Best Beers in Wales

The annual number crunching is finished and the list of the Best Beers in Wales from the Anheuser-Busch Inbev subsidiary Ratebeer is as follows:

1 Tiny Rebel Imperial Puft Porter - Imperial / Double
2 Loka Polly India Pale Ale Citra Ekuanot IPA
3 Lines Line CD - Double Barrel Farm Blend (Burgundy / Pinot Barrels) Sour / Wild Ale
4 Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Imperial Chocolate  Porter - Imperial / Double
5 Lines Line A - New Zealand New England IPA - Session
6 Tiny Rebel / Arbor Bonsai IPA
7 Lines Line A - Pale Oats on Delta Resin IPA - Session
8 Lines Line FA - Primary Brett Imperial stout Stout - Imperial
9 Lines Line A - Dry hopped IPA IPA
10 Loka Polly Double IPA Mosaic Simcoe IPA - Imperial / Double
11 Lines Line ACD - Farmhouse IPA Sour / Wild Ale
12 Tiny Rebel / Siren Didgeridank IPA - Imperial / Double
13 Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropicana IPA
14 Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Chocolate Porter
15 Tiny Rebel Loki Lite IPA - Session
16 Tiny Rebel Captain Insano IPA - Imperial / Double
17 Tiny Rebel Hadouken IPA
18 Tiny Rebel / Dark Star Rebel Alliance Saison
19 Lines Line CA - Nelson Saison Saison
20 Loka Polly Stout Citra Columbus Stout
21 Crafty Devil You Love Us IPA
22 Lines Line AD - Double IPA Blend (Nelson, Citra, Chinook & Amarillo) IPA - Imperial / Double
23 Tiny Rebel Dirty Stop Out Stout
24 Tiny Rebel Lock Stock IPA - Imperial / Double
25 Tiny Rebel / Fierce Beer Orange Mocha Frapp Stout Stout
26 Tiny Rebel Sugar Rush Stout - Imperial
27 Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Porter
28 Loka Polly Espresso Breakfast Stout Aurora Stout - Sweet
29 Tiny Rebel Tiny Batch In and Around the Mouth IPA
30 Loka Polly Stout Simcoe Stout
31 Hopcraft Sharks Against Surfers Pale Ale - American
32 Tiny Rebel Cali Pale Ale - American
33 Loka Polly India Pale Ale El Dorado Mosaic IPA
34 Lines Line DE - Blackcurrant Oak BA  Sour / Wild Ale
35 Tiny Rebel The Vader Shuffle Porter
36 Tiny Rebel / Weird Beard Dirty Perle Stout
37 Loka Polly Double IPA Simcoe Waimea IPA - Imperial / Double
38 Hopcraft A Good Rogering IPA - Black / Dark
39 Tiny Rebel Cereal Killer IPA - Session
40 Lines / Fyne Ales Green Lines Saison 3.54 14 Saison
41 Hopcraft Devilfish Ink IPA - Black / Dark
42 Tiny Rebel Bass Drop Stout - Imperial
43 Hopcraft Citraic Pale Ale - American
44 Hopcraft Graveyard Eyes (5.3%) Porter
45 Tiny Rebel Urban IPA IPA
46 Tiny Rebel Peaches & Cream IPA IPA
47 Loka Polly Pale Ale Mosaic DDH Pale Ale - American
48 Tiny Rebel / Dugges Pina Colada Pale Ale Pale Ale - American
49 Tiny Rebel The Full Nelson Pale Ale - American
50 Tiny Rebel Sonic Boom Typhoon IPA - Imperial / Double

No surprise that Tiny Rebel dominate this list, they brew fantastic beers.

Ratebeer also has a list of the top places to drink beer in Wales:

1. Tiny Rebel Cardiff (91 visits)

2. BrewDog Cardiff (87)

3. City Arms (Brains) (84)

4. Hopbunker (84)

5. Tiny Rebel Newport (80)

6. Chapter Arts Centre (78)

7. Clytha Arms (77)

8. Albion Ale House (77)

9. Vinomondo (77)

10. Gold Cape (JDW) (77)

Over at Untappd the list of Best Beers is a bit different:

1. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Imperial Chocolate Stay Puft

2. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Imperial Puft

3. LOKA POLLY Chinook Mosaic Double IPA

4. LOKA POLLY Mosaic Simcoe Double IPA

5. LOKA POLLY Citra Simcoe Double IPA

6. LOKA POLLY Simcoe Waimea Double IPA

7. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co/Siren Didgeridank

8. LOKA POLLY Citra Ekuanot India Pale Ale

9. LOKA POLLY Ekuanot Mosaic Double IPA

10. LOKA POLLY El Dorado Mosaic India Pale Ale

11. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Chocolate Stay Puft

12. LOKA POLLY Citra Simcoe India Pale Ale

13. LOKA POLLY  Citra Double IPA

14. LOKA POLLY Citra Ekuanot Double IPA

15. LOKA POLLY Citra Columbus India Pale Ale

16. LOKA POLLY Chinook Vic Secret India Pale Ale

17. Crafty Devil Brewing Co  Not So Safe As Milk

18. Celt Brewing Ogham Ash

19. LOKA POLLY Citra DDH Pale

20. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Bonsai

21. LOKA POLLY Ekuanot Simcoe DDH IPA

22. LOKA POLLY Galaxy Mosaic India Pale Ale

23. Crafty Devil Brewing Co Tax Man

24. LOKA POLLY Mosaic Simcoe Pale Ale

25. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Captain Insano

26. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Clwb Tropicana

27. LOKA POLLY Amarillo Mosaic India Pale Ale

28. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Stay Puft

29. Crafty Devil Brewing Co Cry Baby

30. Crafty Devil Brewing Co Magic Bus

31. Purple Moose Brewery (Bragdy Mws Piws) Chocolate Moose

32. LOKA POLLY Ekuanot DDH Pale

33. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Rhubarb & Custard Sour

34. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co But Did You Die?

35. LOKA POLLY Aurora Espresso Breakfast Stout

36. Crafty Devil Brewing Co You Love Us

37. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Hadouken

38. Crafty Devil Brewing Co  Safe As Milk

39. LOKA POLLY Hallertau Blanc India Pale Ale

40. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Peaches And Cream IPA

41. LOKA POLLY Simcoe DDH Pale

42. The Waen Brewery Snowball

43. LOKA POLLY Chinook Ekuanot Pale Ale

44. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co In & Around The Mouth

45. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Lock Stock (Tiny Batch Edition)

46. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Power of Grayskull

47. Crafty Devil Brewing Co/Left Handed Giant The Devil We Know

48. Crafty Devil Brewing Co Sweet Emotion

49. LOKA POLLY Citra El Dorado Pale

50.  LOKA POLLY Mosaic DDH Pale

Tiny Rebel again coming top with the list heavily dominated by them and North Wales' Loka Polly. According to Untappd "A beer must have 150 ratings or more to qualify for this list".
Untapped also produce a list of top breweries in Wales, according to them "A brewery must have at least 1,000 ratings and at least 5 beers in their portfolio to qualify for this list." Their top Welsh breweries are:

1. LOKA POLLY
2. Crafty Devil Brewing Co
3. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co
4.Wild Horse Brewing Co
5. West By Three Brewing Co.
6. PIPES™
7. The Waen Brewery
8.  Lines Brew Co.
9. Tenby Brewing Co
10. Grey Trees Brewery
11. Hopcraft Brewing
12. Gwynt y Ddraig (Cider!)
13. Heavy Industry Brewing
14. Purple Moose Brewery (Bragdy Mws Piws)
15. Velvet Owl Brewing Co.
16. Lithic Brewing (Brewery closed)
17. Brew Monster
18. Untapped Brewing Company
19. Mad Dog Brewing Co
20. Glamorgan Brewing Co
21. Mantle
22. Gower Brewery
23. Tenby Harbwr Brewery
24. Cwrw Llŷn
25. Cwrw Ial Community Brewing Company
26. Tomos a Lilford
27. Hallets (Cider!)
28. Hafod Brewing Company
29. Big Hand Brewing Co
30. Bragdy Twt Lol
31. Pixie Spring Brewery
32. Caffle Brewery
33. VOG Brewer
34. Mumbles Brewery
35. Kingstone Brewery
36. Great Orme Brewery
37. Conwy Brewery
38. Tudor Brewery
39. Tomos Watkin and Sons Ltd.
40.  Celt Brewing
41.  Bluestone Brewing Co.
42.  Facer's
43. Brains
44. Brains Craft Brewery
45. Rhymney Brewery
46. Boss Brewing Company
47. Evan Evans
48. Monty's Brewery
49. Bullmastiff Brewery
50. Brecon Brewing

Once again, no Welsh beers make it into the Beer Advocate list of top 100 beers from UK & Ireland

Again, CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, have failed to publicise their Champion Beers of Wales for last year, either on their National Website (winners not updated since 2016!) or on their Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival website or even in a press release. However I found them elsewhere:
Gold - Boss Black
Silver - Grey Trees Diggers Gold
Bronze - Tiny Rebel Cwtch

Best Mild -Rhymney Dark, runner-up Caffle Catchpole
Ordinary Bitter - Rhymney Hobby Horse, runner-up - Purple Moose Cwrw Madog
Golden Ale - Grey Trees Digger's Gold, runner-up - Monty's Sunshine
Best Bitter - Tiny Rebel Cwtch, runner-up - Conwy Rampart
Strong Bitter - Grey Trees Afghan Pale, runner-up - Monty's Mischief
Old Ale - Untapped Ember, runner-up - Purple Moose Dark Side of the Moose
Speciality Beers - Untapped Crystal, runner-up - Purple Moose Ysgawen
Porter - Boss Black, runner-up - Tudor Black Rock
Barley Wine - Heart of Wales High as a Kite

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival 2009

The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival will be once again be held at the Cardiff International Arena this June. The highly successful event, organised by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, will feature real ale, ciders and perries from across the UK, with a special emphasis on those produced in Wales.

Above: The Cardiff International Arena, CIA

It may come as a surprise to some people that there are 39 different breweries in Wales, who between them produce over 250 different beers throughout the year.

Customers to the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival this year will have the choice of over 250 real ales, ciders, perries and German beers, all served in their own, specially commissioned souvenir glass, sponsored by Rhymney Brewery.

The Campaign for Real Ale runs different beer festivals throughout the year in Wales, in venues as diverse as the Home Farm Stables at Tredegar House, Newport in May to the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, in August. The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival is the biggest beer festival in Wales and all the Welsh CAMRA branches come together to organise this huge event which attracts customers from across the UK. For 3 days, the Cardiff international Arena is transformed into the biggest pub in Wales. The highlight for the brewers of Wales at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival is the Champion Beer of Wales competition, which will be announced on the afternoon of Friday 12^th June. Previous winners have included Bullmastiff Brewery of Cardiff with their Son of a Bitch beer, Rhymney Brewery of Merthyr Tydfil with Dark and Breconshire Brewery with Golden Valley. These beers range from a strong ale at over 6% ABV, to a dark mild at 4% and a golden ale at 4.2% respectively, so the whole spectrum of beer styles and flavours is represented at the Great Welsh. Last year, the Champion Beer of Wales competition was won by Otley Brewery of Pontypridd, with their dangerously drinkable barley wine O8. Competition will be tough again this year with brewers such as Plassey from North Wales, Ffos y Ffin from Carmarthenshire and Kingstone from Monmouthshire, to name just 3, all competing with their real ales against older brewers such as Brains and Felinfoel. The brewers of Wales have now formed a trade association, AWIB, the Association of Welsh Independent Brewers, in order to work together to promote their Welsh real ales.

If customers prefer cider to real ales then they will not be disappointed as 4000 pints of cider and perry (that's fermented pear juice) will be available. Cidermaking in Wales has increased in interest in recent years, with around 35 cidermakers now practicing the art of fermenting apples and pears. The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival will aim to have ciders and perries from every Welsh producer as well as from English makers. CAMRA also runs a Champion Cider of Britain award and we will have previous winners at the Festival, including ciders from Wales' largest producer, Gwynt y Ddraig. Gwynt Y Ddraig was formed in 2001 and now offers customers 2 open days every year as well as farm-gate sales and online ordering for those who want to enjoy their award-winning ciders at home. The range of flavours in ciders and perries is as great as in any other food or drink, from the subtle taste and light colour of a perry to the strong, tannic flavour and dark colour of a spirit cask cider, along with every colour and flavour in between. The expert staff on the cider bar, many members of the Welsh Perry & Cider Society themselves, will be able to offer their expertise on finding a drink to suit everyone's palate.

As well as the real ales, ciders and perries, food will be available all day along with a selection of traditional pub games. Friday and Saturday nights will see live music being performed at the Festival.

There are 17 branches of CAMRA in Wales and if you like good beer or cider or wish to campaign for drinkers rights and to help save our pubs, then why not join the Campaign for Real Ale? Each branch contributes to the annual Good Beer Guide and holds regular meetings. Many of the branches hold regular beer festivals and volunteer members are more than welcome to come along and help. The Welsh branches of CAMRA also supply volunteer staff to the Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court in August, the largest beer festival in Britain. CAMRA members also get a monthly newspaper, Whats Brewing, keeping them up to date with industry news and local campaigning. If you do wish to join CAMRA, then why not come along to the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival to learn more and take advantage of our special festival membership offer.

Festival Facts

• 6000 thirsty drinkers are expected at the 3 day event
• 24,000 pints of real ale, cider and perry will be consumed during the Great Welsh
• Over 10 pints a minute will be served during the festival
• Almost 4000 pints of cider and perry will be available
• Over 250 different real ales, ciders, perries and foreign beers will be available at the Great Welsh
• 2000 pints of German beer will be specially imported for the Great Welsh
• Over 120 CAMRA members will be volunteering to work at the festival
• The bar is 70 metres long!
• The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival 2009 is the 9^th annual festival, the 2^nd at the CIA, the previous 7 having been held at Cardiff City Hall
• CAMRA outgrew Cardiff City Hall and with help from the Welsh Assembly Government relocated to the CIA last year
• Pub games, stalls and food will be available at the Festival

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, Cardiff International Arena, CIA, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff CF10 2EQ

Open: Thursday 11^th June 11-11, Friday 12^th & Saturday 13^th June 11-11

Entrance £5 (£4 for Under 26s and CAMRA members), includes souvenir glass and festival programme. For more information log onto: www.gwbcf.org.uk, tel:07807 609712

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival Facebook group can be found here

View Larger Map

This event is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government

Rhymney Brewery cans the opposition

Former Champion Beer of Wales winner, Rhymney Brewery of Dowlais, have set out to offer customers a choice for the take-away market. Not only do they offer bottles of their award-winning beers but they know offer cans of their beers. In fact Rhymney Brewery are the first craft-brewery in Europe to install a state-of-the-art North American canning line – something that previously was only available to larger producers. Wales has a proud history in canning beer, Felinfoel Brewery of Llanelli were the 2^nd brewery ever to can beer way back in 1935 and Rhymney is now following in that proud tradition.

But will the CAMRA purists will be up in arms over canned beer? They need not worry, unlike the mass-produced supermarket cans of stuff that masquerade as beer, the cans of Rhymney Lager, Dark, Hobby Horse and Export are not pasteurised, but merely sterile filtered so that the flavour of the beer is not destroyed by heat. It came as a surprise that for the first time ever when I opened a can I found a canned beer that I liked and could drink. The beer retains condition in it but is not overtly fizzy and the flavour of the beer comes through. It's not some tasteless, eurofizz, but a hand-crafted Welsh beer from the valleys. Not necessarily something I would drink all the time, but ideal for parties and who knows it may even convert some tinnie drinkers into trying real ale the next time they are in the pub.

Rhymney Brewery can regularly be seen at various farmers markets and later in the year at the food festivals and county shows where their products are available.

www.rhymneybreweryltd.com

The award-winning Rhymney Brewery

Great British Cheese Festival

Britains biggest cheese festival will be moving to Cardiff Castle and CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale will be supplying the real ales, ciders and perries to wash down the best of British cheeses.
Great British Cheese Festival
Saturday 27th September 1000-1800 • Sunday 28th September 1000-1630
Cardiff Castle

Carmarthen Beer Festival

The beer and cider list for Carmarthen Beer Festival, St Peters Civic Hall, Nott Square, Carmarthen, SA31 1PG. The venue is situated in the centre of Carmarthen, a short walk uphill from the train station.
40 Real Ales, Country Wines, Cider + Perry. Thursday preview evening with limited selection of ales + no live music, optional fancy dress night.
Music: Fri Backtrax; Sat Somethin' Else.

Open: Thu 25th September 5pm-11pm; Fri 26th/Sat 27th 12noon-11pm. £4 entry fee (fee includes commemorative glass + prog). CAMRA membs free. Basic food available or bring your own. Beer Tokens on sale within.

Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf 4.2%ABV
Tomos Watkin Cwrw Braf 3.7%ABV
Tomos Watkin OSB 4.5%ABV
Evan Evans 1767 4.7%ABV
Evan Evans Warrior 4.4%ABV
Wychwood Big Bertha 4.0%ABV

Felinfoel Stout 4.1%ABV
Bryncelyn Oh Boy 4.5%ABV
Bryncelyn Buddy Marvellous 4.0%ABV
Swansea Original Wood 5.4%ABV
Swansea Deep Slade Dark 4.0%ABV
Rhymney Hobby Horse 3.8%ABV
Brecon Cribyn 4.5%ABV
Brecon Naked Beacon 4.8%ABV
Brecon Golden Valley 4.2%ABV
Bullmastiff Son of a Bitch 6.0%ABV
Cairngorm Sheepshaggers Ale 4.5%ABV
Outlaw Wild Mule 4.0%ABV
Black Mountain Black 5 4.1%ABV
Jacobi Light Ale 3.8%ABV
Ffos y Ffin Towy Ale 5.0%ABV
Atlas Nimbus 5.0%ABV
Elgoods Black Dog 3.6%ABV
Purple Moose Cwrw Eryri 3.6%ABV
Otley O2 4.2%ABV
Wye Valley Butty Bach 4.2%ABV
Malvern Hills Swedish Nightingale 4.0%ABV
Spinning Dog Hereford Old Bull 3.9%ABV
Orkney Dark Island 4.6%ABV
Castle Rock Elsie Moe 4.7%ABV
Moorehouse Pride of Pendle 4.1%ABV
Fullers London Pride 4.1%ABV
Triple fff Altons Pride 3.8%ABV
Skinners Betty Stogs Ale 4.0%ABV
Wickwar Station Porter 6.1%ABV

Cider
Westons Old Rosie 7.3%ABV
GWR 1st Quailty 5.0%ABV
Gwynt Y Ddraig Farmhouse 5.5%ABV
Haymaker 6.5%ABV
Firey Fox 6.5%ABV
Barnstormer 6.5%ABV
Perry
Gwynt Y Ddraig
Pyder 6.5%ABV
Two Trees 6.5%ABV

A selection of wines will also be available.

Beer Festival in Chepstow

Coach and Horses Beer and Cider Festival 4 -6 July 2008
Welsh Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire. NP16 5LN
Confirmed Beers:

Fullers London Pride
Greene King IPA
Everards Tiger
Highgate Fox's Nob
St Austell Tribute
Wells Bombardier
Freeminer Tormentor
Adnams Explorer
Adnams Regatta
Batemans Summer Swallow
Wadworths 6X
RCH Pitchfork
Hydes Jekylls Gold
Everards Sunchaser
Dartmoor Best
Caledonian XPA
Rhymney Bevans Bitter
Breconshire Sarn Elunid (Wheat Beer)
Plus all the usual selection of Brains Beers

Confirmed Ciders and Perries:

Westons Scrumpy
Old Rosie
Hereford Country Perry
Blakeney Red Perry
Gwynt-y-Ddraig Orchard Gold Scrumpy
Gwynt-y-Ddraig Fiery Fox
Gwynt-y-Ddraig Barnstormer

Plus more expected.

More info from the Coach & Horses website

It wouldn’t be Wales without SA

David Pickering, WRU Chairman and Richard Davies, Sales and Marketing Director at Brains toast the deal with a pint of SA and SA Gold.

The Brains logo which has been emblazoned on the Welsh international rugby jersey since 2004 is to stay proudly in place in a new sponsorship deal agreed by the WRU and SA Brain and Co Ltd.

That era has included two Grand Slams in 2005 and 2008 along with Wales test match appearances across Europe, throughout the southern hemisphere and in the USA and Canada.

Today the Welsh Rugby Union announced a renewed sponsorship deal with Wales’ leading brewer and pub operator which means the Brains logo will remain on Wales’ international jerseys until September 2009.
The arrangement is part of a wider four year deal which ensures that Brains remains the toast of Welsh rugby with dispensing rights to serve its newest brand extension ‘SA Smooth’ at the Millennium Stadium until 2012, alongside Brains Smooth and ‘45’, its Continental style beer.


The jersey sponsorship means Brains will now make its mark on the new Under Armour Wales kit which will be officially launched in October shortly before the Invesco Perpetual series 2008.


As you would expect from the innovative and ‘positive thinking’ people at Brains, they will again break the mould of sponsorship and have two different sponsorship marks on the Home and Away kits. The ‘Brains SA’ logo will feature then on the home international jerseys with the away kit featuring ‘SA Gold’, an award winning golden ale which is also Brains’ fastest growing cask ale brand.

Richard Davies, Sales and Marketing Director at Brains said: “We are delighted to announce the extension of our relationship with the WRU for a further four year term.

“This will enable us to promote our key brand SA and our fastest growing brand, SA Gold, which recently won silver in the Champion Beer of Wales Awards at the Great Welsh Beer and Cider Festival and Gold in the All Wales Bottled Beer Awards.

“After seeing two Grand Slams and many victories home and away during our first four years of sponsorship we are extremely hopeful of a continuation of a successful Welsh team.”

Welsh Rugby Union Chairman, David Pickering said: “The contract extension with Brains is a great boost for Welsh rugby. The creative partnership established with Brains has been the envy of other rugby playing nations and combined with the recent major deal with Under Armour provides the WRU with a dynamic foundation of sponsors.”

The Welsh Rugby Union Group Chief Executive, Roger Lewis, said: “We are proud to be associated with a company which represents success in Wales.

“Brains is based on strong tradition combined with modern thinking and strong commercial drive which echoes what we are achieving within the professional game.”

New branding for the 2008/09 season


Away Jersey Branding



Home Jersey Branding

More details from SA Brain

Tredegar House Update

The beer are stillaged and tapped, just waiting for the customers now when we open friday. One small change to the beer list is that Mutts Nuts did not arrive but we've replaced it with Spinning Dog Hereford Cathedral.
Cider from Gwynt Y Ddraig will be arriving shortly, along with a fridge to chill the bottles of Black Dragon, Orchard Gold and the new Perry Vale.
Further Information:
Newport Folk Festival, Tredegar House,
CAMRA bar open Friday 9th May 7-12,
Saturday 10th May 1200-1200,
Sunday 11th May 12-5
www.gwentcamra.org.uk

Beer to Brussels!

Pictured: Nick Otley, Buster Grant and Charlie Otley at the Bibliotech Solvay

St Davids Day saw a delegation of brewers from Wales, along with their beers visit Brussels for the First Minister's Reception. Alongside the award-winning brews from Breconshire, Otley, Tomos Watkin and Brains breweries there was also a range of Welsh food provided by True Taste award winners, the annual food and drink competition run by the Welsh Assembly Government. The brewers wee on hand to answer questions about their products and explain the success of the Welsh brewing industry in recent years.

According to Breconshire brewer, Justin "Buster" Grant, "The invitations for this event were highly sought after and there was a very big positive response to our beers.

Nick Otley said "It was an enjoyable event, and it was great to get an acknowledgement from the First Minister - we're certainly hoping to be asked back to next year's event."

Both breweries agreed that it was an excellent positive step for the Welsh Assembly Government to be promoting Welsh real ales, especially in one of the most discriminating beer drinking cities in the world!

Association of Welsh Independent Brewers

Breconshire brewer Buster Grant has a pint to celebrate the launch of the Association of Welsh Independent Brewers at the Great Welsh. As of November 2007 the members are:


Black Mountain

Breconshire

Bryncelyn

Bullmastiff

Conwy

Cwmbran

Dobbins and Jacksons

Evan Evans

Facers

Ffos Y Ffin

Flock Inn

Great Orme

Jacobi

Jolly Brewer

Kingstone

Heart of Wales

Otley

Pen-Lon Cottage

Plassey

Purple Moose

Rhymney

Swansea

Tomos Watkin

Vale Of Glamorgan

http://www.awib.org.uk/

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival Beer List

It's that time of year again for the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival and here is the beer list. All subject to availability when the Festival opens its doors on Thursday 22nd November

Welsh Beers

Black Mountain Black Five 4.50%
Black Mountain Seasonal/Red Kite 4%
Brains Dark 3.5
Brains Bitter 3.7
Brains SA 4.2
Brains Reverend James 4.5
Brains SA Gold 4.6
Brains Top Notch 5
Breconshire County 3.80%
Breconshire Welsh Pale Ale 3.4
Breconshire Golden Valley 4.2
Breconshire Ramblers Ruin 5
Breconshire Winter Beacon 5.3
Breconshire Spirit of the Dragon 6.50%
Bryncelyn Holly Hop 3.9
Bryncelyn Buddy Marvellous 4
Bryncelyn Oh Boy 4.5
Bryncelyn That'll be the Sleigh 7.1
Bullmastiff Welsh Gold 3.8
Bullmastiff Son of a Bitch 6
Bullmastiff Welsh Black 4.80%
Blorenge
Coles Roasted Stout 4.40%
Coles Cwrw Llanddarog 4.1
Conwy Cwrw Mel 4.40%
Conwy Cobdens4
Corvedale Seasonal/secret hop 4.5
Cwmbran Blackcurrant Stout4
Cwmbran Crow Valley 4.2
Cwmbran Santa's Tipple 5
Facers This Splendid Ale 4.3
Facers Landslide 4.90%
Ffos Y Ffin Cothi Gold3.80%
Ffos Y Ffin Towy Ale5%
Felinfoel Double Dragon 4.2
Flock Inn Ewe Reeka 4.50%
Great Orme Extravaganza 4.40%
Great Orme 3 feathers 5.00%
Jacobi Light Ale3.80%
Jacobi Original 4.40%
Jolly Brewer Chwerw Cymru 4.50%
Kingstone Classic4.50%
Kingstone 1503 5%?
Miws Piws Stout 5.00%
Miws Piws Snowdonia3.60%
Miws Piws Madog3.80%
Miws Piws Cwrw Glaslyn 4.2
Nags Head Old Emrys 3.8
Neuadd Arms Heart of Wales4.10%
Neuadd Arms Aur Cymru 3.80%
Otley O1 4.10%
Otley O Garden 4.60%
OtleyOG 5%
Otley O8 8%
Paradise Nantwich Ale5.60%
Plassey Border Mild4.5
Plassey Owain Glyndwr 4.3
Plassey Dragon's Breath 6
Rhymney Dark 3.9
Rhymney Export5
Rhymney Rhymney Bitter4.5
Swansea Deep Slade Dark 4%
Swansea 3 Cliffs Gold 4.7
Swansea Original Wood 5.2
Tomos Watkin Merlin's Stout 4.2
Tomos WatkinOSB 4.5
Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf 4.20%
Vale of Glamorgan Grog y Vog 3.3
Vale of Glamorgan No 1 Best Bitter 4.5
Vale of Glamorgan Cefyl Dwr 5
Warcop Pitprop 3.80%

Not so Welsh beers!


Wye Valley HPA 4
Wye Valley Butty Bach 4.5
Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout 4.6
Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody's Winter Tipple 4.7
Archers Golden 4.80%
Arkells 2B 3.2
Arkells Moonlight 4.5
Battledown Saxon 3.80%
Battledown Turncoat 4.50%
Butt's Coper 6%
Butt's Barbus Barbus 4.60%
Butt's Jester's Organic 3.50%
Downtown Chimera IPA 6.80%
Flowerpots Bitter3.80%
Hook Norton Old Hooky4.60%
Hook Norton Hooky Dark 3.20%
Lodden Bamboozle 4.80%
Moles Tap 3.50%
Moles Molennium 4.50%
Oakleaf I can't belive its not bitter 4.90%
Pint Size Mild 3.40%
Ringwood Boondoggle 3.90%
Ringwood Old Thumper4.60%
Seven Vale Monumentale 4.60%
Severn Vale Vale Ale 4%
Stonehenge Danish Dynamite 5%
Stonehenge Old Smokey/ Great Bustard 4.80%
Stroud Budding 4.50%
Stroud Five Valleys5%
Triple F Moondance 4.20%
Triple F Comfortably Numb 5.00%
Triple F Pressed Rat & Warthog 3.80%
Uley Old Spot 5%
Uley Pig's Ear5%
Wadworth JCB 4.70%
West Berkshire Old Father Thames 3.40%
West Berkshire Dr Hexter's Healer5%
Wickwar BOB 4%
Wickwar Station Porter 6.10%
Cottage spring Codrington Old Ale 4.80%
Allendale Wolf 5%
Big Lamp Bitter 3.90%
Bull Lane Jacks Flag 4.70%
Camerons Monkey Stout 4%
Camerons Castle Eden 4.20%
Consett Steel Town 3.80%
Darwin Ghost Ale 4.10%
Darwin Hop Drop 5.30%
Durham Bonny Lass 3.80%
Durham White Amarillo 4.10%
Wentworth Best Bitter4.10%
Hadrian Reivers IPA 4.40%
Hexham Old Humbug 5.50%
Hexhan Devil Water4.20%
Hill Island Cathedral Ale 4.20%
Jarrow Bitter 3.80%
Jarrow Joblings swinging Gibbett 4.10%
Mordue 5 Bridges 3.80%
Mordue Workie ticket 4.50%
Northumberland Holy Island 3.80%
Northumberland Newcastle Pride 4.30%
Wear Valley Morning After4.80%
Wentworth Bumble Beer 4.30%
Wylam Bohemia Lager 4.60%
Bathams Bitter4.30%
Copper Dragon Challenger IPA 4.40%
Hop Back GFB 3.50%
Hop Back Entire Stout 4.50%
JohnRoberts Castle steamer 4.30%
Millstone True grit 5%
Moor house Black Cat 3.40%
RCH Old Slug Porter 4.50%
RCH Steaming Santa/Seasonal 4.40%
Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild 5.60%
Six Bells Cloud Nine 4.20%
Spinning Dog Celtic Gold 4.50%
Thornbridge Jaipur 5.50%
Thornbridge Treason 4.60%
Woods Shropshire lass 4.20%
Spitting Feathers Stout 4.50%
Weetwood Cheshire Cat4%
York Guzzler 3.60%
Ascot Ales Alligator 4.60%