Greene King Abbot a 5% beer described on the pump clip currently as rich and malty was judged to be runner up Champion Beer of Britain at CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival this week .
Cue complaints on social media. Greene King, now Hong Kong owned, definitely counts as UK Big Beer. As several people pointed out including beer writer Pete Brown you can dislike that but still appreciate a well brewed glass of Abbot
I was at the Festival on Wednesday and tried a glass likely from the same batch that had been judged. I noted raisin and fruit, not hugely malty but a rich mouthfeel. In short, enjoyable.
The judges don’t know which beers they were tasting and are from all old blokes with beards like me who might remember the 1970s. Then Abbot was not so easy to find(nowadays in Wetherspoons) and 5% was very strong.
Did Greene King brew a special batch for the GBBF? Perhaps but there is only one way to find out which is to try a glass. This Champion Beer has the virtue of being easily available on cask to test if the judges were right
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