first to be eliminated. Captain Lawrence Westchester Ale, as it turned out. It’s possible this beer was past its prime…on the other hand it had been sent forward to the final round. There were more supporters for number 3 than for number 2 so third place went to Cambridge House’s IPA (CT) and second to Mayflower Porter (MA). Before coming to our final decision we made sure to get a second pour of The Angel’s Share – just to make certain.

After the judging, we had just enough time to visit the pork pie stand before doors opened to the public at noon. Then it was off to sample the British winners: Alton’s Pride from Triple FFF, a microbrewery that opened in Hampshire in 1997 with a 7-bbl. system and just recently cut the ribbon on a new 50-bbl. brewhouse. They’re obviously doing something right, as the Alton’s Pride showed, floral and complex, winner of the Bitter category and the Grand Champion prize.

Having just spent a week in Wales, I was interested to try the beers from Otleys in Glamorgan. They won gold in the Golden category (unlike in the U.S., the golden beers tend to be the most hoppy, often with the use of American hops); also gold in the Specialty category with OGarden, an obvious takeoff on the Belgian white beer, but with heavy use of clove.

Well-known names like Lees Bitter (Manchester) Fullers ESB and Timothy Taylors Landlord were sprinkled through the seven competition categories, mixed with newcomers like Skinner’s Betty Stogs from Cornwall, winner of the Best Bitter category, and Thornton’s Jaipur IPA winner of the Strong Ale category.

For a full list of winners, go to www.camra.org.uk