Wickwar brews CAMRA's champion winter ale

January 20, 2007: Wickwar Station Porter from Gloucestershire has been named Winter Beer of Britain 2008 by a panel of judges at CAMRA's National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester.

The 6.1% ABV porter is described in CAMRA’s 2008 Good Beer Guide as a "rich, smooth, dark, ruby-brown ale. Starts with a roast malt; coffee, chocolate and dark fruit then develops a complex, spicy, bittersweet taste and a long roast finish.”

At the announcement, festival organiser Steve Prescott congratulated Wickwar on its victory. He said: "It’s great to see a porter winning the supreme champion Winter Beer of Britain competition as this beer style has been in danger of disappearing from the British pub. I sincerely hope people will be inspired to try more porter on the back of Wickwar’s victory.”

Kevin Newbould, Wickwar’s key accounts director, said: “We are very pleased to have been voted the best winter beer in Britain and delighted that everybody feels the same way about this wonderful beer as we do. Let’s hope we see a resurgence in people trying more porters in the near future.”

The silver award went to Robinson’s Old Tom and the bronze to Hop Back Entire Stout.

A panel of CAMRA experts and beer writers at the National Winter Ales Festival (New Century Hall, Manchester) judged the competition.

Category winners

Old ales and strong milds: gold, Purple Moose, Dark Side of the Moose; silver, West Berkshire, Maggs Magnificent Mild; bronze, Highland, Dark Monro.

Stouts: gold, Hop Back, Entire Stout; silver, Spitting Feathers, Old Wavertonian; bronze, Spire, Sgt Pepper Stout.

Porters: gold, Wickwar, Station Porter; silver, E&S Elland, 1872 Porter; bronze, Acorn, Old Moor Porter.

Barley wines: gold, Robinson’s, Old Tom; silver, Durham, Benedictus; bronze, Mighty Oak, Saxon Song.