Latest Simon Buckley 'Iechyd Da' column from the Carmarthen Journal

The latest Iechyd Da beer column written by Llandeilo brewer Simon Buckley in the Carmarthen Journal -
Regular readers of this column will know that last month I led a team from the Evan-Evans brewery on a mission to the brewing industry’s ‘Oscars’ in London.
My military experience came in handy when making sure that team members kept their discipline at the awards staged at The Guildhall in The City of London.
The prelude to the awards ceremony was a ‘tasting’ in the very atmospheric surroundings of the crypt at The Guildhall.
With more than 80 beers on display (and being served!) in cask and in bottle, the phrase ‘children let loose in a sweet shop’ came to mind.
The temptation to sample everything on offer was strong, but I am glad to report that the team members from my brewery behaved with distinction.
To echo the words, of the late Brian Hanrahan, a BBC correspondent of note who sprang to fame during the Falklands War, ‘I counted them all out and I counted them all back’.
A tasting session, which left other guests a little wounded, was marked down as producing zero casualties among the Evan-Evans team.
Of course, we were at The Guildhall to pick up a bronze medal for our Cwrw cask ale.
The other beers were, quite literally, from all over the world.
Our Cwrw was there sharing a table with the Archipelago Belgian Wit keg beer from the Archipelago Brewery in Singapore.
Other Welsh brewing friends, SA Brain from Cardiff and Purple Moose from Porthmadog (both also bronze medal winners in their respective classes), found themselves sharing tables with beers from New Zealand and Oregon, USA.
So what were the ‘stand-out’ beers in the tasting session? I canvassed the opinion of my team members – and they came up a pretty eclectic shopping list of beers they enjoyed.
On the dark beers, many were impressed with the bottled Oyster Stout produced by the famous Marston’s brewery in Burton-upon-Trent.
The wheat beer fans on the team lingered long at the table set up for the Konishi Brewing Company of Hyogo, Japan, where they sampled the unpronounceable Shirayukichoujugra ‘Snow Blanche’ keg beer.
Another team member (who had better remain nameless for his addiction to confectionery) targeted the Triple Chocoholic bottle beer from the Saltaire Brewery in Shipley.
In the Smallpack Ale competition, two entries from the Sierra Nevada brewery in California tickled the tastebuds. The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and the Celebration Ale were both gold winners in their respective categories.
With the good sense which has become their trademark, my team members avoided the strong beers.
Entries from the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, USA, and Schneider Weisse in Kelheim in Bavaria, weighed in at a punchy 7 per cent ABV – beers guaranteed to test your constitution.
If you are lucky, you may find some of the beers mentioned available in your local supermarket or off-licence. Try them and enjoy. We certainly did!