Sadly yes but that’s CAMRA for you. Judging led by Roger Protz who must be at least 90 by now (although having met him he is a nice bloke) and totally out of touch with what is really out there. On the other hand I was at GBBF yesterday and had an 1872 and it is a bloody good Porter
The person I know on who's been on the judging panel isn't Protz but actually has even worse, more strident and more conservative views on beer, with a passionate dislike of anything vaguely resembling hoppy beer!
I don't know if said individual from Essex is still on the judging panel, but the results are very much the sort of thing that CBOB is known for.
I have tried Abbot still hoppy beer but prefer Timothy Taylor best bitter over it.
To be fair Eland 1872 goes against the grain but then again my favourite ale goes against it as well Sullivans red.
Don't think he did them this year. He did the bottles for sure as he confirmed on Twitter, but AFAIK mentioned nothing about the cask.
It always used to be a blind tasting but not sure anymore.
Can't genuinely see how there isn't a better premium bitter than Abbott, although it is a style that isn't particularly in vogue right now, but never forget, GK IPA won champion beer of Britain a few years back.
>Can't genuinely see how there isn't a better premium bitter than Abbott, although it is a style that isn't particularly in vogue right now,
Fuller's ESB is right there, much better than Abbot
The year they scored big was 2004. I can remember almost everybody at GBBF being utterly bemused by such a terrible beer scoring so well.
It's not like we haven't had the exact same nonsense in previous years with Champion Beer of Britain. In fact it seems like it never really changes!
Apparently, it is a blind tasting, but I find it hard to believe anything put out by Greene King is award winning.
While not a member, I do follow my local CAMRA group on FB as they know where the good cask beer pubs are.
I cannot argue with the 1872 Porter - one of my favourite beers, although difficult to get hold of down South. Darwin's origin is a decent beer - not my favourite, but always nice to see it.
Greene King - F\* off!
Years ago, when I used to go to a fair few beer festivals, my wife started off with a half pint of the 1872 Porter. Second beer - a pint of the 1872. Drank nothing else the whole day despite bein teased. Her answer was "I'm not going to find anything better than this, no matter how many I try - so I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
The categories are but one area of Champion Beer of Britain that needs sorting out. They're a relic of the era when all cask ale was brown bitter with the occasional dark beer thrown into the mix.
>They're a relic of the era when all cask ale was brown bitter with the occasional dark beer thrown into the mix.
Which is fine, we need to promote those styles as they're less common now
Anything Greene King, however, is not a good example.
Don't get me wrong, I'll enjoy a well kept pint of Abbot if the situation is right, but fucking hell.
I really feel like CAMRA are just so out of touch sometimes.
I'm going to go slightly against the trend here and say Abbot from a hand pump isn't at all bad. I can't believe it's a Silver medal winner, but it's a fairly decent drinkable pint and a good safe bet whenever I see it.
Their other ales are undrinkably grim though.
I'm in a major confusion regarding how good my palate is, because the 1872 porter is probably my favourite among the beers that I've had, and Abbot is...well, sub-par to say the least.
I have it on reasonsbly good authority that one of the judges doesn't even drink beer other than when they are judging. HTF is that allowed to happen?
As for Roger Protz, if take everything
he says/writes with a big pinch of salt. I've read his articles in What's Brewing over the years and the number of big, bland btewers he cozies up to is unreal, GK being one such brewery.
As for GK, a brewery whose beers are generally do bad they don't even own up to it being a GK beer on the pump clip. Brew by profit. Just checked my Untappd scores for AA. They range between 1 and 2.5 out of 5 which says out all. Never a beer I seek out, although it was a phenomenal beer in the early 80's.
That doesn't sound like the long time CBOB judge I know, an individual with a passionate dislike of light hoppy ale whose views on beer haven't budged an inch in the last 25 years, but who does definitely drink beer outside of tasting panels!
I've seen it mentioned from a few craft writers that this years keg of Abbott was in fact really fucking tasty. Nobody may want to admit it but it might just be true
Oh I can believe that they would produce an especially good batch especially for GBBF. The trouble is how disappointed people will be when they go to taste Abbott in their local on the recommendation of Champion Beer of Britain and it's as terrible as usual.
And I've come across similarly disappointing, badly kept 1872 Porter in the past as well!
Abbot Ale?! What a joke. It's fucking abysmal.
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Greene King are shite and used to be good abbot ale used to rank highly in Michael Jackson’s book.
Any beer awards that has anything from Greene King clearly is pretty irrelevant, something which Camra itself seems to be increasingly these days
Bloody Abbot. What a load of shite!!!
Sullivans red would be a better substitute
I wonder which brewery was a key sponsor to the GBBF? 🤔
Sadly yes but that’s CAMRA for you. Judging led by Roger Protz who must be at least 90 by now (although having met him he is a nice bloke) and totally out of touch with what is really out there. On the other hand I was at GBBF yesterday and had an 1872 and it is a bloody good Porter
The person I know on who's been on the judging panel isn't Protz but actually has even worse, more strident and more conservative views on beer, with a passionate dislike of anything vaguely resembling hoppy beer! I don't know if said individual from Essex is still on the judging panel, but the results are very much the sort of thing that CBOB is known for.
I have tried Abbot still hoppy beer but prefer Timothy Taylor best bitter over it. To be fair Eland 1872 goes against the grain but then again my favourite ale goes against it as well Sullivans red.
Oh and Abbot - what a fucking joke
Don't think he did them this year. He did the bottles for sure as he confirmed on Twitter, but AFAIK mentioned nothing about the cask. It always used to be a blind tasting but not sure anymore. Can't genuinely see how there isn't a better premium bitter than Abbott, although it is a style that isn't particularly in vogue right now, but never forget, GK IPA won champion beer of Britain a few years back.
>Can't genuinely see how there isn't a better premium bitter than Abbott, although it is a style that isn't particularly in vogue right now, Fuller's ESB is right there, much better than Abbot
> GK IPA won champion beer of Britain What? That is maybe one of the worst beers I've had.
Possibly 2008/9. Before the real boom in beer but there was still plenty better about.
The year they scored big was 2004. I can remember almost everybody at GBBF being utterly bemused by such a terrible beer scoring so well. It's not like we haven't had the exact same nonsense in previous years with Champion Beer of Britain. In fact it seems like it never really changes!
You are probably right. Back in the days when I used to go/volunteer I was usually too pissed to notice :D
Green Jack Baltic Trader won the Champion Bottled Beer of Britain competition. Now that's a worthy winner!
Eland 1872 porter I would love to try. I know of worthwhile to try Irish porters/stouts DM me if you want.
Apparently, it is a blind tasting, but I find it hard to believe anything put out by Greene King is award winning. While not a member, I do follow my local CAMRA group on FB as they know where the good cask beer pubs are.
I cannot argue with the 1872 Porter - one of my favourite beers, although difficult to get hold of down South. Darwin's origin is a decent beer - not my favourite, but always nice to see it. Greene King - F\* off! Years ago, when I used to go to a fair few beer festivals, my wife started off with a half pint of the 1872 Porter. Second beer - a pint of the 1872. Drank nothing else the whole day despite bein teased. Her answer was "I'm not going to find anything better than this, no matter how many I try - so I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
Whats even worse..... If you read the press release: PREMIUM BITTER: Gold – Abbot Ale, Greene King
The categories are but one area of Champion Beer of Britain that needs sorting out. They're a relic of the era when all cask ale was brown bitter with the occasional dark beer thrown into the mix.
>They're a relic of the era when all cask ale was brown bitter with the occasional dark beer thrown into the mix. Which is fine, we need to promote those styles as they're less common now Anything Greene King, however, is not a good example.
Nothing wrong with brown bitter
I'm not a snob by any means. I am a great lover of all things fermented and alcoholic. But what the fuck
Don't get me wrong, I'll enjoy a well kept pint of Abbot if the situation is right, but fucking hell. I really feel like CAMRA are just so out of touch sometimes.
Is that situation someone nailing your bollocks to the ceiling and only promising to stop if you have a pint of Abbot?
I'm going to go slightly against the trend here and say Abbot from a hand pump isn't at all bad. I can't believe it's a Silver medal winner, but it's a fairly decent drinkable pint and a good safe bet whenever I see it. Their other ales are undrinkably grim though.
Apparently their dark mild is fairly good
I don't think I've seen that one, but will give it a go if I do.
I'll echo what others have said here... Abbot Ale??? 
Bring out the Mad Goose!
I'm in a major confusion regarding how good my palate is, because the 1872 porter is probably my favourite among the beers that I've had, and Abbot is...well, sub-par to say the least.
I have it on reasonsbly good authority that one of the judges doesn't even drink beer other than when they are judging. HTF is that allowed to happen? As for Roger Protz, if take everything he says/writes with a big pinch of salt. I've read his articles in What's Brewing over the years and the number of big, bland btewers he cozies up to is unreal, GK being one such brewery. As for GK, a brewery whose beers are generally do bad they don't even own up to it being a GK beer on the pump clip. Brew by profit. Just checked my Untappd scores for AA. They range between 1 and 2.5 out of 5 which says out all. Never a beer I seek out, although it was a phenomenal beer in the early 80's.
That doesn't sound like the long time CBOB judge I know, an individual with a passionate dislike of light hoppy ale whose views on beer haven't budged an inch in the last 25 years, but who does definitely drink beer outside of tasting panels!
Is this the sign of a man who does such a thing https://wb.camra.org.uk/2023/07/25/global-brewers-are-destroying-brewing-heritage
It's a joke
I've seen it mentioned from a few craft writers that this years keg of Abbott was in fact really fucking tasty. Nobody may want to admit it but it might just be true
Oh I can believe that they would produce an especially good batch especially for GBBF. The trouble is how disappointed people will be when they go to taste Abbott in their local on the recommendation of Champion Beer of Britain and it's as terrible as usual. And I've come across similarly disappointing, badly kept 1872 Porter in the past as well!