Here's a pretty little table with all the details:
Year  |    Beer  |    Style  |    Price  |    size  |    package  |    FG  |    OG  |    Colour  |    ABV  |    attenuation  |   
1948  |    Double Diamond Pale Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    13d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1009.4  |    1045.2  |    18 B  |    4.48  |    79.20%  |   
1950  |    Sparkling Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1007  |    1029.7  |    24 B  |    2.84  |    76.43%  |   |
1950  |    Special Stout  |    Stout  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1011.7  |    1035.9  |    1 + 14  |    3.03  |    67.41%  |   |
1950  |    Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1009.5  |    1029  |    40 + 9  |    2.44  |    67.24%  |   |
1950  |    Burton Pale Ale (Double Diamond)  |    Pale Ale  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1011.2  |    1045.2  |    21 B  |    4.25  |    75.22%  |   |
1950  |    Arctic Ale No. 1  |    Barley Wine  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1020.8  |    1079.9  |    40 + 16  |    7.39  |    73.97%  |   |
1950  |    John Bull Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1012.2  |    1042.5  |    40 + 13  |    3.79  |    71.29%  |   |
1950  |    Allsopp Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    15d  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1007.7  |    1029.9  |    7.5 + 40  |    2.78  |    74.25%  |   
1950  |    Sparkling Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    15d  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1007.4  |    1029.7  |    25 B  |    2.79  |    75.08%  |   
1950  |    Allsopp Special Stout  |    Stout  |    18d  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1010.4  |    1034.4  |    1 + 40  |    3.00  |    69.77%  |   
1950  |    Double Diamond  |    Pale Ale  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1012.3  |    1047.9  |    19.5 B  |    4.45  |    74.32%  |   |
1950  |    Sparkling Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    9d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1007.7  |    1033.3  |    22 B  |    3.20  |    76.88%  |   
1950  |    Double Diamond  |    Pale Ale  |    14.5d  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1010.9  |    1048.3  |    21 B  |    4.68  |    77.43%  |   
1950  |    Special Stout  |    Stout  |    12d  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1014.9  |    1038.2  |    1 + 14  |    2.91  |    60.99%  |   
1950  |    Arctic Ale  |    Barley Wine  |    18d  |    nip  |    bottled  |    1020.1  |    1079.8  |    18 + 40  |    7.46  |    74.81%  |   
1950  |    Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    9d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1008.6  |    1032.3  |    40 + 9  |    2.96  |    73.37%  |   
1951  |    Special Stout  |    Stout  |    12d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1013.4  |    1038.3  |    1 + 14  |    3.11  |    65.01%  |   
1951  |    Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    9d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1007.7  |    1032.6  |    40 + 8  |    3.11  |    76.38%  |   
1951  |    Double Diamond  |    Pale Ale  |    14.5d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1010  |    1047.7  |    25  |    4.71  |    79.04%  |   
1951  |    Sparkling Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    9d  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1008  |    1032.1  |    25.5  |    3.01  |    75.08%  |   
1951  |    Allsopp Special Stout  |    Stout  |    12d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1011.9  |    1037.8  |    3.24  |    68.52%  |   |
1951  |    Arctic Ale  |    Barley Wine  |    17.5d  |    nip  |    bottled  |    1019.1  |    1078.1  |    7.37  |    75.54%  |   |
1951  |    Special Stout  |    Stout  |    14.5d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1015.3  |    1037.1  |    1 + 16  |    2.72  |    58.76%  |   
1951  |    Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    9.5d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1008.3  |    1031.9  |    17 + 40  |    2.95  |    73.98%  |   
1951  |    Sparkling Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    9d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1007.6  |    1032.6  |    21  |    3.12  |    76.69%  |   
1952  |    Arctic Ale  |    Barley Wine  |    18d  |    nip  |    bottled  |    1020.2  |    1080.3  |    21 + 40  |    7.51  |    74.84%  |   
1952  |    Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    9.5d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1011.7  |    1030.9  |    11 + 40  |    2.40  |    62.14%  |   
1952  |    Special Stout  |    Stout  |    23d  |    pint  |    bottled  |    1011.5  |    1037.9  |    1 + 11.5  |    3.30  |    69.66%  |   
1952  |    Coronet Pale Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    11d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1008.6  |    1035.6  |    22  B  |    3.37  |    75.84%  |   
1953  |    Arctic Ale  |    Barley Wine  |    18d  |    nip  |    bottled  |    1018  |    1079  |    18 + 40  |    7.63  |    77.22%  |   
1953  |    Double Diamond  |    Pale Ale  |    11d  |    nip  |    bottled  |    1009.7  |    1048.7  |    23.5  |    4.88  |    80.08%  |   
1953  |    Allsopp Special Stout  |    Stout  |    10d  |    nip  |    bottled  |    1013.4  |    1038.1  |    1 + 11  |    3.09  |    64.83%  |   
1954  |    Sparkling Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    12d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1008.5  |    1030.5  |    26  |    2.75  |    72.13%  |   
1954  |    Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    9.5d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1009.7  |    1030.7  |    11 + 40  |    2.63  |    68.40%  |   
1954  |    John Bull Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    15d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1014.8  |    1048.1  |    115  |    4.16  |    69.23%  |   
1955  |    Double Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    12.5d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1012.6  |    1047.8  |    45  |    4.40  |    73.64%  |   
1955  |    Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    11d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1011.2  |    1033.6  |    105  |    2.80  |    66.67%  |   
1955  |    Double Diamond  |    Pale Ale  |    16d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1012.7  |    1048.5  |    19  |    4.47  |    73.81%  |   
1956  |    Nut Brown Ale  |    Brown Ale  |    10d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1012.3  |    1032.2  |    90  |    2.49  |    61.80%  |   
1956  |    Light Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    10d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1010.5  |    1031  |    22  |    2.56  |    66.13%  |   
1956  |    Special Stout  |    Stout  |    13d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1014.9  |    1038.1  |    250  |    2.90  |    60.89%  |   
1956  |    Sweet Stout (lactose present)  |    Stout  |    14d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1016.5  |    1038.5  |    250  |    2.75  |    57.14%  |   
1956  |    Double Diamond  |    Pale Ale  |    17d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1012.7  |    1048.3  |    20  |    4.45  |    73.71%  |   
1956  |    Double Diamond  |    Pale Ale  |    17d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1014.1  |    1047.9  |    19  |    4.23  |    70.56%  |   
1956  |    Arctic Barley Wine  |    Barley Wine  |    18d  |    nip  |    bottled  |    1019.7  |    1077.1  |    105  |    7.17  |    74.45%  |   
1959  |    Double Diamond  |    Pale Ale  |    16d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1011.9  |    1047.5  |    20  |    4.45  |    74.95%  |   
1959  |    "Dry Club" Stout  |    Stout  |    13d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1013.2  |    1038.7  |    240  |    3.19  |    65.89%  |   
1959  |    Allsopp's Sweet Stout  |    Stout  |    14d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1015.4  |    1037.8  |    275  |    2.80  |    59.26%  |   
1959  |    Light Ale  |    Pale Ale  |    10d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1009.8  |    1031.5  |    20  |    2.71  |    68.89%  |   
1959  |    Benskins Colne Spring Ale  |    Barley Wine  |    23.5d  |    half pint  |    bottled  |    1009.3  |    1092.8  |    80  |    10.44  |    89.98%  |   
Source: Whitbread Gravity Book  |   ||||||||||
As you can see, bottled Double Diamond was around 1048 (good guess, Zythophile).
I was pleased to find Coronet, another beer mentioned by Campbell. It has a fairly puny OG of just 1035.6. Arctic Ale was another I'd hoped to discover. I wasn't disappointed. There are several entries for it. The OG was a very respectable 1080 or so and, because it was quite highly attenuated for a strong beer, it had a very respectable ABV of about 7.5%.
Right at the end you'll see the legendary Benskins Colne Spring Ale, which is also mentioned by Campbell. It has an apparent degree of attenuation of nearly 90%. Very impressive for such a big beer, leaving it over 10% ABV.
My apologies for missing these beers first time through.


2 comments:
Is it not this beer that was inoculated with a pure culture of brettanomyces? It should help to explain the attenuation.
Yes, although that was before Benskin's was taken over by Ind Coope in 1957: whether it still was after that, I don't know. I had a bottle of the Ind Coope version a couple of years ago: still drinkable after nearly 50 years, and still showing signs of what a fine beer it must once have been.
The Arctic Ale was in fact a "rebadged" Ind Coope No 1 Burton barley wine, rather than the Allsopp's original.
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