– Your Beers of the Year 2018
The votes have been counted and verified! HERE are all the responses from our BEST OF 2018 BEER SURVEY. Thanks to all for answering! Scrolling fingers at the ready, this is a long one…
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Name
Anthony Finley
Bio
Some guy at Other Half Brewing
Favourite beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Kane- Sunday Brunch
2) Suarez- Qualify Pils
3) Adrestia collab w/Seven Islands Brewery
4) Track- Sonoma (cask)
5) Humble Sea- Vin Syrah
Favourite brewery of 2018
Suarez
Beer experience of 2018
Too many to pick just one. So many great places, events, people, and beer.
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More life.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
I don’t care. I just wanna drink good beer.
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Name
Dave Stone
Bio
Co-Owner Wylam Brewery
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Caramel Fudge Stout BA (Brandy Barrel Edition) – Brouwerij De Kees
2) Saison Anniversaire – Burning Sky
3) It’s Not Mike Porter – By The River Brew Co./Northern Monk
4) Neal Get’s Things Done – Verdant
5) Bière De Saison Damson – The Kernel
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Black Lodge
Beer Experience of 2018
Borefts Bier Festival
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Brexit is cancelled and Donald Trump is indicted
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Hop fatigue will give rise to the return of malt forward beers
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Name
Matt Gorecki
Bio
Head of Beer: IndyManBeerCon / Head of Everything: Zapato Brewery
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Burning Sky – Stock Ale. Tells so much about where we’re heading now and also so much about where we’ve come from, it’s truly a brilliant and expansive ale that tastes to me like some sort of tripped out marmalade Orval variant. The brett does everything it should in all the right places, picking up boozy cognac and sherry remaining dry as heck on the tongue whilst a riot of wood, more sherry, black pepper and green pepper corns. Hops are very much in effect and a gentle bitterness builds and then is rounded off with hay and malts and… what a beer…
2) Verdant – Track and Field – just showing how good Verdant are, felt slightly off beat by being hazy rather than opaque but it’s just really well judged, bitter and so bright on the hops. Repeat buy every time, worth around a million quid for Verdant I’d say, what a year they’ve had
3) Jester King – Spon – The Kings of US terrior led beers were back again at IndyMan and did us proud. Their tasting of this gueuze was a highlight for me and it’s minerally wonderfulness is such a treat.
4) Nelson Sauvin IPA – Nelson was very much back in effect this year and Kernels straightforward approach won the day for me, just a brilliant all round beer utterly current and so much depth of flavour without leaning too much towards current trends. Also worth of mention is Burning Sky’s Sauvin Brut – an actual Brut IPA worthy of the style rather than an ill advised use of enzyme to mop up all depth and flavour.
5) Cloudwater/The Veil – Chubbles. This was a revelation to me, a huge beer that was balanced, juicy and really complex. Doesn’t drink like the ABV ahaha hides the alcohol reeeely well ahhaa (sic)
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Burning Sky
Beer Experience of 2018
Very much enjoyed visiting Copenhagen Beer Celebration!
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
A new Zapato brewery begins in Marsden…
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Rubbish breweries will close their doors as the backlash against trite, poorly conceived, juvenile ‘beers’ gathers pace and wipes out some really poor rich lad hobby breweries…
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Name
Paul Jones
Bio
Frequent Flyer and Ideas Guy at Cloudwater
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Tegernseer Helles
2) Hill Farmstead Double Citra
3) Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils
4) Lawson’s Finest Ales Sip Of Sunshine
5) Bellwoods Bellweiser
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Hill Farmstead
Beer Experience of 2018
Barrel conditioned Pilsner poured straight from the barrel at Hill Farmstead, bottomless glasses of Slow Pour Pils and Helles at Bierstadt, and seeing many wonderful people at many great festivals.
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
I hope quality becomes more loved than novelty, and I dream of making Cloudwater the best brewery to work for in the world.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
People will start being nice to each other again online.
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Name
Kymmene
Bio
Beer drinker. What else do you need to know?!
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Marble – cranberry and ginger dark sour
2) Verdant – even sharks need water. Just for the name alone.
3) Northern Monk – celestial motion. Joosey.
4) Cloudwater – cranberry and papaya sour
5) Loverbeer – wild sour with plums. Bloody gorgeous.
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Northern monk
Beer Experience of 2018
Wakefield TTO at northern monk. Or getting into a fight with unnamed ppl on UKCBF
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Yonder. Watch these bad boys.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Sour. Puckered up faces everywhere.
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Name
Carl McBride
Bio
General Manager of Port Street Beer House
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Tree House – Bright (Galaxy)
2) Hill Farmstead – Anna
3) Mystic – Tropical Chelsea
4) Puhaste – Rum BA Dekadents
5) Verdant – Howl
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Squawk
Beer Experience of 2018
Sunday IMBC post-wedding party!
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More best bitters.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Craft snake bites?
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Name
Arlo
Bio
Assistant Manager PSBH
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Squawk Corvus
2) Five Points Old Greg’s barley Wine
3) Stone Exalted IPA
4) What ever the Polish beer I had in the Muted Horn was called.
5) Cloudwater/Bagby JPA
Favourite Brewery of 2018
SQUAAAAAWWWWK
Beer Experience of 2018
Either drinking Tegers bottles round the streets of Berlin, Or discovering that the “best” Guinness in Dublin is in the Airport.
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Caramalt.. Coniston Bluebird Bitter.. Sorachi Ace..
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Double Dry Hopped with Fuggles Bretted White Impy Stouts.. On cask.
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Name
James Moffat
Bio
Cloudwater Unit 9 co-manager, ex PSBH GM & IMBC beer herder.
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Verdant & IMBC – Armbands
2) Grimm – Super Crush
3) Industrial Arts – Wrench
4) American Solera – Old Dishoom
5) Westvleteren 12
Beer Experience of 2018
Organising IMBC again. Starting working at Cloudwater – having access to beer that’s been packaged only a few minutes before pouring is a game changer.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Everyone will get really into Lichtenhainer. Pastry stouts & hazy IPA’s will be forgotten.
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Name
Scott Kenneth Jackson
Bio
Indy Man Beer Guy
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Jester King – 2017 Spon 3 (Three Year Blend)
2) Cascade – Sang Royal
3) Squawk – Corvus
4) Cloudwater – JPA
5) Stone x IMBC x Buxton x Magic Rock x North – Fellow Sip IPA
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Squawk
Beer Experience of 2018
Drinking Bourbon BA Mexican Cake with Riv in Norway and texting James to tell him how good it was
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
As ever, to deliver an Indy Man that’s harder, better, faster, stronger than last year
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Normcore
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Name
Michael Sweeney
Bio
Into films, long walks and serving beers to the good folk of Port Street Beer House!
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Burning Sky – Saison
2) Verdant – Times Errand
3) Squawk – Pica
4) RedWillow – Extremely Wreckless (?) (NEIPA)
5) Cloudwater Cask (Pale)
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Squawk
Beer Experience of 2018
IMBC>>>>> Working on the North stand.
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Drink more beer, suppress more memories.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
High quality cask beers!
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Name
Mike
Bio
PSBH Bartender
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Squawk – Corvus
2) Cascade – Vlad the Imp Aler
3) 5 Points – Old Greg’s Barley Wine
4) Two Roads – Persian Lime Gose
5) Burning Sky – Cuvee
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Squawk
Beer Experience of 2018
Pints(s) of Corvus
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More delicious bitters
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
“Post Interesting” Bitters, ESB etc
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Name
Seb Mariner
Bio
1 1/2 of badaman productions
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Frederiksdal Cherry Wine
2) ROTHAUS TANNENZAPFLE PILSNER
3) Sierra Nevada Pale ale
4) The Veil bourbon barrel aged sleeping forever
5) Cloudwater JPA
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Burning Sky
Beer Experience of 2018
Alchemist cans w/ the lads at Mikkeller Baghaven
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Make IPA clear again
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
West coast IPAs
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Name
Oddie
Bio
General Manager at the Pilcrow
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Slim Pickens ‘Ananas’
2) Ridgeside x Twisted Barrel ‘Djentle’
3) Wander Beyond ‘Allure’
4) Kernel ‘Biere de siason raspberry’
5) Verdant x North brewing ‘Triple Fruit Gose’
Favourite Brewery of 2018
The Kernel
Beer Experience of 2018
MBCC 2018
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
trying to appreciate cask
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Frosty cups as a standard pour
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Name
Becky
Bio
The Pilcrow Assistant Manager
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Garage – Silver Peel
2) Mad Hatter – Penny Lane (RIP Never forget)
3) Lervig – BA Toasted Maple Stout
4) North Brewing – Triple Fruited Gose
5) Prairie – Bomb!
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Garage
Beer Experience of 2018
Sunday of Summer Beer Thing (when I wasn’t working, wahoo)!
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
To have a beer with Ru Paul.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Pink Gin
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Name
Hannah Valentine
Bio
Pint puller @ The Pilcrow/designer maker
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Guinness & black (shoutout to my haters)
2) Amundsen – Cookie Monster
3) Mad Hatter – Tzatziki Sour (forever and always, gone but never forgotten)
4) Omnipollo – Aniara
5) Boundary – Screwball
Favourite Brewery of 2018
All of them (I’ve really enjoyed pretty much all of what I’ve tasted from Wander Beyond this year so they’d be up there)
Beer Experience of 2018
SBT always because it’s like our small drunken child
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
My work on a can, if we’re keeping it topical?
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
“normal beer”
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Name
Aaron
Bio
Nice
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Shreddy Krueger – The Veil
2) Planets dont twinkle – Verdant
3) Sonoma (keg) – Track
4) Solemn Cycle – Alefarm
5) Tasty juice – Lervig
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Verdant
Beer Experience of 2018
Summer Beer Thing
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Tomato beers
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Tomatoes in beers
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Name
David Bailey
Bio
Communications and Events at Common and co / Illustrator
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Cloudwater x Bagby x Full Fat JPA
2) Dry & Bitter Beverly Pils Cop
3) Lost & Grounded Keller Pils
4) Angry Chair Moon Butter
5) Track Sonoma
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Verdant
Beer Experience of 2018
Going to Flensburg to visit the Flensburger factory <3
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More kellerbiers
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Low ABV stouts with adjuncts
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Name
Cheryl
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Coconuts – Lervig
2) Open to Persuasion – Wylam/Track
3) Silver Peel – Garage
4) Julius – Treehouse Brewery
5) Cookie Monster – Amundsen
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Wylam
Beer Experience of 2018
Sorry to say, Beaverex in London, had a ball and met up with all my drinking pals
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Copenhagen for and Iceland for Kex beer festivals
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Would love to see more Brut Beers
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Name
Matthew Haste
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Northern Monk Infinity Vortex
2) Wander Beyond La Adelita
3) Lervig BA pecan Psychosis
4) Cloudwater DDH Citra DIPA
5) North Brewing triple fruited gose v1
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Northern Monk
Beer Experience of 2018
Indyman (all lervigs BA)
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Make another clonking beer for Craft Beer Lovers Forum. This year’s Strawberry cheesecake impy stout was ace
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Milkshakes
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Name
John Garvey
Bio
Beer newb
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Twisted Barrel – Be Back Before Dawn
2) Verdant/Furest Wiacek – Who’s Deborah?
3) Wylam – Room 237
4) Amundsen Bryggeri – Luponic Plague
5) Deya – Invoice Me for the Microphone
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Deya – Hype 100% deserved for these Gloucestershire perfectionists. Since taking my first sip of SRM I’ve been hooked and Theo & co keep putting banger after banger in half litre tallboys. Could easily have put Meet me in the city/SMJHOTL in my BOTY list and I’ve not even started on their DIPAs. Honourable mentions go to Donzoko for that brill Helles and Whiplash for making the tastiest <3% micro ipa in Northern Lights + having a great online presence/writing the best brewer’s notes
Beer Experience of 2018
IMBC18 – overindulged before Hop City at the Other half/Foam brewers fringe event (s/o to Rich and Bryony at LLBH) + Bissell @ Bundobust + Verdant @ Turk’s head + Omnipollo @ North to the point where the whole fest was a sick blur so Indy man was a breath of fresh air in comparison. Friday evening session in particular was great thanks to Fuerst Wiacek (wizards, total lads) and being invited to Berlin by a group of lovely strangers who shared their food and were super nice/top drinking pals even if all they drank were stouts (no stouts plz, cheers)
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Become more adventurous, drink @ Garage every day while @ Primavera Sound, volunteer spots @ Cloudwater’s Family & Friends + Hop City, Putty, more Deya cans, more 3-way collabs (how good were the Track/Wylam/North + Northern Monk/Deya/Verdant DIPAs? 3 is a magic number lads), more inclusivity, Leeds in the Premier League
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Brut IPAs, all in festivals + complaints about their cost & Brexit misery forcing session beers to be at least 9% ABV
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Name
Sarah Hardy
Bio
Comms and Events for North Brewing Co
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Track Sonoma
2) Whiplash Northern Lights
3) Põhjala Leevike
4) 8 wired cucumber hippy
5) North X Het Uiltje Triple IPA
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Track
Beer Experience of 2018
Borefts, or drinking too much North X Het Uiltje Triple IPA on a Monday night.
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
To be able to find a west coast style IPA in the UK…
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Probably something horrific. With loads of adjuncts.
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Name
Damian Oshea
Bio
Heaton Hops
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Burnt mill Citra Fog
2) Verdant keep left
3) Crooked Stave Silly Cybies
4) Tegernsee Hell
5) Timothy Taylor’s Landlord
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Can’t pick one. Burnt Mill & Odyssey
Beer Experience of 2018
Dugges Tap takeover
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Return of the Mild
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Cask Mild
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Name
Peter Davies
Bio
A know all Beertuber who doesn’t know much.
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Northern Monk x Equilibrium x Other Half – Infinity Vortex
2) Stone Berlin – Prenzlaur Bock
3) Wander Beyond – Octopod
4) Mikkeller – Spontandoubleraspberry
5) Moncada Brewery – Impy Custard
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Northern Monk
Beer Experience of 2018
Indy Man
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More Great beers from fantastic UK breweries.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Sour Stout
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Name
Alastair M
Bio
Closet beer chugger extraordinaire
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Verdant – Keep Left
2) Cloudwater & Beavertown – Do Not Open Until 1985
3) Verdant – Planets Don’t Twinkle Galaxy
4) North & Verdant – Triple Fruited Gose
5) Magic Rock – BA De Molé
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Verdant
Beer Experience of 2018
IMBC 2018
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Non Brexit affected craft beer
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Crowdfunding the shit out of crowdfunding
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Name
Ethan
Bio
Drinks manager for some bars around South Cheshire
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Wylam x Track – In Every Dream Home A Heartache
2) Odyssey – Spottie-Ottie Hopaliscious
3) Verdant – Putty
4) Wander Beyond – Mini Milkshake
5) Cloudwater – And Getting Caught in the Rain
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Wander Beyond
Beer Experience of 2018
Volunteering at IMBC for the first time
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
FLENSBURGER
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Name
Simon Jessop
Bio
South Yorkshire craft bottle shop manager
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Magic Rock BA De Mole
2) Northern Monk Jungle IPA
3) Magic Rock Wave Project
4) Wilde Child Beast Master
5) Wander Beyond Bloom
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Magic Rock
Beer Experience of 2018
Leeds international beer festival
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More sours
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Cheesecake beer
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Name
Steven Leonard
Bio
Bottle Shop and Craft Beer Bar Owner
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Cloudwater Yandaro Imperial Brown Ale
2) Thornbridge Green Mountain
3) 2018 Chimay Grande Réserve Barrel Aged
4) Buxton Anglo-Belgique
5) Verdant Track and Field
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Cloudwater
Beer Experience of 2018
Indy Man
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More sours. Once you pop, you can’t stop.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Clear, Old school style American IPA’s. Snake Dog, Pliny, Jai Alai style.
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Name
Iwan
Bio
Indomie Connoisseur
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Buxton x OMNIPOLLO®️ SCELERISQUE 50% BOLIVIA 🇧🇴 50% DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 🇩🇴 CHOCOLATE 🍫 SAUCE STOUT
2) Verdant – Fruit, Car, Sight, Exhibition
3) Northern Monk x Mr Foleys Tap House – This Beer Doesn’t Technically Exist // 0.01 // Cherry Imperial Stout // Foley’s Tap House Leeds
4) Other Half – Double Sunset (Brazilian Mogiana Coffee)
5) Samuel Smith’s – Old Brewery Bitter (Cask)
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Verdant Brewing Co
Beer Experience of 2018
Cleanup in Room 3
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Kenny Omega to retain the IWGP title at Wrestle Kingdom 13. However only to lose it to Tetsuya Naito who finally completes his redemption arc. Now gimme a 2 sweet~
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Clean shaven brewers
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Name
Holleigh Stevenson
Bio
Cave Direct Events Manager
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Pêche Fumé – Cascade
2) Unfiltered Pilsner – Lervig
3) Mash Up the Jam – Collective Arts
4) Cream get the Honey – Other Half
5) Easy – Lervig
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Pêche Fumé – Cascade
Beer Experience of 2018
Whats Brewing
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Lervig Unfiltered Pilsner in the UK
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Lager Lager Lager!
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Name
Stephen Nettle
Bio
Serious Social Drinker
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Buxton/Omnipollo Yellow Belly
2) 3F Oud Gueze Cuvee Armand & Gaston
3) Rodenbach Vintage (2016)
4) Wander Beyond La Adelita
5) Puhaste Tumeaine Laphroaig BA
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Northern Monk Brew Co
Beer Experience of 2018
Kerstbierfestival Essen #24 2018
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Good health, prosperity & great beer
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Cask conditioned beer
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Name
Neil Bontoft
Bio
Much like every one else I don’t like galaxy
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Hudson Valley Brewery. Amorphia.
2) Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen. Schaerbeekse Kriek (2008).
3) Brasserie Cantillon. Classic Gueuze (2004).
4) Tree House Brewing Company. Triple Shot (2018).
5) Other Half Brewing Co. Double Dry Hopped Mylar Daydream.
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Mills
Beer Experience of 2018
Hop City
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Get my hands on a bottle of Art b3
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
An increase in UK spontaneous beers
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Name
Mark Gamble
Bio
Passionate craft beer newcomer
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Naughty & Nice – Vocation
2) Micro IPA – North Brewing Co.
3) Little Nipper – Black Iris
4) Comet session IPA – Brewsmith
5) Jungle IPA – Northern Monk
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Marble
Beer Experience of 2018
IMBC
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
To stick to Breweries I know I like.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Something the Yanks are doing now 😁
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Name
Rob Jones
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Northern Monk Infinity Vortex
2) Five Points Railway Porter
3) Lost & Grounded Keller Pils
4) Cloudwater x Verdant New West IPA
5) Other Half All Green Everything
Favourite Brewery of 2018
North Brewing Co
Beer Experience of 2018
Sipping draft Tilquin Quetsche in ‘t Brugs Beertje
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Drink a load of Faith at my wedding reception at Northern Monk brewery
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
UK based brewers churning out mixed ferm farmhouse beers from the likes of Duration, Mills, Burning Sky!
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Name
Daniel Dixon
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Omnipollo scelerisque
2) Verdant keep left
3) Wander beyond one-der beyond
4) Wander beyond la adelita
5) Moncada impy custard
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Wander beyond
Beer Experience of 2018
Wander Beyond birthday bash
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Job promotion
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Milkshake IPAs
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Name
Tom Forrester
Bio
Punk loves IPA. Hop-punk.
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Alternative Facts-Rooster
2) 6-Hop IPA-Rogue Ales
3) Backstage IPA-Signature Brew
4) Stagediver IPA-Signature Brew
5) Jakehead IPA-Wylam
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Signature Brew
Beer Experience of 2018
Drinking Signature Brew IPAs at Slam Dunk Festival.
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More delicious IPAs, breaking 900 beers on Untappd
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
I don’t follow trends, just delicious, hoppy beers!
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Name
Steven H
Bio
Stevo
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Chubbles – Cloudwater
2) Pulp – Verdant
3) DIPA v3.1 – Cloudwater
4) Patrons Project 13:01 – Northern Monk
5) Quiet After The Storm – Wander Beyond
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Northern Monk
Beer Experience of 2018
Hop City – Northern Monk
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More local tap rooms
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Seasonal flavours
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Name
Paul Brierley
Bio
I don’t know a lot about beer but I knows what I likes
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) North Riding – Fudge Brownie Stout (Ski Sundae Edition)
2) Marble – Uppe Hela Natten
3) Wander Beyond – Bloom
4) Wander Beyond – Salford Twilight
5) Cloudwater – Helles Mandarina
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Wander Beyond
Beer Experience of 2018
ISBF5
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
That Cloudwater make a Gose
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Gose!
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Name
Matthew Drage
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Buxton – Cranachan
2) Burning Sky – Sauvin Brut
3) Mills – Running Beer
4) Burning Sky – Coolship
5) Buxton – Trolltunga
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Burning Sky
Beer Experience of 2018
Visiting 3 Fonteinen
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Less murk
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Low abv
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Name
Hedley Coppock
Bio
Med comms professional
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Buxton Brewery barrel-aged quad
2) Wild Beer Co Rooting Around – Winter
3) Brassereie DuBuisson Bush des Charmes
4) Harvey’s Prince of Denmark
5) Brooklyn Brewery Local #1
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Buxton
Beer Experience of 2018
Always Stockport Beer Festival, this time with my wife for the first time in a few years
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
For Firestone Walker to start shipping more beer to the UK
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Probably sour brut NE milkshake IPAs :(
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Name
Will France
Bio
Stone Brewing Brand Manager
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Track Sonoma
2) Timothy Taylor’s Landlord
3) Burning Sky Coolship 1
4) IMBC / Buxton / North Brewing / Magic Rock / Stone Fellow-Sip IPA
5) Thornbridge Lukas
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Track
Beer Experience of 2018
Pulling off a collab with the UK’s best breweries and tasting the pilot version at Stone Berlin all together.
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Again as for 2018, a move away from hype, noise, exclusivity & the factors of that scene as well as a consideration of the environmental impacts of brewing such beers. Exaggerated hopping rates, tiny yields & huge energy usage are being warranted in the sake of the next “hype” beer.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Cask is back!
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Name
Jason Boardman
Bio
Dad, DJ, Ticket Man and Bon Viveur
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) NORTHERN MONK X EQUILIBRIUM A WHALE OF TWO CITIES
2) DEYA – STEADY ROLLING MAN
3) LEFT HANDED GIANT – CLOUDS UNFOLD
4) NORTHERN MONK – DONT MESS WITH MANCHESTER
5) LOST AND GROUNDED – KELLER PILS
Favourite Brewery of 2018
NORTHERN MONK
Beer Experience of 2018
THIRSTY GAMES – IMBC
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
To be able to attend IMBC, Magic Rock – Seshfest, Northern Monk – Hop City, Wylam Brewery – Craft Beer Calling and Cloudwater – Friends, Family and Beer.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
LAGER,LAGER,LAGER,LAGER,LAGER
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Name
Steve Rimington
Bio
@steverimington
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) North Triple Fruited gose – verdant
2) North triple fruited gose – Two Tribes
3) Inglenook – Wander Beyond
4) Costa Rican porter – Buxton
5) Athens to Athens – Jackie O’s
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Wander Beyond
Beer Experience of 2018
Hunahpu Day
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More events! :)
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Low abv
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Name
Dane Walker
Bio
Cyclist, Beer Aficionado, Scientist
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Wylam – midnight train to byker
2) Verdant georges descent into darkness
3) Verdant – Don’t Tell Gus
4) Buxton x Omnipollo – rocky road Sundae
5) Wylam – Moobing on up
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Verdant
Beer Experience of 2018
IMBC Indy Man!
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Visit more tap rooms. Get tickets for IMBC
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Sours and Lambics
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Name
James Croft
Bio
Bartender, Sandbar
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Toast E Coilz – The Veil
2) Woodland Creatures – Left Handed Giant
3) Mmm…Fruit – Other Half
4) Good King Henry Special Reserve (cask) – Old Chimneys
5) Daydream Layers – Other Half
Favourite Brewery of 2018
The Veil
Beer Experience of 2018
Dark City
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More American stouts in the UK
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Vegan stouts / NEIPAs / fruit smoothie sours
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Name
Patrick D. Cavanagh
Bio
Appman and/or Assman
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Carlsberg Special Brew
2) WHITE ACE
3) Hooch (Lemon)
4) Hooch (Prison)
5) Batemans Yella Belly Gold
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Beavertown – to infinity and beyond!
Beer Experience of 2018
Cleanup in Room 3
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Hard Brexit
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Super-strength lager – who wants a fight?
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Name
Andy Dann
Bio
General craft drinker, part-time Insta poster (the_beerded_apothecary)
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Lost Highway (patrons project 2.05) – Northern Monk
2) Swimming Giants – Burnt Mill x Finback
3) Pineapple + Lemon IPA – North Brew Co.
4) What Are The Odds – Magic Rock x Verdant
5) In All Formats – Wylam
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Burnt Mill
Beer Experience of 2018
Visiting Little Earth Project, having a long chat with Tom and sampling a few beers
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
That my wallet can keep up with the amount of bangers being released
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
I think there will be extremes, low ABV table beers will increase as will high ABV imperials, exports and T/Q IPAs. I think there may be an increase in different adjuncts too
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Name
Will Evans
Bio
Will Evans runs the Northern Distribution business for Cave Direct, a beer importation and distribution business named in the top 1000 businesses to inspire Britain in 2018. In 2019 Cave Direct will have been importing Belgian beers for 40 years with the company now also importing from Germany (Paulaner/Hacker Pschorr), Norway (Lervig), USA (CBA & Half Acre), Canada (Collective arts) and Spain (Garage) to name a few.
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Lervig House Party
2) Cascade Cherry Bourbonic
3) Garage Virtue Signal
4) Pilot Orange Green
5) Wild Beer Beyond Modus
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Lervig
Beer Experience of 2018
Drinking White Hag Black Pig Stout next to a freezing cold Sligo Bay eating oysters straight out of the oyster farm there.
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
It’s Cave’s 40th year so Nationally and regionally we will make it the best year ever – keep an eye out for a beermerchants.com beer festival to celebrate. I’m also part founder of Manchester Union lager and we’re launching in January 2019 so really excited to see that finally hit taps after over 3 years of planning
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Everyone has an eye on lager for 2019 but festivals are also strong with Saisons. last year many of them were real punchy sour saisons but could we also see a rise of more balanced sessionable spin offs?
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Name
Liam Clowes
Bio
Craft beer lover.
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Deya x Verdant – Eye of the Duck
2) Northern Monk x Other Half – Infinity Vortex
3) Lervig – Toasted Maple Stout
4) Cloudwater – BA Winberry Saison Brut
5) Northern Monk x Wylam – Moobin on Up
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Northern Monk
Beer Experience of 2018
IMBC and Peakender
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More beer festivals.
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Name
PhilWillG
Bio
Beer fan. Cyclist
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Brouwerij Alvine – Cuvee Sofie Cloudberry
2) Wander Beyond – Jamaican Cake
3) Burning Sky – Cuvee
4) Buxton – Snap Gate
5) Garden Brewery – Croatian Impy Stout
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Burning Sky
Beer Experience of 2018
IMBC
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
People’s vote. Hop City & IMBC
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Heavily adjuncted impy stouts, sippers
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Name
Johnny
Bio
I once took a whizz next to Nigel Quashie
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) 42|02 DDH Pale Ale Number Two – BBNo
2) Enigma – Track
3) Rustique – Lervig X Magic Rock
4) Leeds Beer Week ’18 TDH Pale – Northern Monk
5) Barnstormer – Gipsy Hill
Favourite Brewery of 2018
CRAK
Beer Experience of 2018
Trying the Champagnebrus BA Tokaji from Warpigs at Moseley Beer Festival
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More west coast, more dry hopping and ABVs to continue falling.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
More low ABV beers knocking about
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Name
Kev Fenton
Bio
Internet princess
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Verdant – Howl
2) Loka Polly – Simcoe Waimea DIPA
3) Omnipollo – Gideon’s Pancake Stack
4) Beatnikz – Azzaca Extra pale
5) Evil Twin – Even More JCS
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Loka Polly
Beer Experience of 2018
Indy Man
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More Hops Less Hate
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Imperial milds
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Name
Aaron
Bio
I drink beers.
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Keep Left- Verdant
2) Cloudwater Dipa V1 one off
3) Fruit car sight. Verdant
4) Cascade Fruitopian Noyaux
5) Crooked Stave Le Brett De Apricot
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Verdant
Beer Experience of 2018
Indyman
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
More of the same double IPA and face melting sours!
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Mild. Lol
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Name
Phill Coleman
Bio
I yell at computers, herd my children and try and sneak in a cheeky beer or two
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Acid Jam – Siren Craft
2) TIPA Citra BBC – Cloudwater
3) Sippin’ into Darkness – Lervig
4) Decadence 2017 2017 Bourbon BA – Marble
5) Speyside BA Imperial Stout – Cloudwater
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Verdant
Beer Experience of 2018
Cloudwater x R2BC – Focus on Fermentation
Hopes and dreams for 2019?
Big beer stops trying to do craft. Brewdog finally grow up.
What will be 2019’s beer trend?
Pushing boundaries – from edgy sours to big barrel aged beasts
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Name
Katy H
Favourite Beers of 2018 (in no particular order)
1) Siren Old Fashioned
2) Cloudwater Speyside Black Forest Stout
3) Cloudwater A Tool for Conviviality
4) Other Half Double Cream Get The Honey
5) Buxton Arran
Favourite Brewery of 2018
Cloudwater/Buxton
Beer Experience of 2018
Off Color Taproom, Chicago
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Thanks everyone! Happy 2019!
– Best Beer Selection // Manchester Beer Week Awards 2018
BEST BEER SELECTION WINNERS
Port Street Beer House
Manchester Beer Week Awards 2018
We were pleased as punch to take home the award for Best Beer Selection at this year’s Manchester Beer Week Awards held at the Marble Arch. Shout out to Connor and the MCR Beer Week team for doing great things in the city – and shout out to Marble Arch for laying on the best buffet spread in recent years (cheesy chips and mushy pea fritters featured). Here’s PSBH manager Carl lifting the award…
– IMBC 18 Review | Cameron Steward and Sarah Steward
Indy Sick-Man Beer Con
IMBC 18 Review by Cameron Steward and Sarah Steward
Anyone who knows me or actually happens to read these annual IMBC reviews I write will be fully aware of how much I love this festival. I was there from the start, man! 7 years going strong. Never missed a one! But then I caught that 24-hour bug and spent most of Saturday morning worshipping the porcelain god. I mean come on!! I hadn’t been ill in a year and today was my Christmas day. Except were this actually Santa’s birthday I would have stayed in bed. So I threw back a couple of Co-codamol and by some miracle managed to drag myself to the ever-beautiful Victoria Baths and start sensibly with a delicious Square Root Lemonade, hoping that I could face something more beery next… That moment never came. I couldn’t even last two hours… As such, I admitted defeat and walked home – not even able to face a taxi ride for fear of redecorating the interior.
So my wife has been kind enough to share her experience with me, that in the spirit of Indy Man I will share with you. I hope you enjoy…
I’m in the market for low percentage beers today. I don’t clear 5 ft. by much, was pregnant for 9 months and have been breastfeeding for 11. Essentially, that means I get drunk on half a pint of 5% beer and I don’t want to get much past tipsy. I’m a huge fan of the session beer movement, and the more recent trend for below 3% table beers. It’s inclusive. And IMBC has always felt inclusive, championing both the ridiculous 13% stouts alongside more easy drinkers for the likes of me.
Entering Victoria baths, we are greeted by the sight of Mario (sans Luigi – off plumbing I’d imagine) tinkering with some cables. I do not see what those cables are for, but a precedent for fun is set. I’m a tea lover at heart and I can’t think of a better way to start the session than with Brodie’s Earl Grey and Seville Orange IPA. After all, it’s only 10 minutes past 11am.
Now I’m definitely not one to stand in the way of technological advances and I do admire the IMBC app for its great design and functionality but I find myself relying on the old fashioned way of just looking and listening out for beers. It’s always a guarantee that someone somewhere will try something that everyone else just has to get. This inevitably leads me to Cloudwater and as you may recall my height and predisposition towards lower strength beers, Cloudwater Small BBC Citra is a stunner!
One thing I would really enjoy, but I don’t see a lot of (as I said before, I don’t have the app, so I’ve probably missed out on some, which is my own fault) is a lower percentage stout. There are countless imperial stouts, and they sound amazing, but I know full well I’ll take two sips and be a goner. I know of a few lower percentage stouts, one by Buxton (Rednik, my husband reliably informs me), but every time I swing by the queue is out of the door. Everyone else clearly knows how amazing Buxton are too… I mean who can resist that soft serve?
One new fun thing this year is a free, Berlin-style photo booth in the Verdant room. This is clearly a popular attraction, although the fast-moving queues prove it to be a well-thought-out one too. A few silly faces later, I head back for another wander.
I never stray to much from the tried and tested path, allowing me to appreciate a non-hazy Mosaic Pale by The Kernel and something similar from Siren – I forget the name cos I’m not as bigger geek as my husband.
Overall it’s another winner and despite a few issues with queuing and lack of seating you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be back next year. Hopefully with my husband back in action too.
