Greene King IPA wins silver award

GK IPA is one of those widely distributed beers like Tetleys and London Pride that can taste very good indeed, but usually don't. I imagine the GBBF examples hadn't been hauled on and off drays dozens of times, left standing in the sun in depots etc.

Usually a drinkable pint if fresh, but Champion Beer runner up? I don't think so. Another example of GBBF following the money.

Best regards, Paul

-- Paul Sherwin Consulting

I heard GK came second ... ...Anglia Water came first.

It's a blind tasting. How can it "follow the money"?

Where can I find one, then? I've drunk it all over place, and it's never risen abode the "decent enough" level.

"Paul Sherwin" wrote

That was my take on it, too, Paul. In fact I found the result absolutely astonishing and certain to bring the judging panel's ability or integrity into disrepute. The idea of GK IPA beating Oakham JHB defies belief.

In message , Ian Black writes

Which also means it could have tasted like a completely different beer and still win! In this case being unrecognisable would be a substantial advantage ;)

In message , Paul Sherwin wrote

Was that cheering I heard in the hall when they made the GK announcement?

I do hope that a lot of people are not going to be disappointed when their local pub buys in some casks just because it won an award at the GBBF. Although I have had the occasional a good pint of GK IPA I regard it as one to avoid because it is so variable - even in pubs that know how to keep beer in good condition.

I too wonder if the GK IPA supplied to the judges was representative of that available in the pubs?

I didn't see too many people flocking to the GK stand to try it after the announcement was made.

In message , machaon wrote

If it was the same judging panel, then perhaps Kelham Island Pale Rider is also one to avoid.

Obviously in this instance hop oil triumphs over real hops!

Hear hear!

A cracking beer and about time young Paul's talents were recognised outside Yorkshire!

Also, in my not so humble opinion, not before time that one of our excellent Yorkshire micros wins a major award. Timmy Taylors is not the only (nor by far the best) brewery in the county.

This result will go down in history - it's unbelievable. I've been regularly drinking in a town that's awash with the best bitter in the UK and I hadn't even noticed. My taste buds must be shot having been completely wrecked on Oakham JHB, Hampshire Ironside, Triple fff Alton's Pride and other clearly lesser ales.

Just how GK IPA even reached the judging is completely beyond my comprehension.

John B

PeterE wrote in uk.food+drink.real-ale on Tue, 3 Aug 2004 18:41:58

Well, I wasn't at the GBBF for the announcement, but I've been told this was greeted with some derision. I'll be curious to see just how much of a presence GK have near to the GBBF entrance.

I've never had a particular down on GK IPA, though it's never really been a beer I'd go out of my way for (out of the four casks on regular sale up the road from here it'd be third choice, possibly fourth depending on mood).

Well, I've always been rather wary of annual awards, to be honest; even as a kid, it did seem odd to me that the local ice cream parlour had a certificate claiming to have won the silver prize at an annual exhibition in Brussels over 40 years previously (so who won the gold? and had it been downhill in quality ever since then?).

I also suspect that, even with blind tasting, quite a lot of regular drinkers would be able to identify a beer they'd drunk in the recent past.

Dave

It would be interesting to know what other beers were in the best bitter competition with Greene King IPA. Alan M

One of them was Cheriton Pots Ale.

This just gets worse. Tonight I have a choice of two pubs to go to. One has GK IPA (and Abbot) the other has Pots Ale.

Which one will I choose.... err

John B

I only had GK IPA once at a GBG pub in London (The Mayflower). I thought it was very bland.

I can relate to the decent pint syndrom. I have had many pints of GK Abbot Ale. In all but one instance it tasted exactly like what I can get here in the US in a pub widget can. Nothing spectacular. However one time years ago I stayed at a GBG pub (The Royal Oak in Dunsford, Devon) and the Abbot there was like none else I had ever tasted. It was heavenly. It was all I drank there for the 2 nights I stayed there (we went to the Exeter Beer festival as well). Since the pub has been in the GBG for many years the owner is obviously doing something right. I won't order Abbot when I come to the UK anymore, but if I ever get to Dunsford again I will give it another go (according to the 2004 GBG they still serve Abbot).

Cheers, Bruce CAMRA member from New Jersey