SIBA Successes!

Three more awards for our beers at the recent SIBA East Beers Competition!

GOLD for Black Magic in the  “Cask Amber to Dark Speciality Beer” Category

GOLD for Green Devil IPA in the “Cask IPA” Category

SILVER for Citra in the “Cask Session IPA” Category

Oakham Lead Brewer Ed Sharman is a great lover of dark beers, Hawse Buckler being a personal favourite, so winning this category was particularly special.

“We’re legendary for our pale ales,” Ed said. “and I wanted to show that we can make fantastic beers in a range of styles. So I’m glad that my journey to the dark side hit the spot for the SIBA judges!”

Originally intended to be Oakham’s 4.5% ABV seasonal offering for October 2020, the pandemic meant that Black Magic was adapted into a 5% cask aged beer with unfiltered cans and kegs also produced.

Well received back in late 2020 despite the lockdowns, Ed brought Black Magic back this year as a cask aged beer with a revised recipe to emphasise the chocolate notes. He removed the lactose, changed the type of chocolate used and tweaked the malt and hop line-up to bring the recipe into balance.

Black Magic is aged in the cask for at least 3 months to allow the flavours to develop and to give a smooth mouthfeel.

Dark and decadent, balanced with a clean bitterness – a sumptuous autumn treat!