George Younger beers 1940 - 1961

Bet you've been waiting for this with bated breath. Part two of my investigation of George Younger's beers. What makes it all the more exciting is that a couple of these beers still exist.

Much like William Younger, George Younger, despite leaping feet first into the Pale Ale trade, continued to brew Alloa Ales. The strong beer that was the source of Scotland's beery fame. It seems to have been similar to Edinburgh Ale. Which itself was much like Burton Ale. These strong Alloa Ales were once exported all over the world. After WW II the foreign market had shrunk to Belgium and little else.

Gordon Highland Scotch Ale and Gordon Xmas Ale. They were originally brewed by George Younger. (Note that Alloa, like Edinburgh where it was later brewed, is nowhere near the Highlands.) They were some of the beers that helped define Belgian-style Scotch Ale. Strong, dark Ales of 8% ABV or so. Though you'll notice that Gordon Highland Scotch Ale wasn't all that dark. Colour values of 55 and 60 are just about brown.

Interestingly, the Strong Ale produced for domestic consumption was darker, though at 6% ABV, quite a bit weaker. Now here's a thing. There wasn't much in the way of Strong Ale brewed in England after WW II. There were the odd ones like Bass No. 1, Colne Spring Ale or Gold Label, but they weren't a standard part of every brewery's range. Not so in Scotland. Strong Ale carried on much as it had before the war, except gravities had been pegged back a little.

Heavy Export Ale. There are a few examples of that in the table. What was it - Heavy or Export? Judging by the gravity, I'd say Export. If you can remember - and if you can't I'm going to keep reminding you - "heavy" is Scottish brewing parlance meant nothing more than "strong". I'd love to know when it became so closely associated with a specific type of Pale Ale. From what I've seen so far, definitely after WW II.

I've been saving the best until last. Scottish breweries had never been that enthusiastic about Stout. Yes, they brewed it, but in a fairly desultory way. And they moved from the older dry types to very sweet versions much earlier than English breweries, starting in the 19th century. To most eyes Younger's Extra Stout, with a mere 52% attenuation, would seem pretty damn sweet. Until they'd got a look at Sweetheart Stout with just 30-odd% attenuation. And at around 1.5% ABV, it counts as a low-alcohol beer.

What does it tell us about Scottish tastes that the only beer still to bear the George Younger name is Sweetheart Stout? I'd love to try it. It looks more like a Malzbier than a Stout. Anyone know where I can score a bottle (or a can)?

The more I think about it, the more these Younger beers demonstrate 20th-century trends in Scottish brewing. Pale Ales, Strong Ales and the odd very sweet Stout. Only Lager is missing. That was the speciality of another Alloa brewery - the Alloa Brewery.

Here's the table:

George Younger beers 1940 - 1961
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	package	Acidity	FG	OG	colour	ABV	App. Attenuation
1940	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1007	1035		3.64	80.00%
1940	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1008.5	1033.5		3.24	74.63%
1941	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1012.5	1037		3.17	66.22%
1946	60/- Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1007.5	1029.5		2.85	74.58%
1947	80/- Ale	Pale Ale	16d	pint	bottled		1009	1039.5		3.96	77.22%
1947	India Pale Ale 120/-	IPA	14d	half pint	bottled		1010	1042		4.16	76.19%
1948	Heavy Export Ale	Pale Ale	1/5.5d	half pint	bottled	0.08	1014	1047.7	23.5	4.37	70.65%
1948	Extra Stout	Stout		pint	bottled		1017.5	1036.5		2.44	52.05%
1948	Heavy Export Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1016	1048.5		4.21	67.01%
1949	Heavy Export Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1016.5	1047		3.94	64.89%
1950	Gordon Highland Scotch Ale	Scotch Ale			bottled	0.90	1031.1	1091.2	1 + 40	7.81	65.90%
1950	Gordon Xmas Ale (bottled in Antwerp)	Scotch Ale			bottled	0.10	1032.3	1090.7	2 + 40	7.58	64.39%
1952	Gordon Highland Scotch Ale	Scotch Ale			bottled	0.08	1026.5	1081.8	2.5 + 40	7.19	67.60%
1953	Strong Ale	Strong Ale	14.5d	nip	bottled	0.06	1021.9	1067.6	13 + 40	5.93	67.60%
1954	Extra Stout	Stout	1/2d	half pint	bottled	0.05	1018	1037.5	1 + 30	2.51	52.00%
1954	Heavy Export Ale	Pale Ale			bottled	0.06	1011.1	1044.7	19	4.36	75.17%
1954	Gordon Highland Scotch Ale (purchased in Belgium)	Scotch Ale			bottled	0.06	1028	1090.9	60	8.20	69.20%
1955	Extra Stout	Stout	15d	half pint	bottled	0.05	1015.8	1038.5	575	2.93	58.96%
1955	Strong Ale	Strong Ale	15d	nip	bottled	0.05	1022.3	1067.6	100	5.87	67.01%
1955	Heavy Export Ale	Pale Ale	15d	half pint	bottled	0.06	1012	1043.9	27	4.14	72.67%
1955	Gordon Highland Scotch Ale (purchased in Belgium)	Scotch Ale			bottled	0.07	1029.9	1090.3	55	7.86	66.89%
1955	Treble Top Ale	Pale Ale	21d	16 oz	can	0.05	1006.6	1031.2	37.5	3.19	78.85%
1955	Sweetheart Stout	Stout	26d	16 oz	can	0.04	1024.5	1036.4	225	1.52	32.69%
1956	Sweetheart Stout	Stout	1/3d	half pint	bottled	0.04	1024.6	1037.6	225	1.66	34.57%
1959	Sweetheart Stout	Stout	14d	halfpint	bottled		1024.4	1036.4	275	1.53	32.97%
1959	Sparkling Ale	Pale Ale	10d	half pint	bottled	0.05	1006.6	1026.6	30	2.59	75.19%
1959	Sparkling Ale	Pale Ale	12d	half pint	bottled	0.05	1024.5	1031.8	45	0.93	22.96%
1961	Husky Heavy Export Ale	Pale Ale	15d	half pint	bottled	0.05	1013.8	1042.8	25	3.63	67.76%
Sources:
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Whitbread Gravity Book document LMA/4453/D/02/002 held at the London Metropolitan Archives