STOCKPORT brewers Robinsons narrowly missed scooping the champion winter beer of Britain award at the National Winter Ale Festival .

Their legendary strong beer, Old Tom - a fearsome 8.5 ABV (alcohol by volume) - won gold in the barley wines/strong old ales category but lost out in the championship judging to a porter from Wickwar, a tiny Cotswold brewery with only two tied houses.

The Good Beer Guide describes Wickwar Station Porter, a mere 6.1 ABV, as 'a rich, smooth, dark ruby-brown. Starts with roast malt, coffee, chocolate and dark fruit, then develops a complex, spicy, bittersweet taste and a long roast finish'.

Brewmaster Bert Downes celebrated at a packed trade session at the festival in Manchester's New Century Hall, with his uncle, who runs a Holts tied house in Droylsden.

"He sells more beer than we can dream of in our quiet part of Gloucestershire," said Mr Downes, whose outfit is named after the village it has brewed in since 1990. The porter gets its name from the rural halt on the rail line to Bristol built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The two other gold medal winners were Welsh brewers Purple Moose's Dark Side Of The Moose (old ales/strong milds) and Entire Stout, from Hop Back, of Salisbury (stouts).

This immensely popular CAMRA event, one of the highlights of the real ale calendar, was held in association with the M.E.N.