Scottish Pale Ale 1925 - 1929

Tables. Lots of lovely tables. (You're supposed to sing that in your head to the tune of "Feelings".) I warned you I'd too much info from the 1920's to fit in a single table. There's really more than enough for three. You'll be getting the final two today.

The Scottish market was quite different from the English one. The biggest difference being the tied house system, which didn't really exist in Scotland. The majority of the pubs were free houses, though I expect many weren't as free as they might appear. On the face of it, there was more scope for direct competition between brewers on quality and price. Perhaps the lack of the guaranteed outlets tied houses represent was why smaller brewers struggled and the trade became dominated by a few large concerns.

Another difference was in the beers brewed. Not that Scottish beers were necessarily of themselves hugely different from their English cousins. It's more the amount of each type brewed. Scotland, like Ireland, seems to have been out of phase with England in terms of style evolution. But the other way around, i.e. Scotland was ahead of the game.

What struck me about both the Gravity Book entries and brewing records is the preponderance of Pale Ales. and the paucity of Mild Ales.In the 1920's Mild accounted for more than 50% of beer sales in the UK. Not in Scotland, though. These are the number of analyses per style from the Thomas Usher Gravity Book:

Amber Ale	7
Barley Wine	4
Brown Ale	12
IPA	16
Lager	4
Mild	15
Pale Ale	434
Pils	2
Scotch Ale	15
Stout	56
Strong Ale	52

As you can see, around two thirds were for Pale Ale. The Whitbread Gravity Book has proportionally far more Milds and Stouts. Note also the poor showing of Scotch Ale in Scotland. Even worse when you consider many of the samples were brewed for the Belgian market.

Mild and Stout seem to have lost popularity more quickly in Scotland. In England both were major styles until well after WW I. Porter seems to have become extinct in Scotland in the 19th century. Of course, the same was to happen in England, but not until WW II. Scotland seems to have been 30 years ahead of England in terms of style evolution. It should also be noted that Lager took off much earlier in Scotland.

I'd love to be able to explain these differences. But I can't. I welcome your suggestions.

Back to the beers themselves. There are four main types of Pale Ale: 60/- at 1039º, 70/- at 1046º, 80/- at 1053 º and 90/- which, perversely, was a similar gravity to 60/-. I know nowadays 90/- is used to denote a Strong Ale. In the 1920's, it had quite a different meaning. Basically a carbonated, light bottled Pale Ale. Light Ale, I suppose, to use the English term.

You can also see how Export was becoming synonymous with 80/- Pale Ale. Though there isn't a single mention of Heavy.

The averages - OG 1040º, FG 1009º, 4% ABV, 77% attenuation - are very similar for all of the 1920's. That's a shade under average gravity for the UK, which was 1043º.

Time for the tables themselves. One last thing. The Thomas Usher Gravity Book includes comments on the flavour of some of the entries. Mostly not very complimentary, though there were a couple of beers praised. Considering the supposed lack of hops in Scottish beers, it's significant how often the level of bitterness is mentioned.

Table 1:

Scottish Pale Ale 1925 - 1929
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price	size	package	FG	OG	colour	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1925	Aitken	??		pint	bottled	1010	1039		3.76	74.36%
1925	Ballingall	Pale Ale carbonated		pint	bottled	1011.5	1046	40	4.48	75.00%
1925	Bernard	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1010	1038	39	3.63	73.68%
1925	Deucher, J.	Montrose Ale		pint	bottled	1010	1041		4.02	75.61%
1925	McEwan	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1007	1034	38	3.51	79.41%
1925	Murray	Strong Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1015	1034.5	25	2.51	56.52%
1925	Murray	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1010.5	1039.5	25	3.76	73.42%
1925	Murray	Strong PA		pint	bottled	1014	1060		5.99	76.67%
1925	Murray	Strong PA	6d	half pint	bottled	1015	1060		5.86	75.00%
1925	Usher	PA 60/-		pint	bottled	1006	1038		4.17	84.21%
1925	Younger, Wm	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1007.5	1039	28	4.10	80.77%
1926	Aitken	Sparkling Ale		pint	bottled	1005	1034	40	3.77	85.29%
1926	Bernard	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009	1040	40	4.03	77.50%
1926	Deucher, J.	Lochside Beer		pint	bottled	1008.5	1040.5		4.16	79.01%
1926	Dryborough	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1009	1032	50	2.98	71.88%
1926	Dryborough	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1007.5	1035.5		3.64	78.87%
1926	Dryborough	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008	1038		3.90	78.95%
1926	Jeffrey & Co	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1006	1032	35	3.38	81.25%
1926	McEwan	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1007	1035	40	3.64	80.00%
1926	McEwan	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1006	1034	40	3.64	82.35%
1926	Murray	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1010	1035	30	3.24	71.43%
1926	Murray	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1008	1034	20	3.37	76.47%
1926	Tennent	90/-		pint	bottled	1005	1035	40	3.91	85.71%
1926	Younger, Wm	Sparkling Ale		pint	bottled	1007	1038	28	4.03	81.58%
1926	Younger, Wm	Sparkling Ale		pint	bottled	1006	1038	30	4.17	84.21%
1927	Aitchison	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1006.3	1035.3		3.77	82.27%
1927	Aitchison	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1006	1035		3.77	82.86%
1927	Bernard	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1007	1040		4.29	82.50%
1927	Campbell, Hope & King	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1006	1038.3		4.20	84.31%
1927	Dryborough	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1006.3	1038.8		4.23	83.85%
1927	Jeffrey & Co	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1004.8	1037.8		4.30	87.42%
1927	McEwan	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008.3	1040.3		4.16	79.50%
1927	McKay	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1006.3	1039.3		4.30	84.08%
1927	Murray	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1007	1039		4.16	82.05%
1927	Steel Coulson	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1010	1041		4.02	75.61%
1927	Steel Coulson	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1006	1039		4.30	84.62%
1927	Usher	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1007.3	1040.3		4.29	81.99%
1927	Younger, Robert	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1010	1038.5		3.70	74.03%
1927	Younger, Wm	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1006.5	1038.5		4.16	83.12%
1927	Younger, Wm	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008.5	1040		4.09	78.75%
1928	Aitchison	60/- Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1007	1039.5		4.23	82.28%
1928	Calder Alloa	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008	1037		3.77	78.38%
1928	Deucher, J.	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1007	1038.5		4.10	81.82%
1928	Deucher, J.	70/- Beer		pint	bottled	1013	1056		5.60	76.79%
1928	Deucher, J.	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008	1040		4.16	80.00%
1928	Lorimer & Clark	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008	1038.3		3.93	79.08%
1928	Lorimer & Clark	80/- Beer		pint	bottled	1010	1052.5		5.54	80.95%
1928	Maclay	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1012	1038.8		3.46	69.03%
1928	Maclay	70/- Beer		pint	bottled	1014.5	1047		4.21	69.15%
1928	McEwan	70/- Ale		pint	bottled	1012.5	1047		4.48	73.40%
1928	Steel Coulson	80/- Beer		pint	bottled	1010	1055		5.87	81.82%
1928	Usher	PA 60/-				1014	1041		3.57	65.85%
1928	Usher	PA				1013	1035		2.91	62.86%
1928	Usher	PA 60/-				1014	1041		3.57	65.85%
1928	Usher	PA 60/-				1013	1041		3.70	68.29%
1928	Usher	PA 80/-				1015	1055		5.29	72.73%
1928	Usher	PA 70/-				1014.5	1048		4.43	69.79%
1928	Usher	PA 60/-				1014	1041		3.57	65.85%
1928	Usher	PA 60/-				1013.5	1041		3.64	67.07%
	Average					1009.2	1040.4		4.06	77.24%
Sources:
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Younger, Wm. & Co Gravity Book document WY/6/1/1/19 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Thomas Usher brewing record document TU/6/6 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

Scottish Pale Ale 1925 - 1929
Year	Brewer	Beer	Price	size	package	FG	OG	colour	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Flavour
1928	Usher	Pale Ale		pint	draught	1014	1040.8		3.46	65.64%
1928	Usher	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1012	1040.5		3.69	70.37%
1928	Usher	70/- Ale		pint	draught	1014.5	1047		4.21	69.15%
1928	Usher	90/- Sparkling Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009	1037	no. 10 - 11 (Newcastle dark)	3.63	75.68%
1928	Usher	90/- Sparkling Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009	1038	no. 10 - 11	3.76	76.32%
1928	Younger, Geo	No. 1 Alloa Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008	1043.5	no. 9 (standard colour)	4.62	81.61%
1928	Younger, Wm	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1010.3	1040.3		3.89	74.53%
1929	??	Sparkling Ale		pint	bottled	1006	1032		3.38	81.25%
1929	Aitchison	60/- Beer		pint	bottled	1009.8	1038.8		3.76	74.84%
1929	Aitchison	60/- Beer		pint	bottled	1009.8	1040.3	Pale no. 1 2 glass paler than standard	3.96	75.78%	thin sweetish flavour with after bitter. Possibly indicates addition of priming.
1929	Aitchison	70/- Beer		pint	bottled	1008	1045	Pale no. 2 half glass paler than our Newcastle 70/-	4.82	82.22%	Does not drink its gravity.
1929	Aitchison	60/- (pale)		pint	bottled	1008	1045.5	Between 1 - 2. Same as our standard	4.89	82.42%	Thin sweetish flavour, but after bitter not so prounced as sample from ???
1929	Ballingall	90/-		pint	bottled	1008	1040.5	No. 9 Same as our standard.	4.23	80.25%	Bad nose and unpleasant flavour.
1929	Ballingall	Imperial Hopped		pint	bottled	1009	1036	No. 10 Same as our medium standard.	3.50	75.00%
1929	Bernard	Crown Brand Export (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1005.3	1049	No. 00 XX Pale	5.72	89.29%
1929	Bernard	90/- (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1008.5	1038.5	No. 10 Same as our medium standard.	3.90	77.92%
1929	Blair	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008	1038		3.90	78.95%
1929	Deuchar, R	60/-		pint	bottled	1009.5	1038.5	No. 4 1.5 glass paler than our standard.	3.76	75.32%	Full, but with rather harsh bitter flavour.
1929	Deuchar, R	60/-		pint	bottled	1009.5	1038.5	No.6 1 glass paler than our standard.	3.76	75.32%	Sweet, but cleansing harsh bitter.
1929	Deucher, J.	60/-		pint	bottled	1005	1039.5	Between 8 - 9. Almost same as our standard	4.50	87.34%	Fairly full, but bitter and not very clean palate.
1929	Jeffrey & Co	Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1007.5	1034	Between 7 - 8.	3.44	77.94%
1929	Maclay	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1012.5	1039		3.43	67.95%
1929	McEwan	Pale Ale	8d	pint	bottled	1008.2	1041		4.27	80.00%
1929	McEwan	Export PA	6d	pint	bottled	1011.4	1056		5.82	79.64%
1929	McEwan	Blue Label Ale	4d	half pint	bottled	1008.2	1038		3.87	78.42%
1929	McEwan	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009	1039		3.90	76.92%
1929	McEwan	80/- Beer		pint	bottled	1011	1053		5.47	79.25%
1929	McEwan	60/- Beer (Pale)		pint	bottled	1007.5	1040	0.75 glass lower than our pale. 1.5 lower than standard.	4.23	81.25%
1929	McEwan	70/-		pint	bottled	1009	1045.5	No. 6 Same as our standard for Newcastle.	4.75	80.22%
1929	McEwan	60/-		pint	bottled	1006	1039.5	No.4 1.5 glass paler than our standard.	4.36	84.81%	Mildest so far received from Newcastle. Cleaner palate than 70/-.
1929	McEwan	Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1012	1041	Between 7 - 8. Same as our Newcastle Pale.	3.76	70.73%	Sweet. Heavily primed & lightly hopped. Characterless.
1929	McEwan	Export Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1013	1053.5	Between 1 - 2. Extra pale.	5.27	75.70%	Extremely good - highly hopped.
1929	McEwan	90/- (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1008	1039	No. 10 Same as our medium darkened.	4.03	79.49%	Aromatic and rather bitter.
1929	McEwan	Blue Laberl Fourpenny Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1005.5	1038	No. 3 Same as our ordinary pale.	4.23	85.53%	Going off.
1929	McEwan	Bleu Label (fourpenny / carbonated)		pint	bottled	1008	1039.5	No. 9 Same as our standard.	4.09	79.75%
1929	McEwan	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009.8	1043	Between 9 - 10.	4.32	77.33%
1929	McLauchlin	60/-		pint	bottled	1005	1033	Between 7 - 8. Same as our Newcastle Pale.	3.64	84.85%	a harsh bitter
1929	McLennan & Urquhart	Dalkeith Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1015	1041	No. 11 Same as our dark.	3.36	63.41%
1929	Murray	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1009	1038.5		3.83	76.62%
1929	Murray	90/-		pint	bottled	1007.3	1040	Between 9 - 10. Half glass darker than our standard.	4.26	81.88%	Soft, but leaving harsh flavour on palate.
1929	Murray	4d Pale Ale (carbonated)	4d	half pint	bottled	1011	1035.5	No. 7 One glass paler than our standard.	3.17	69.01%
1929	Murray	4d Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1011	1037	No 7 One glass darker than our standard.	3.37	70.27%
1929	Murray	Export Strong Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1013.5	1056	Between 5 - 6.	5.53	75.89%
1929	Tennent	90/- Glasgow Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008	1039.3	No. 9 Same as our standard.	4.06	79.62%
1929	Tennent	90/- Glasgow Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1008.5	1039.5	Between 9 - 10.	4.03	78.48%
1929	Usher	Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1012	1040		3.63	70.00%
1929	Usher	90/- Sparkling Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1011.3	1040.5	Between 11 - 12	3.79	72.22%
1929	Usher	90/- Sparkling Pale Ale (natural condition)		pint	bottled	1009	1040.5		4.09	77.78%
1929	Usher	90/- Sparkling Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1011	1040.5	Between 11 - 12	3.82	72.84%
1929	Usher	120/- Strong Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1013.3	1051.5	Between 14 - 15.	4.97	74.27%
1929	Williamson, Broxburn	Pale Ale		pint	bottled	1012	1048		4.68	75.00%
1929	Wright (Perth)	Dinner Ale (Extra Hopped)		pint	bottled	1005.8	1027	No. 10 Same as our medium standard.	2.76	78.70%
1929	Younger, Geo	90/- PA		pint	bottled	1009	1039		3.90	76.92%
1929	Younger, Geo	PA		pint	bottled	1002	1035		4.31	94.29%
1929	Younger, Geo	PA 60/-		pint	bottled	1008	1037		3.77	78.38%
1929	Younger, Geo	Sparkling Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1004	1033.3	Between 7 - 8. Same as our Newcastle Pale.	3.80	87.85%	Thin & characterless
1929	Younger, Geo	Sparkling Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1007	1034	Between 7 - 8. Same as our Newcastle Pale.	3.51	79.41%
1929	Younger, Geo	Sparkling Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1008	1035.5	Between 8 - 9. Shade paler than our standard	3.57	77.46%
1929	Younger, Geo	Heavy Export Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1013	1049	Between 11 – 12	4.67	73.47%
1929	Younger, Geo	Sparkling Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1007.8	1038	Between 7 - 8.	3.93	79.61%
1929	Younger, Geo	No. 1 Alloa Pale Ale (carbonated)		pint	bottled	1011	1044.8	No. 9.	4.38	75.42%
1929	Younger, Wm	90/-		pint	bottled	1008	1040.3	Betwwn 9 - 10 Half glass lighter than our standard. Half glass lighter than ours for Dundee.	4.19	80.12%	Soft, but slightly harsh.
1929	Younger, Wm	90/-		pint	bottled	1008	1039.5	Betwwn 9 - 10 Half glass lighter than our standard. Half glass lighter than ours for Dundee.	4.09	79.75%	Soft, but slightly harsh.
	Average					1009.1	1040.6		4.09	77.58%
Sources:
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Whitbread Gravity Book document LMA/4453/D/02/001 held at the London Metropolitan Archives