The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has awarded Cairngorm’s Black Gold the title of Champion Winter Beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival Winter 2025.
Following over a year of local blind-tasting panels and regional heats, the final round of judging took place at the winter festival, with Black Gold (4.4% ABV), a session stout from Scottish brewers Cairngorm, named as overall Champion Winter Beer of Britain.
Champion Beer of Britain judging panel organiser Christine Cryne described the beer as having: “Roasted coffee nose with dark fruits and earthy hops. The flavour is of refreshing coffee with sweet malt, orange and dark fruits, leading to a satisfying dry, chocolatey finish. Very easy drinking.”
Reacting to the win, Cairngorm’s Sales Director Merlin Sandbach said: “After winning Champion Beer of Scotland two years consecutively, and four years in total, the team is ecstatic. Our head brewer Liam, Gemma from Productions and I are absolutely over the moon!"
The runners up in the competition were Sarah Hughes Snowflake (8% ABV), which took home Silver, and Grain Slate (6% ABV) which claimed Bronze.
CAMRA’s Awards Director Gary Timmins said: “Massive congratulations to Cairngorm for their fantastic win plus all the amazing category winners in this year’s competition. Black Gold is a cracking pint, and even in such an incredibly competitive shortlist, it is a worthy winner.
“Every year our judges find it harder and harder to pick a winner, which speaks volumes of the brewing talent in the UK. Despite their evident quality, our brewers struggle to find a place at the bar of our locals. Soulless global conglomerates have a greedy stranglehold on the industry, restricting true customer choice and our independent brewers’ access to market.
“Everyone should get out to their pub, social club or taproom and look out for one of your local brews – it might be one of our award-winning beers!”
This year’s award winners will be available to try at the Great British Beer Festival Winter this week while stocks last.
The category winners from the Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition will be entered into the overall Champion Beer of Britain competition later this year.
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Notes to editors:
All category winners
Overall Winners
Cairngorm – Black Gold
Sarah Hughes - Snowflake
Grain - Slate
Brown Ales, Red Ales, Old Ales and Strong Milds
Tintagel - Caliburn
Orkney – Dark Island
Merlin – Dark Magic
Session Stouts and Porters
Cairngorm - Black Gold
Blackjack – Manchester Stout
Dancing Duck – Dark Drake
Strong Stouts and Porters
Grain - Slate
Fixed Wheel – Blackheath Stout
Acorn – Gorlovka Imperial Stout
Barley Wines and Strong Ales
Sarah Hughes - Snowflake
Abbeydale – Black Mass
Exmoor - Beast
Speciality, Differently Produced
Allendale - Adder Lager
Anspach & Hobday – Smoked Brown
Cromarty – Red Rocker
Speciality, Differently Flavoured
Siren - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout
Mr. Winter’s - Vanilla Latte
Purple Moose – Cwrw Ysgawen/Elderflower Ale
Runner up judges’ tasting notes:
Sarah Hughes, Snowflake (Silver): “A stunning golden brown barley wine with a strong fruity nose of orange and honey. These favours are on a smooth palette with a growing spicy bitterness. Rich and satisfying.”
Grain, Slate (Bronze): “A ruby black porter with liquorice treacle and a little dark fruit. The flavour is of black coffee, black cherry, raisins, treacle and liquorice, overlaid with a sweet character. The sweetness lingers in the finish with a dry roastiness.”
The Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition kicked off CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival Winter 2025, which is running from 12-15 February at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham, Yorkshire. The annual festival celebrates the best traditional winter brews in the UK, recognising beer styles such as stouts, barley wines and old ales.
The event travels to a different venue every few years and is run by beer-loving volunteers, bringing hundreds of cask beers, real ciders and perries to the host city.
More information about the Champion Winter Beer of Britain award can be found here: camra.org.uk/awards/champion-winter-beer-of-britain?selected_year=2025
More information about the Great British Beer Festival Winter, including tickets, can be found here: winter.gbbf.org.uk
