The Champion Beer of Britain competition concluded at the Great British Beer Festival held at the NEC in Birmingham in August. The Champion Beer of Britain, selected from a series of blind tastings, was Penzance Mild, 3.6% ABV. Described as having chocolate and sweet cocoa on the nose and chocolate, sultanas and dry roast on the palate, where the gentle sweetness is balanced by a roasty, dry bitterness. It packs a lot of flavour into a 3.6% beer. Runner up was Sarah Hughes Snowflake, an 8% ABV barley wine and third was Church End Fallen Angel, 5% ABV, a rich pale ale with honey notes. CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE