Great British Beer Festival: Coniston No 9 wins Champion Beer of Britain

The beer is a 8.5% ABV classic strong golden beer which is brewed once a year.

It was brought into the competition from the Winter winners category and the brewery is based in Cumbria.  

The beer won the competition after a blind tasting conducted by leading beer experts and judges.

Roger Protz, of the final judging panel,  said: "The judges in the final tasting were overjoyed by the tremendous quality of the beers this year. There wasn’t a poor beer in the competition, and they were all of the highest quality. It was a tough choice, and the final results were very close."

David Smith of Coniston brewery, said: "We were delighted to win the competition in 1998 with Bluebird, and we are delighted to win again. We’ve always been at the top and we’re glad to regain the recognition we deserve. It’s an all-British beer using solely British ingredients, very fitting for this Diamond Jubilee year."

Mike Benner, CAMRA chief executive said: "It’s great to see a rare beer style being championed. Obviously it’s a fairly strong beer, therefore it is a great opportunity for pubs to try third pint glassware so consumers can enjoy this wonderful ale in moderation."
Silver winner: Green Jack Brewery Trawlerboys Best Bitter

Bronze: Dark Star, America Pale Ale

Previous winners include Oscar Wilde mild from Mighty Oak brewery, Brewer's Gold from Crouch Vale brewery and Harvest Pale from Castle Rock.

Category winners:​

Mild: Rudgate Brewery, Ruby Mild

Bitter: Purple Moose, Snowdonia Ale

Best Bitter: Green Jack, Trawlerboys Best Bitter

Golden Ales: Dark Star, American Pale Ale

Strong Bitters: Dark Star, Festival

Speciality Beers: Dunham Massey, Chocolate Cherry Mild

Real Ale in a Bottle: Stewart, Embra

Winter: Coniston No 9 Barley Wine