Monday 26 November 2012

London and South East Craft Beer Festival 2012

This is the first of two blogs about this excellent festival run by London Amateur Brewers.

I'll start with a few photos of the set-up and judging and then photos of all the winners who were there.

The new location was an excellent room.

All the latest technology was being used.

Not many kegs this year.

Some stewards seemed chirpy...

 ...some a little tired...

...or worse for wear

The judges were locked away in a separate little room




Nice new glassware.

At 2pm the punters started arriving

Beers were poured...  


...or escaped of their own volition.

It got nice and busy by the end.



The results...


Table 1: IPA and Strong Ale (18 entries)



1st Steve Syson Debaser                 Midlands Craft Brewers
2nd Fergus Mciver Hop Rocket
3rd Andy Parker West Coast IPA London Amateur Brewers
HM Dave Halse MyAIPA                 London Amateur Brewers




Table 2: English and Scottish Ale (19 entries)
1st Ken Bazley Boring Brown Beer LAB
2nd Mark Newman seventeen
3rd Paul Spearman TraditionAle London Amateur Brewers
HM  Giancarlo Maccini EVO-3 E.S.B. London Amateur Brewers

Table 3: Porter & English Brown Ale (14 entries)
1st Rob Case Back To Black London Amateur Brewers
2nd Chris Cheeseman fuggles porter
3rd   Paul Henderson Gently Does It London Amateur Brewers
HM  Dave Halse MyBrownPorter London Amateur Brewers

Table 4: Stouts (15 entries)
1st Ali Kocho-Williams Tsar Pembrokeshire Union of Brewers
2nd Steve Syson Tomahawk Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Nick Reese Imperial Stout (the 2nd)
HM Ian Thomas Sluice Gates Stout
HM Fergus Mciver Dark Matter




*Yes that is Paul Henderson impersonating Ali.
Table 5: American and Other Pale Ale and IPA (13 entries)
1st Allan Gayton George’s Nectar Midlands Craft Brewers
2nd Steve Syson South Pacific IPA Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Mark and Chris Simpson Hop Sip and Slump
HM Mike Carter Browst LAB
HM Bryan Spooner EL 15 LAB

Table 6: Belgian and French Ale (13 entries)





1st Stephen Auld, Chris Auld and Kristian Robinson Aramis
2nd Dave Halse MyBelgian London Amateur Brewers
3rd Steve Syson La Fleche Wallonne Midlands Craft Brewers
HM Ingemar Jansson Serenity cosinusfi
HM Ben Fields Stuck in the Chunnel Pale Ale London Amateur Brewers
Table 7: Fruit Spice Herb Vegetable Beer (11 entries)
1st Drew Wnek Happy Thanksgiving London London Amateur Brewers
2nd Peter Bamford Coconut Porter LAB
3rd Chris Lewis Eye Piercing Scene From Zombie Flesh Eaters
HM Vladimir Kaznakov Pumpkin Ale





Table 8: Speciality and Smoked Beer (8 entries)
1st Dave Halse MySmokedPorter London Amateur Brewers
2nd Gregg Irwin Fade to Black LAB
3rd Dave Halse MyOakedSmokedChocoStout London Amateur Brewers




Dave Halse had a good day even if his beer names are a bit rubbish.

Table 9: Amber and Hybrid Beers (6 entries)
1st Steve Syson American Gothic Midlands Craft Brewers
2nd Steve Syson Goodnight Vienna Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Tom Johnstone Kolnel London Amateur Brewers
HM Simon Bedwell Chippings Altbeer
HM Steve Syson California Dreamin’ Midlands Craft Brewers




Yes this is Steve Syson again!!!

Table 10: The Better Half (6 entries)
1st Alison Irwin Grumpy Cougar
1st Kerri Henderson Trick or Treat
3rd Belinda Kelly Killed Three Already London Amateur Brewers




I can claim some credit here...I was co-brewer on Alison's beer and I wrote the recipe on which Kerri's was based.

Rob Case picked up the award for the best label...More of that in another blog.

Mark Vincent picked up the People's award for Herman's Chocolate stout.



Best in Show
1st Allan Gayton George’s Nectar Midlands Craft Brewers
2nd Steve Syson Debaser Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Stephen Auld, Chris Auld and Kristian Robinson Aramis







Well done to all those involved in the organisation and those who picked up prizes. I thought the standard of beer was very good and greatly improved from last year.