Red Mill, a 4.3% Best Bitter from the Reedham based Humpty Dumpty Brewery, has been named the top Norfolk brewed cask ale by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
The beer is described in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide as ‘Full bodied, robust and fruity. Coffee, dark fruits and caramel vie for dominance against a malty bitter base. Powerful rich ending.’
Humpty Dumpty also scooped second place with their Swallowtail, a 4.0% Bitter with a ‘marmalade and biscuit beginning enhanced by grainy bitter notes’.
Blimey Brewery from Norwich took third place with Eleven, ‘an orangey, citrus tasting Golden Ale’.
A year long programme of tasting carried out by the Norfolk Taste Panel saw the winner emerge from a field of over 350 locally brewed beers.
Panel chair Alan Edwards commented: “As can be seen from the list of winners we have a lot of good breweries in Norfolk with thirteen, from all parts of the county, gaining awards. We hope these awards will encourage pubs to stock local brews and drinkers to seek them out.
“We need to do all we can to support local pubs and breweries. The panel will now continue judging as we look forward to naming a winner in 2021”.
The scores are not only used to judge the Champion Beers of Norfolk, they also contribute to the selection of the East Anglian and Champion Beer of Britain (CBOB) competitions.
2020 Category Winners:
Overall
1st: Red Mill, Humpty Dumpty Brewery, Reedham
Runner Up: Swallowtail, Humpty Dumpty Brewery, Reedham
3rd: Eleven, Blimey Brewery, Norwich
Mild Ales
1st: Mild, Winter’s Brewery, Norwich
Runner Up: Mardlers Mild, Woodforde’s Brewery, Woodbastwick
Bitter
1st: Swallowtail, Humpty Dumpty, Reedham
Runner Up: Norwich Bitter, Fat Cat Brewery, Norwich
3rd: Affinity, Lacons Brewery, Great Yarmouth
Best Bitter
1st: Red Mill, Humpty Dumpty Brewery, Reedham
Runner Up: Nelsons, Woodforde’s Brewery, Woodbastwick
3rd: Sirius Dog Star, Wolf Brewery, Besthorpe
Golden Ale
1st: Eleven, Blimey Brewery, Norwich
Runner Up: Evolution APA, Winter’s Brewery, Norwich
3rd: ThreeOneSix, Grain Brewery, Alburgh
Strong Mild
1st: Jubilee Mild, Humpty Dumpty Brewery, Reedham
Stout
1st: Black Anna, Chalk Hill Brewery, Norwich
Runner Up: Darkest Hour, S&P Brewery, Horsford
3rd: Milk Stout, Fat Cat Brewery, Norwich
Porter
1st: Prasto’s Porter, Boudicca Brewery, West Barsham
Runner Up: Tombland Porter St Andrews Brewhouse, Norwich
3rd: Slate, Grain Brewery, Alburgh
