Sunday 10 May 2020

Bass Pale Ale 1851 - 1994

Technical post here. In response to something Boak & Bailey wrote about Bass Pale Ale.

This is my full set of analyses of Bass Pale covering almost 150 years. If you have any I've missed, I'd be delighted to hear about them.

As a world-renowned beer, Bass Pale Ale was analysed by all sort of people. Which is dea handy for numbers freaks like me.

It's obvious from looking at even these bare stats that there's no one true "authentic" Bass Pale Ale. Like every other British beer, it changed and adapted to the times. Which mostly consisted of dropping in strength. Though, as a special expensive beer, it avoided the most drastic slashing.

Though, if you were to ask me, I'd say the classic OG was around 1065º


Bass Pale Ale 1851 - 1994
Year Beer package Price per pint d OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation Acidity colour
1851 Domestic IPA 1064 1012.8 6.69 80.00%
1852 Domestic IPA 1073.7 1019.2 7.11 73.95%
1862 Pale Ale bottled 1067.8 1014.3 7.04 78.91%
1862 Pale Ale bottled 1069 1017.2 6.80 75.07%
1862 Pale Ale bottled 1069.5 1016.9 6.91 75.68%
1862 Pale Ale bottled 1063.2 1012.4 6.69 80.38%
1862 Pale Ale bottled 1066.9 1015.6 6.74 76.68%
1869 Pale Ale (brewed 2nd Jan 1869) draught 1065.9 1010.2 7.33 84.50% 0.17
1869 Pale Ale (brewed 24th Dec 1868 draught 1065.4 1012.5 6.96 80.87% 0.16
1869 Pale Ale (brewed 27th Jan 1869) draught 1066.7 1011.8 7.20 82.33% 0.13
1869 Pale Ale draught 4 1067.0 1013.2 6.81 80.31% 0.28
1869 Pale Ale draught 3 1056.5 1010.1 5.98 82.08% 0.29
1870 India Pale Ale 1060.0
1887 Pale Ale 1064.2 1009.3 7.08 84.75% 0.117
1887 Pale Ale 6.21 0.18
1887 Pale Ale bottled 1063.5 1009.5 7.08 85.04% 0.12
1888 Pale Ale 1069.6 1010.6 7.58 83.82% 0.189
1888 Pale Ale 1069.0 1011.2 7.58 83.77% 0.19
1892 Extra Pale Ale bottled 1059.2 1009.1 6.55 84.62%
1896 Pale Ale 1060.8 1006.9 6.98 87.97% 0.234
1897 Pale Ale bottled 1060.4 1004.1 7.41 93.21%
1897 Pale Ale bottled 1062.8 1005.6 7.52 91.08%
1897 Pale Ale bottled 1058.9 1005.4 7.03 90.83%
1898 Pale Ale bottled 1064.9 1015.6 6.43 76.02%
1901 Dog's Head bottled 1065.6 1003.3 8.06 94.59% 0.171
1901 White Label bottled 1063.8 1007.4 7.25 87.73% 0.171
1901 draught Pale Ale draught 1064.0 1013.4 6.48 78.03% 0.144
1921 Pale Ale (bottled by Whitbread) bottled 1055.2
1922 Pale Ale (bottled by Whitbread) bottled 1055
1922 Pale Ale (bottled by Aldridge) bottled 1055.1
1922 Pale Ale (Belgian sample) bottled 1055.1 1010.9 5.76 80.22%
1922 Pale Ale bottled 1054.7 1011 5.70 79.90% 20
1927 Pale Ale draught 1055.5
1928 Pale Ale bottled 1059 1013 6.00 77.97% 19
1929 Pale Ale bottled 1056 1008 6.28 85.71%
1930 Blue Triangle bottled 1058 1011.9 6.01 79.48%
1931 Blue Triangle bottled 10 1056.3 1011.2 5.88 80.11% 0.06
1931 Pale Ale draught 1054.7
1932 Pale Ale draught 1054.7 1012 5.56 78.06% 0.05
1933 Pale Ale (bottled by Whitbread) bottled 1055 1007 6.28 87.27% 0.08
1933 Pale Ale (Probyn & Co.) bottled 4.5 1055.8 1012.2 5.68 78.14% 0.06
1933 Blue Label bottled 1057.5 1014 5.66 75.65%
1937 Pale Ale draught 8 1055.0
1940 PA bottled 15 1055.8 1007 6.39 87.46% 0.06
1940 Pale Ale draught 9 1051.6
1941 PA bottled 1054.2 1007.8 6.07 85.61% 0.05
1941 PA bottled 1056 1008 6.28 85.71% 0.04 20
1941 PA bottled 18 1054.9 1008.6 6.05 84.34% 0.08
1942 PA bottled 1054.6 1010.4 5.77 80.95% 0.08
1942 PA bottled 1054.3 1010.7 5.68 80.29% 0.06
1942 PA bottled 1054.6
1942 PA bottled 1054.3
1943 PA bottled 1054.5 1011.2 5.64 79.45% 0.05 24
1943 Bitter draught 14 1047.6 1008.9 5.04 81.30% 0.08 26
1944 PA bottled 23 1053.3 1007 6.06 86.87% 0.11 17
1944 Bitter draught 16 1048.1 1008.2 5.20 82.95% 0.12 21
1946 PA bottled 1053.8 1011.2 5.55 79.18% 0.08 20.5
1946 PA (Red Triangle) bottled 1054.8 1010.1 5.83 81.57% 0.08 20
1946 PA (Red Label) bottled 1051.9 1008.2 5.71 84.20% 0.07 18
1948 PA bottled 18.5 1054.2 1009.1 5.89 83.21% 0.10 17.5
1948 Red Triangle Pale Ale (bottled in Brussels) bottled 1053.8 1008.9 5.86 83.46% 0.05
1948 Draught Bass bottled 1047.8 1009.8 4.95 79.58%
1949 PA bottled 1054 1008 6.01 85.19% 0.10
1949 PA bottled 27 1054.1 1008.6 5.94 84.10% 0.12
1949 Export Pale Ale (Munching Inc, USA) bottled 1051 1010.6 5.26 79.22% 0.05 19.5
1950 PA bottled 1058 1008.3 6.51 85.69% 0.05 21
1950 PA bottled 31 1057.1 1007.6 6.48 86.69% 0.06 19
1950 PA bottled 37 1056.1 1004.6 6.76 91.80% 0.13 19
1950 Pale Ale draught 18 1049.7 23
1951 Pale Ale draught 19 1049.9 1008.8 5.36 82.36% 0.07 26
1952 Pale Ale draught 19 1044.8 22
1952 Pale Ale draught 19 1046.4 24
1953 Pale Ale (Blue Triangle purchased in Belgium) bottled 1060.8 1010.5 6.58 82.73% 0.04 21 B
1953 Blue Label PA bottled 12 1058.7 1013.8 5.85 76.49% 0.08 18.5
1953 Pale Ale draught 19 1044.7 26
1954 Pale Ale draught 19 1046 1008.7 4.86 81.09% 0.04 20
1955 Pale Ale (Blue Triangle) bottled 1063.5 1003.1 7.96 95.12% 0.07 19
1955 Pale Ale (Red Triangle) bottled 1063.2 1009.6 7.02 84.81% 0.04 19
1956 Pale Ale (Blue Triangle) bottle 34 1051.9 1012.4 5.14 76.11% 0.04 21
1956 Pale Ale (Red Triangle) bottle 34 1053.5 1004.1 6.48 92.34% 0.05 20
1957 Pale Ale draught 21 1044.6 1005.4 5.12 87.89% 0.04 21
1959 Pale Ale bottle 32 1050.7 1010.7 5.21 78.90% 0.02 17
1960 Bass Red Triangle Bottled 32 1054.4 1004.1 6.60 92.46%
1960 Red Triangle Bass draught 18 1043.1 1008.5 4.50 80.28%
1960 Pale Ale bottle 34 1054.2 1008.3 6.00 84.69% 0.04 21
1960 Pale Ale (Blue Triangle) sold in Belgium bottle 1061.1 1012.7 6.32 79.21% 0.04 17
1960 Bitter draught 21 1044 1009.8 4.45 77.73% 0.04 19
1961 Pale Ale (Red Triangle) bottle 36 1054.3 1002.7 6.78 95.03% 0.04 18
1964 Pale Ale (Blue Triangle) bottle 34 1051.2 1010.1 5.36 80.27% 0.04 21
1964 Pale Ale (Red Triangle) bottle 34 1053.9 1008.6 5.92 84.04% 0.05 21
1965 Blue Label sold in Belgium bottle 1068.8 1014 7.17 79.65% 0.04 18
1965 Draught PA draught 1050.5 1009.4 5.36 81.39% 0.04 16
1967 Blue Triangle bottle 41 1046.2 1007.7 5.02 83.33% 0.04 17
1967 Red Triangle bottle 43 1051.2 1009.2 5.48 82.03% 0.03 20
1977 Worthington White Shield bottled 1052
1977 Draught Bass draught 1044
1979 Worthington White Shield bottled 1052
1979 Draught Bass draught 1044
1981 Worthington White Shield draught 1052
1981 Draught Bass draught 1044
1982 White Shield bottled 1051
1982 Draught Bass draught 1044
1983 Worthington White Shield draught 1051
1983 Draught Bass draught 1044
1986 Worthington White Shield bottled 1052
1986 Draught Bass draught 1044
1989 Worthington White Shield bottled 1052 1009.1 5.60 82.60%
1989 Draught Bass draught 1044 1010.1 4.40 77.05%
1993 Worthington White Shield bottled 5.6 20.5
1993 Draught Bass draught 1043 1009.2 4.4 78.60% 19
1994 White Shield bottled 5.60
1994 Bass Distinction bottled 5.10
1994 Black Dove bottled 5.10
Sources:
"The Lancet 1852, vol.1", 1852, page 474
"The lancet 1853, Volume 2", 1853, page 631.
British Medical Journal August 28th 1869, page 245
Bass price list
Wahl & Henius, pages 823-830
"Chemie der menschlichen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" by Joseph König, 1889, page 835
Wisconsin Dairy and Food Commission
"Report, returns and statistics of the inland revenues of the Dominion of Canada", By Canada. Dept. of Inland Revenue, 1898, pages 34-49
Whitbread Gravity Book
Younger, Wm. & Co Gravity Book document WY/6/1/1/19 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11
Truman Gravity Book
Which Beer Report, 1960, pages 171 - 173.
GBG 1978
GBG 1978
GBG 1980
GBG 1980
GBG 1982
GBG1983
GBG 1984
GBG 1987
GBG 1990
1993 Real Ale Drinker's Almanac
The Best of British Bottled Beer

5 comments:

Chris Pickles said...

My dad liked beer in a normal sort of way, and he knew his beer, and he used to talk about it, so when we were out in the car and we'd pass a pub he might comment on the quality of the beer. He liked Tetleys and Ramsdens (being from Bradford) but if he sent me to the off license for a bottle it would be Shire Light (had a green label) or Pale (blue) from R. Whitakers. I used to like their slogan "Cock of the North". All this was well before my drinking days, I would have been 12 or thereabouts, off licenses obviously were much more lax in those days.

The bloke at the offie knew me, no questions asked. He always used to call me Boris. God knows why, maybe I should be the PM! Or maybe he thought I looked like Boris Karloff.

Anyway my dad went on a works trip to Redcar Races and of course this involved a long trip to the pub afterward. Redcar with its steel mills was in a strong beer area, and the pub they went to was a Bass pub. Someone said to my dad, now come on Doug, this Draught Bass, it's not like drinking Tetleys you know, you won't be able drink as much of it. Well challenge laid down and challenge accepted.

When he got home after what would have been a long coach journey, dad was definitely squiffy, which was unusual for him. He regaled us with the tale of how he had been drinking Draught Bass - the name pronounced with reverence - and can you manage another Doug... and another... and, holding up an imaginary pint glass to the light, down went another.

I don't know what my mum thought of this but I was hanging on every word. Even though I was far too young to drink, and hated the taste of beer, even in shandy, I knew that when I got older and acquired a taste for beer Draught Bass was something special and worth looking out for. And I made sure I had a pint of it on my last return to England even though I only found one pub selling it - the ever reliable Half Moon at Durham.

Rob Sterowski said...

When did Draught Bass become common? Was it always in Bass pubs? Or only around Burton?

Ron Pattinson said...

Barm,

I think it was a national beer before WW II. Certainly in bottled form. But it also turned up in other brewers' pubs on draught.

Ron Pattinson said...

Chris Pickles,

that's a great story.

Draught Bass could be a wonderful beer in the 1970s and early 1980s. But always seemed quite temperamental and landlord had to know how to look after it. I haven't tried it in ages.

Maybe I should look out for it next time I'm in the UK.

Anonymous said...

Just caught up with this. Thanks for posting, as we discussed the utility of a table in this form, some time ago.

Gary Gillman