Otter hunting

I was lucky enough to get to an event where all the Champion Beers of Britain since 2000 were freely available. On the down side it was mid-week and I had a lot on at work so I had to be restrained. OK, a bit restrained. I also got to meet a number of beer bods I'd only known online before which was great.

The people behind it

The event was put on by the good people behind Maris otter barley, as 11 of the last 14 Champion Beers have been made using it. Now it wasn't a scientific experiment but the beers I liked best were made with Maris otter, and the beer I liked least wasn't. Though it must be said my favourite also happened to be the strongest, an 8.5% barley wine, which my not have helped my analytical abilities.

It was a cracking night which increased my beer knowledge, as it finally dawned on me why there's an annual chorus of outrage from craft beer fans about the Champion Beer of Britain. The taste of grapefruit was very thin on the ground!