SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2023: Sheffield's Abbeydale Brewery ‘Black Mass’ beer named 'best in the UK'

Abbeydale Brewery’s ‘Black Mass’ black IPA was named ‘Overall Champion of the Bottle/Can Beer Awards’ at the SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2023 – the beer trade association’s national finals – held at Exhibition Centre Liverpool earlier this week.

Alongside Grainstore Brewery’s ‘Nip’, which won ‘Overall Champion of the Cask Beer Awards’, and North Brewing Co’s ‘Triple Fruited Gose - Mango Guava Guava’, which took home ‘Overall Champion of the Keg Beer Awards’, these three beers were highlighted by organisers as ‘officially the best in the UK’.

In addition, Black Mass (6.6 per cent) took home the ‘Gold Award’ in the ‘Bottle / Can Speciality IPA’ category.

Brewer Christie Mcintosh, from Abbeydale Brewery, said: “We make this beer just three times a year and it’s a joyous, strong, bitter, fruity dark ale.

"Winning the National as a black IPA is pretty wild, we won the Speciality IPA which we were really pleased about, but to then go up again and win the Overall Gold is just amazing.”

Meanwhile, Peak District-based Thornbridge Brewery, which runs pubs in Sheffield including The Cricket Inn at Totley, The Hallamshire House at Commonside and The Stag’s Head in Sharrow, took home the ‘Bronze Award' in the in 'Bottle/Can Speciality & Flavoured Beer’ category for ‘Necessary Evil’ (13 per cent).

In addition, Abbeydale Brewery’s Abbeydale Funk Dungeon was nominated in the Best Concept Design category. London-based Wildcard won in this category.

Thornbridge was also up for for the UK's Best Independent Craft Brewery Webshop, gong. Wildcard was again the winner.

Sheffield’s Hop Forward won in the UK's Best Independent Craft Beer Promotion category.

SIBA Competitions Chair Anneli Baxter, congratulated the winners on their huge achievement and said: “The quality of entries into these awards genuinely does go from strength each year, and 2023 was no exception with some superb beers across the Board. To win at the Regional Competitions is tough, to then go on to win your National Category even harder – and to take home the Overall National Gold is almost impossible - being named the best beer in the whole of the UK by an expert panel of judges. Huge congratulations and well done to all of this year’s winners."