Steel City Beer Festival №49 Winners Tasting | Kelham Island, Sheffield
Published: 26-Oct-2025 (09:57); Viewed: 61; Difficulty: 1 out of 10
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I spent a day at the Steel City Beer Festival №49 at Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield to taste the three medal-winning beers and see which ones stood out. The festival, organised by CAMRA Sheffield & District Branch and held from 15 to 18 October 2025, showcased more than 200 craft beers and ciders. Here are my tasting notes and scores for the gold, silver and bronze winners.
Official winners at a glance
Gold - Chocodile (4.5% Chocolate Stout, Little Critters Brewery). My rating: 8.5/10
Silver - Black Mass (6.66% Black IPA, Abbeydale Brewery). My rating: 7.0/10
Bronze - Sheaf (6.2% NEIPA, Triple Point Brewery). My rating: 6.5/10
Bronze: Sheaf - Triple Point Brewery (NEIPA, 6.2%)
Triple Point's Sheaf took bronze.
It is a hazy New England IPA, vegan and gluten friendly, with a noticeably tropical hop character.
Aroma and appearance
full of aroma grapefruit and pineapple
The beer lives up to its description on aroma. Grapefruit and pineapple are prominent, though the haze slightly mutes intensity. The cloudy body is classic NEIPA.
Flavor and mouthfeel
Juicy and tropical up front.
Somewhat sweet with a slightly yeasty or “porky” finish that I found distracting.
Feels a touch thin or waterish on the palate despite the hop character, so it is not the sort you can easily knock back in large amounts.
Final personal score: 6.5/10. A pleasing NEIPA with excellent tropical notes, but for me the sweetness and thin finish kept it off the top spot.
Silver: Black Mass - Abbeydale Brewery (Black IPA, 6.66%)
Abbeydale’s Black Mass is a multi-year contender and a classic example of a black IPA. It is vegan friendly and packs bold flavours.
Aroma and appearance
Very dark, almost pitch black in the glass. Aroma is lighter than you might expect because the roast and hops trade places; you get subtle roasted notes with hop lift rather than heavy malt aroma.
Flavor and mouthfeel
Distinctive bitterness drives this beer more than sweetness.
Roasted and dark malt character present, but the beer leans toward the hop bitterness that defines a black IPA rather than the dessert sweetness of a stout.
Bold, balanced and drinkable for its style.
Final personal score: 7.0/10. A powerful, well-executed black IPA that deserves its consistent high placing.
Gold: Chocodile - Little Critters Brewery (Chocolate Stout, 4.5%)
Chocodile from Little Critters took the gold. At 4.5 percent, it is surprisingly approachable for a chocolate stout, delivering rich flavour without excessive strength.
Aroma and appearance
Rich body and a nice head. Aromas of roasted malt, cacao and coffee come through cleanly.
Flavor and mouthfeel
Sweet, creamy and well balanced for the low ABV.
Notes of chocolate, cocoa and coffee with a pleasant roasted edge.
Occasionally slightly waterish on the finish, but overall very enjoyable and smooth.
Final personal score: 8.5/10. A well judged, drinkable chocolate stout that earns its gold medal for balance and flavour.
How I judged these beers
When I taste beers I focus on a few simple things: aroma, balance, mouthfeel, and how well the beer represents its style. For these three medal winners I paid attention to:
Aroma: hop character in the NEIPA, roast and hops in the black IPA, and cacao and coffee in the stout.
Balance: sweetness versus bitterness and how any roasted or fruity notes integrate.
Body and drinkability: whether the beer feels full or thin, and whether it invites another sip.
Style fidelity: does the beer do what its style promises? For example, a black IPA should be bitter and roasty rather than sweet like a stout.
Final thoughts
The Sheffield brewing scene showed strong local craftmanship at Steel City Beer Festival №49. Each of the three medal winners brought something different to the table: a juicy NEIPA full of tropical aromas, a bold black IPA defined by bitterness, and a low-ABV chocolate stout that manages to be comforting and flavourful. For me, Chocodile edged ahead with its balance and drinkability, but all three are worthy of recognition.
Cheers, and I look forward to more festival finds from Kelham Island and the wider Sheffield beer scene.
