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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