Taking the lead in the beer realm, IPAs have won the popularity contest to become the king of craft beers. Many of the brewing industry's brightest minds are experimenting with new and unexpected ingredients. The beer world is now worth more than USD 594.5 billion combining the diverse flavors from pale ales, lagers, pilsners, bitter to non-alcoholic beers. There's a beer out there for everybody!

The next time you’re looking to pop open a refreshing brew or grab a pint with your friends at the pub, take your pick from these award-winning beers from the London Beer Competition 2021.

The 2021 London Beer Competition has successfully identified the finest beers for beer drinkers and lovers all over the world. Blind-tasted by the most respected judges across the UK, these beers are awarded based on quality, value for money, and packaging. 

The panelists are selected from members of the British Guild of Beer Writers, cicerones, brewers, and beer experts from the industry. The winners are concluded as the best brews identified from entrants all over the world. Standing out in the competition world, the London Beer Competition aims to award, promote, and give increased media visibility to its well-deserving winners.

Abbatiale Genièvre de Houlle

Awarded as Beer of the Year, Best Beer by Quality, Best Beer by Packaging,  Abbatiale Genièvre de Houlle banked a gold medal and an impressive score of 96 points. This rich amber-colored, triple fermented beer is brewed with juniper berries. It delights the palate with citrus notes and holds malty aromas along with the delicate freshness of hops. 

Ikat

Hailing from the Salt Beer factory who earned the title of Brewery of the Year at the London Beer Competition 2021, Ikat is a hazy pale-colored full-bodied beer with a mixture of passion fruit, lychee, and guava. These fruity flavors have mellow notes giving a bold yet smooth finish. The beer’s tropical character won its Best in Show by Country (United Kingdom) and a gold medal with 94 points.

Great Skanderborg - Castrum

Doubling up on taste, fragrance, and elegance, Great Skanderborg - Castrum is an exciting variant of the original IPA from Skanderborg Bryghus. Sabro, eukaunot, and loral hops give it a great taste of tropical fruits. The high alcohol percentage of 11.5 gives rise to notes of cascade and citra and these flavours stand up to the richness of the beer. Castrum was awarded a gold medal, the title of Best in Show by Country (Denmark), with a score of 94 points.

Tripel Karmeliet

Combining the hard work of seven generations with the labour of love, patience, and passion, Tripel Karmeliet is a gold medalist brew, Best in Show by Country (Belgium) scoring 93 points at the London Beer Competition 2021. The classic golden Belgium Tripel has a creamy white foam with refined and complex aromas of herbs and citrus. This is a medium-bodied beer with the rich and soft sweetness of lemon cake,  mixed with hints of coriander seeds giving it a dry finish.

Alpaca

With a crispy punch of premium tropical fruit flavors, and a richness echoing the premium Alpaca fleece, Alpaca excelled with a gold medal and a total score of 91 points. This vegan IPA has strong tropical hop aromas on the nose and well-balanced flavors of melon and guava followed by honey on the palate with a bitter finish.

Porter Baltycki Trzech Kumpli

Porter Baltycki Trzech Kumpli is a brewing treasure winning Best in Show by Country (Poland), a gold medal, and 91 points at the London Beer Competition 2021. Strong aromas of black gold, it greets with sweet notes of caramel, chocolate, licorice, with the fullness of a warming alcohol taste. Having 8% alcohol and the moderate bitterness of classic Polish hops, it is a perfect dessert drink.    

Hyperbola

Hyperbola is an unfiltered production by Lepi Decki containing 10.8%  alcohol. It is a perfect combination of sweet but bitter, chocolatey, dark, and thick beer that can be paired with desserts, especially chocolate ones. This unique beer set a benchmark for quality, winning Best Beer by Value, meaning it provides the best quality for its price amongst the entrants at the competition. It was awarded a gold medal with a score of 91 points. 

La Dark Soul

The next one on the list is a gold medalist Imperial stout awarded with 91 points. With fresh hops of simcoe and citra, La Dark Soul is a dry beer that has coffee and dark chocolate notes on the palate. It is a delightful partner to red meat or any dessert that contains chocolate, especially dark.

1820 Porter

Brewed with porter-based nineteenth-century recipes, 1820 Porter is a gold medalist beer with 90 points. This vegan beer is one of a kind, loaded with chocolate malt and wheat, with coffee notes giving it a rich flavor. Mixed fermentation with Brettanomyces claussenii, It is unfiltered, unfined, and vegan. This brew can be paired with your favorite cheese or sweet chocolate brownies.

Martha Brown Eyes

Inspired by the best beers from Belgian Trappist brewers, Martha Brown Eyes is a quadruple-styled dark black ale with a gold medal and 90 points. Warming on the nose, it has a pleasant fruity scent of ripe strawberries, cherries, and apples with a touch of spice from anise and licorice. On the palate, it has hints of caramel, dried fruit, coffee, and chocolate. The balance of soft bitterness paves the way to an intensive alcoholic finish, covered with a robust head. 

Bird of Prey IPA

Bird of Prey is a classic IPA. With its fresh hoppy goodness, it has citra, chinook, and mosaic which are added to the whirlpool to give it heaps of passionfruit, pineapple, and hints of peach character. The hop aroma comes from the blending of fresh amarillo, citra, and mosaic. The resulting flavour is an easy-to-drink, super hoppy, classically styled IPA. Intriguing the judges with its super hoppy, old-school-style, Bird of Prey IPA was crowned as the  Best in Show by Country(Netherlands), and a gold medal with a score of 90.
Mahou Cinco Estrellas Session IPA 

A floral background ale, with a dark golden hue, consistent foam, and veiled appearance. With varied nuances of currants and stone fruits, the beer has a fresh aroma from its origin in hops. Smooth body texture, with bitter sensations and persistent finish Mahou Cinco Estrellas Session IPA was awarded Best in Show by Country(Spain), a gold medal, and 90 points.

 

Mahou Cinco Estrellas Session IPA 

A floral background ale, with a dark golden hue, consistent foam, and veiled appearance. With varied nuances of currants and stone fruits, the beer has a fresh aroma from its origin in hops. Smooth body texture, with bitter sensations and persistent finish Mahou Cinco Estrellas Session IPA was awarded Best in Show by Country(Spain), a gold medal, and 90 points.