By Jeff Evans, chair of the International Beer Challenge

Siren Coven, 6.5%

Brewed for International Women’s Day, Coven is a charity beer created by a team of female ale lovers who pooled their talents at Siren in Berkshire. The beer they came up with is a gruit – a throwback to the days when hops were not used in beer and the work of balancing the sweetness of the malt fell to mixtures of herbs, botanicals and spices. For this beer, the team worked on a malt base similar to that of a black IPA then layered on top such exotic flavourings as juniper berries, coriander, mugwort, dandelion and elderflower. Blackberries also go into the mix and it is this addition that pushes through most strongly, aided by a light dosing of Bramling Cross hops, which – although perhaps cheating a little on the original concept – bring their own distinctive blackcurrant notes to the party. It’s a delightful creation, bittersweet, moodily dark and with lots of sharp berry fruitiness throughout.

Round Corner Beneath the Streets, 4.7%

The always reliable Round Corner brewery in Leicestershire has come up with another cracker. This time the offering is based on the German kellerbier style – an unfiltered lager that pours a slightly hazy straw colour. Freshness is the key to the style and this one doesn’t disappoint, offering a firm, vibrant bitterness from the hops to counter the sweetness from the ripe pale malt. Those hops are Pacifica, a New Zealand-bred derivative of a German noble hop, and they add a bright floral note, along with suggestions of herbs, lemon and honey. The decision not to filter means that there’s a light chewiness to the texture but the beer still manages to remain crisp and refreshing. This is a robust, full-value beer that maintains interest until the last drop, ending dry and bitter with lots of herbal, leafy, tangy hops.

Orbit Czech Dark Lager, 4.9%

Czechia is quite rightly recognised for its outstanding pale lagers but that also means its darker equivalents are sometimes overlooked. London’s Orbit brewery has set out to right that wrong with its own interpretation of a Czech dark lager and it’s both authentic and exceptionally enjoyable. One look at the deep ruby beer prepares you for the rich malt flavours to follow as the aroma is filled with molasses, caramel and chocolate. These aromatics are mirrored in the bittersweet taste, with malt – smooth and enveloping – at its core but with some lightly tart bitterness from the dark grains and gentle herbal notes from the hops, which know their role is to play second fiddle in this beer. Proper lagering ensures that the body is slender and crisp. Everything then wraps up in a dry, smooth finish of roasted grain with a moreish bitterness steadily building.

Duration Dripping Pitch, 6.7%

From a batch of new hoppy pale ales released by Duration in Norfolk I’ve picked out Dripping Pitch, a beer revived after a two-year absence. It is described as a West Coast IPA and certainly ticks the boxes you would expect for the style. American hops, of course, dominate but, as brewers in the States discovered when they perfected this style, those hops need plenty of malt support – to provide body to buttress the intensity of the hops and sweetness to mitigate their bitterness. Here those hops bring notes of oranges, grapefruit, apricots and pine as the flavour falls just on the bitter side. The malt plays its vital role without being cloying and the strength ensures that the alcohol generates a little warmth without being too intrusive. As you would hope, the finish is robust, bitter, fruity and softly warming.