Shepherd Neame Ale Wins medal at International Beer Festival

A connoisseur ale from Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has been honoured with a European Star at one of the world’s biggest beer-tasting events.

1698 Bottle Conditioned Ale won a bronze medal in the English-Style Golden Bitter category in a blind tasting of hundreds of beers from all over the world.

The jury of 78 brewing experts from 17 nations convened in Munich, Germany, in October, to taste 836 beers from 36 countries in the European Beer Star Awards, now in its sixth year.

Thrice-hopped, bottle conditioned 1698 is a connoisseur ale, originally brewed to celebrate the tercentenary of Britain’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame. Characteristically hoppy in the Kentish style, 1698 has Protected Geographical Indication, the same unique regional protection afforded to Champagne and Parma Ham.

This 6.5% abv ale matures naturally in the bottle and can be enjoyed fresh or allowed to settle for a few months to mellow. The natural effervescence produced by bottle-conditioning – the interaction of yeast and brewing sugars – gives 1698 fine, Champagne-like bubbles that further enhance the fragrance.

Tom Falcon, Shepherd Neame’s production and distribution director, said: “The European Beer Star is judged by respected international experts, who are looking for distinctive flavours achieved with quality ingredients. To achieve a European Beer Star is a great compliment to the craftsmanship of our brewers.”

The European Beer Star Awards will be awarded at a trade fair in Nuremberg on November 18.

1698 has won a number of other prestigious awards including being named in the World’s Top 50 Beers in the International Beer Challenge; winning a British Bottlers’ Institute Gold Award; and a silver award in Best UK Drink / Beverage Category of the Daily Telegraph and Sainsbury’s Taste of Britain Awards.