Scottish IPA 1851 to 1916

I just can't stay away from Scottish IPA. It's such a contradiction in terms, if you listen to the history written by style nazis. I don't and am free to look at it as dispassionately as possible.

The fun will be tabulicious today. I've two of them for you. Aren't you lucky?

Did I mention my Scottish project? No? Silly me. Getting distracted again. I've started a Scottish project. Based on the 1,666 analyses I have of Scottish beers. Going through will be a joy. Maybe even informative, too.

I've split the beers into two chunks, up to 1880 and 1881 - 1916. There's no particular logic behind the splitting point. It just seemed a convenient place.

Here's table one. Which happens to be all William Younger beers:

Scottish IPA 1851 - 1880
Date	Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	FG	OG	ABV	App. Attenuation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl
6th Oct	1851	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1020	1058	5.03	65.52%	15.00	6.67
9th Oct	1851	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1018	1072	7.14	75.00%	24.00	8.18
	1858	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1014	1054	5.29	74.07%	14.80	4.40
	1858	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1016	1059	5.69	72.88%	21.05	5.00
	1868	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1013	1051	5.03	74.51%	12.22	3.40
	1868	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1014	1055	5.42	74.55%	11.67	3.29
2nd June	1879	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1016	1052	4.76	69.23%	11.74	2.73
11th July	1879	Younger, Wm.	2XP	IPA	1009	1046	4.89	80.43%	9.00	1.94
	1879	Younger, Wm.	2XP	IPA		1046				2.00
22nd Oct	1879	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1014	1058	5.82	75.86%	9.19	2.41
22nd Oct	1879	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1013	1050	4.89	74.00%	7.94	1.81
24th Oct	1879	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1014	1051	4.89	72.55%	7.94	1.86
29th Oct	1879	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1016	1051	4.63	68.63%	7.65	1.84
30th Oct	1879	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1016	1058	5.56	72.41%	8.65	2.56
10th Nov	1879	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1012	1051	5.16	76.47%	8.00	1.90
11th Nov	1879	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1015	1058	5.69	74.14%	9.44	2.62
16th Sept	1880	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1013	1052	5.16	75.00%	9.68	2.13
20th Sept	1880	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1019	1060	5.42	68.33%	10.56	2.81
7th Dec	1880	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1018	1059.5	5.49	69.75%	12.90	2.99
9th Dec	1880	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1012	1052	5.29	76.92%	11.11	2.34
Average					1014.84	1054.7	5.33	73.17%	11.71	3.14
Sources:
Documents WY/6/1/2/5, WY/6/1/2/14, WY/6/1/2/21, WY/6/1/2/28 and WY/6/1/3/9 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive.

Note how the hopping rate fell considerably after the 1850's, falling to under 2 lbs per barrel for XP. Before picking up again a little around 1880. The average gravity, 1054.7, is pretty similar to the average for all beer and about the same as Porter.

For a bit of variation, table two also has beers from Thomas Usher:

Scottish IPA 1881 - 1916
Date	Year	Brewer	Beer	Style	FG	OG	ABV	App. Attenuation	lbs hops/ qtr	hops lb/brl
11th Apr	1881	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1015	1053	5.03	71.70%	10.00	3.04
15th Apr	1881	Younger, Wm.	XXP	IPA	1012	1060	6.35	80.00%	17.14	3.89
3rd May	1881	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1014	1054	5.29	74.07%	9.23	3.06
29th Aug	1881	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1018	1053	4.63	66.04%	7.69	2.30
5th Jan	1885	Usher	IP	IPA	1013	1047	4.50	72.34%	8.00
8th Jan	1885	Usher	IP	IPA	1015	1046	4.10	67.39%	8.00	1.43
18th Feb	1885	Usher	IP	IPA	1015	1046	4.10	67.39%	8.00	1.73
29th May	1885	Younger, Wm.	XP	IPA	1013	1054	5.42	75.93%	11.50	2.84
15th May	1888	Usher	IP	IPA	1010	1046	4.76	78.26%	10.00	2.65
26th Dec	1888	Usher	IP	IPA	1013	1046	4.37	71.74%	8.00	2.00
5th Jan	1894	Usher	IP	IPA	1014	1044	3.97	68.18%	8.00
10th Jan	1894	Usher	IP	IPA	1014	1044	3.97	68.18%	7.00
26th Jan	1894	Usher	IP	IPA	1013	1044	4.10	70.45%	8.00
11th Jul	1894	Usher	IP	IPA		1044			8.00	1.50
	1906	Younger, Wm.	XP Burton	IPA		1050.4
4th Dec	1912	Usher	IP	IPA	1014	1042	3.70	66.67%	6.00
6th Dec	1912	Usher	IP	IPA	1015	1042	3.57	64.29%	6.50
12th Feb	1913	Usher	IP	IPA	1014	1042	3.70	66.67%	5.75
19th Mar	1913	Usher	IP	IPA	1013.5	1042	3.77	67.86%	5.75
19th Aug	1914	Usher	IP	IPA	1012.5	1042	3.90	70.24%	6.00
26th Aug	1914	Usher	IP	IPA	1013	1042	3.84	69.05%	6.00
8th Dec	1914	Usher	IP	IPA	1014	1040	3.44	65.00%	5.50	0.72
29th Feb	1916	Usher	IP	IPA	1013	1041	3.70	68.29%	5.50
7th Mar	1916	Usher	IP	IPA	1015	1041	3.44	63.41%	5.50
14th Mar	1916	Usher	IP	IPA	1013.5	1040	3.51	66.25%	5.50
Average					1013.76	1045.82	4.22	69.54%	7.77	2.29
Sources:
Documents WY/6/1/3/9, TU/6/1/1, WY/6/1/2/31, TU/6/1/2, WY/6/1/1/14 and TU/6/1/5 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive.

Usher knocks the average gravity down to 1045. With a gravity in the low 1040's and fairly modest hopping, Usher's IP looks rather like an AK. You can see the gravity gradually dropping from 1047 to 1040.

I'm not sure how much the average hopping rate per barrel is. Too many numbers are missing and there's a big discrepancy between the Younger and Usher beers. Interesting that the average attenuation went down along with the gravity. Were they they trying to disguise the drop in gravity by keeping the FG the same?

In part two we'll be taking a look at 20th century Scottish IPAs. Believe me, it's even more fun than the 19th century.