On a personal front, what has been your beer(s) of 2015? 

Hop Hideout: This is always a hard question! I might have to mention three at least. Often my beers are tied in with a memory or occasion such as drinking Saison Dupont (and Monk’s Stout) at Brasserie Dupont in August whilst walking round the brewery with Gust Simons, the Commercial Director.

It’s a beautiful, classic saison I could drink day in day out and it has inspired so many breweries and it felt like such a special moment sharing that beer at source. Interesting that the inspiration flows back the other way too – as their Monk’s stout is a head nod to English stouts.

It’s been a year of sour styles for me from gueuzes to gose, Berliner weisse to Flanders Brown and more – highlight trying Gueuzerie Tilquin’s Oude Mure Tilquin a L’Ancienne at Indy Man Beer Con as Pierre shared stories about his brewery.

I hugely enjoyed sitting in The Kernel’s tap room one quiet Saturday morning in January with a glass of their Table Beer – it’s such a shame that by the end of 2015, for reasons I completely understand, you can’t do this anymore. The other half of Hop Hideout, my partner Will would say – Buxton’s Double Axe and Omnipollo’s Noa – he’s a sucker for DIPAs and big rich Imperial stouts.

Hopology: Vicaris Triple/Gueuze by the newish Brouwerij Dilweyns in Belgium.

BeerHawk: The two beers that I’ve really enjoyed drinking this year have been Cloudwater Vienna Lager and also Beavertown Gamma Ray.  They’re very different beers, but both have hit the spot in equal measure!

Cave Direct/Beer Merchants: Crikey what a question! Lindemans’ Spontanbasil is unlike any beer ever made, and Lervig’s Lords of Acid was an absolute stunner. Brewdog Born to Die was the best IPA I tasted, and Buxton’s Yellow Belly Sundae has to be tasted to be believed. It would be impossible to pick between all those different styles though. It’s been a fantastic year for consistent beers and experimentation.

Caps and Taps Phill: Camden’s IHL was launched in November 2014 and I think has grown into a great beer for them and it’s now hard to think of the brewery without it in their core range. It’s either that or something from Cloudwater.

Caps and Taps Steph: Pressure Drop Alligator Tugboat. I love a big juicy IPA and this was the biggest and juiciest I’ve had all year. Felt like drinking a rainbow. Suffice to say we sold out of that pretty quickly.

The Brew Testament: This summer’s influx of Bavaria Mandarina hops was delicious! Partizan’s Pale Ale made with this was a particular favourite.