10 top picks from the Global Beer and Cider Masters
Judges from the db Global Beer & Cider Masters have revealed 10 of the best beers and ciders that gained top medals.
RUN WILD
Brewery: Athletic Brewing
Region: Milford, Connecticut
Country: US
ABV: 0%
Approximate retail price: £2.49
Bright gold and with a big-hitting hop note that leads you in. Plenty of IPA bitterness upon each sip. A really impressive beer for an alcohol-free style; nothing is compromised in terms of flavour. Would benefit from a little more balance, but the pine and citrus notes of the New World hops back up what this beer might lack in ABV. A long, lingering finish too.
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PALE FIRE
Brewery: Pressure Drop
Region: North London
Country: UK
ABV: 4.8%
Approximate retail price: £3.85
Hazy and juicy, pale straw in colour, and with lots of citric pine notes that are resinous and come through immediately. This great beer is well-balanced, draws you in and is up there for sessionability. You will want to order more than one of these.
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TYNT MEADOW
Brewery: Mount St Bernard Abbey
Region: Coalville, Leicestershire
Country: UK
ABV: 7.4%
Approximate retail price: £3.25
Tynt Meadow is everything a Trappist ale should be. Russet and slightly hazed in colour with a dense head of foam, fruit cake on the palate and a hint of spice on the finish, it is brazen, but with a gentle, sweeping softness to it.
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HEADBAND
Brewery: Verdant
Region: Penryn, Cornwall
Country: UK
ABV: 5.5%
Approximate retail price: £4.76
Rich hazed gold with a malt-driven fruity top note of New World hops. There is rich caramel, tropical fruit and grapefruit on the nose. The taste is robust and complex: ripe mango and pineapple, alongside some more savoury notes, with a long, bitter finish.
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JAIPUR
Brewery: Thornbridge
Region: Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire
Country: UK
ABV: 5.9%
Approximate retail price: £2.25
A little minerality on the nose and palate, but with a gentle earthiness and enough acidity to keep you interested. Crystal-clear straw in colour, the initial aroma is zesty and spruce-like, while the palate delivers tropical flavours and lots of grapefruit. The finish is long, dry and very assertive.
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IMPERIAL BROWN STOUT
Brewery: The Kernel
Region: Bermondsey, London
Country: UK
ABV: 9.5%
Approximate retail price: £4.40
Robust and thick with a coffee tan head of foam, this stout is huge on the body, rich and velvety. It’s a beer that wants you to know it has entered the room. Decadently indulgent, like dark chocolate dipped into a double espresso, it is definitely one to be sipped rather than glugged.
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GOLDEN DELICIOUS
Producer: Sxollie
Region: Elgin Valley, Western Cape
Country: South Africa
ABV: 5%
Approximate retail price: £2.35
Sweet, tart and a tiny bit funky, but seriously refreshing with a crisp finish. Very pale straw and clear in colour, the nose is elegant and packed with spring flowers. The flavour is refined, balanced and perfectly sweet. A wonderful product and very well made.
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CAFFEINE-INFUSED CRAFTY LIGHT LAGER
Brewery: Prime Time
Region: Central London
Country: UK
ABV: 4.2%
Approximate retail price: £2.29
Bright gold and with a pleasing amount of lacing afforded on the pour, there is sweetness muddled with a muted hop note that is fairly well-balanced and doesn’t give way to too much bitterness on the finish. This is an interesting beer well worth trying.
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ADEM ALMA CIDER 2022
Producer: Arba Wine
Region: Arba
Country: Kazakhstan
ABV: 5.5%
Approximate retail price: £7.18 (KZT4,180)
This cider presents fresh apple juice and a floral sweetness in aroma and palate, and is well-balanced with gentle crispness. Despite its 5.5% ABV, it is surprisingly easy-drinking and has a gentle, elegant finish. Very impressive.
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MONT-ROUGE STRAWBERRY & BASIL
Producer: Cidrerie Arista
Region: Rougemont, Quebec
Country: Canada
ABV: 5%
Approximate retail price: £1.65 (US$2 )
Pink-hued and with great clarity, this strawberry cider has herbal and pepper undertones. It’s refreshing without being cloying or overly sweet. An accessible and tremendously easy-drinking cider.
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