The Campaign for Real Ale has announced that Black Gold, a traditional Scottish stout by Cairngorm Brewery from Aviemore, has won the CAMRA Champion Beer of Scotland.

The aptly named Black Gold was chosen by a blind tasting panel at CAMRA‘s flagship event in Scotland, the Scottish Real Ale Festival, currently being held at the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh. The panel judged the appearance, aroma and above all taste of ten beers put forward by Members of CAMRA.

Ray Turpie, CAMRA Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland said: “I wish to congratulate everyone at the Cairngorm Brewery on winning this award. CAMRA is an organisation made up entirely of people who love real ale. The Champion Beer of Scotland is chosen by our members, people who actually drink beer, making it the most prestigious award for beer in Scotland.

Alison Graham of Cairngorm Brewery said: “Black Gold has been brewed at Cairngorm since the brewery was established in 2001 and has been a multi-award winning beer ever since.

“Black Gold is a milk stout. We add lactose, an unfermentable sugar, to a mixture of five different malted barleys to give the sweetness and body of a traditional Scottish stout. It is a full-bodied dark ale with a surprisingly refreshing taste and lingering, ever-so-slightly bitter aftertaste.

“I wish to thank CAMRA for naming Black Gold as the champion beer of Scotland, confirming what thousands of our customers already know, that the best stout is real, cask-conditioned, ale from independent breweries.”

This is the second time Black Gold has been named Champion Beer of Scotland, having won the award in 2005. Cairngorm Brewery also won the award in 2004 with their beer Trade Winds.