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