T & J Bernard Pale Ales 1906 - 1958

Looking around breweries doesn't half give me a thirst. So let's break off from our stroll around Bernard's old brewery and take a look at what they were making: beer.

Funny how when people have looked for differences between English and Scottish brewing they've missed the real points of interest and having wandered off down the path of ignorance into fantasy land. Because the genuine differences are much more fascinating.

Take styles. No, I'm not going to start droning on here about putative Scottish styles. No, my perspective is quite different. Observing how Scotland, like Ireland, was out of phase with developments in beer styles. We all know that Scotland embraced Lager earlier. I'm seeing growing evidence that Scotland also switched it allegiance from (Mild) Ale to Pale Ale much more quickly.

Take a look at the interwar period. What were Scottish brewers making? Loads of Pale Ales and IPAs, a bit of Strong Ale and the odd Stout. No Mild in sight. While in England Mild was still the mainstay of the vast majority of breweries.

That explains why I've a whole stack of Pale Ale analyses for Bernard and not much else. Barnard, you'll note, specifically mentions the production Pale Ale at Bernard. It looks like they were one of the Scottish breweries that jumped on the Pale Ale bandwagon the first time it passed by.

I suppose you'll want to see the table now. I don't like to disappoint:

T & J Bernard Pale Ales 1906 - 1958
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	package	Acidity	FG	OG	colour	ABV	App. Attenuation
1924	90/- IPA	IPA		pint	bottled		1013	1041		3.62	68.29%
1928	90/- India PA	IPA		pint	bottled		1005	1039	no. 11	4.43	87.18%
1929	India Pale Ale 90/- (carbonated)	IPA		pint	bottled		1009	1039.5	No 11	3.96	77.22%
1929	90/- India Pale Ale (carbonated)	IPA		pint	bottled		1009.8	1040	No. 13	3.93	75.63%
1929	90/- India Pale Ale	IPA		pint	bottled		1009	1040	58	4.03	77.50%
1933	India Pale Ale	IPA		pint	bottled		1009.5	1038.5		3.76	75.32%
1949	90/- India Pale Ale	IPA		pint	bottled		1006.5	1029.5		2.98	77.97%
1958	India Pale Ale	IPA	21d	16 oz	can	0.04	1008.9	1030.6	50	2.71	70.92%
1906	54/- PA	Pale Ale		pint	draught			1051.5	12
1906	54/- PA	Pale Ale		pint	draught			1050.2	12
1921	PA 60/-	Pale Ale		pint	draught		1011	1039.2		3.65	71.94%
1922	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	7d	pint	draught		1009.6	1039.2	40	3.84	75.49%
1922	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1005.4	1042.5	27	4.85	87.31%
1923	Carbonated Beer	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled		1012.4	1037.6	45	3.26	67.02%
1923	PA	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1005	1039		4.43	87.18%
1924	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled		1013.2	1040.2	35	3.49	67.16%
1924	60/-	Pale Ale		pint			1014	1040	42	3.36	65.00%
1925	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled		1010	1038	39	3.63	73.68%
1926	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1009	1040	40	4.03	77.50%
1926	PA	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1009	1041	30	4.16	78.05%
1927	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1007	1040		4.29	82.50%
1927	90/-	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1011	1040	40	3.76	72.50%
1928	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half pint	bottled		1010	1039		3.76	74.36%
1928	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1005	1050	18	5.89	90.00%
1929	Crown Brand Export (carbonated)	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1005.3	1049	No. 00	5.72	89.29%
1929	90/- (carbonated)	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1008.5	1038.5	No. 10	3.90	77.92%
1930	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	draught		1012	1040	31	3.63	70.00%
1933	90/-	Pale Ale		pint	draught		1005	1039		4.43	87.18%
1933	Export Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1006	1051		5.89	88.24%
1934	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	draught		1011.3	1041		3.86	72.56%
1939	60/- Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1006	1037.8	9 – 10	4.13	84.11%
1940	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1008.3	1037.8		3.83	78.15%
1941	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1009	1037.5		3.70	76.00%
1947	80/- Ale	Pale Ale	16d	pint	bottled		1006.5	1034		3.57	80.88%
1947	80/- Ale	Pale Ale	16d	pint	bottled		1006	1033		3.51	81.82%
1947	80/- Ale	Pale Ale	16d	pint	bottled		1006	1034		3.64	82.35%
1947	60/- Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1003.5	1031		3.58	88.71%
1949	Special Export Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1009	1041.5		4.22	78.31%
1949	PA 60/-	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1007	1031.5		3.18	77.78%
1949	Special Export Ale	Pale Ale		pint	bottled		1007	1041		4.43	82.93%
1958	Export Beer	Pale Ale	26d	16 oz	can	0.05	1010.1	1043.1	100	4.12	76.57%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002
Document WY/6/1/1/14 of the William Younger archive held at the Scottish Brewing Archive.
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11
Younger, Wm. & Co Gravity Book document WY/6/1/1/19 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

What do I need to tell you about that lot? First, look at the different way 90/- was used between the wars. It's not a Strong Ale but a relatively low-gravity, bottle IPA. About 1040º before the war, under 1030º just after it. Shouldn't an IPA be stronger than its Pale Ale? Only if you're living in style-Nazi land. In Britain, especially in London and Scotland, it was often the other way around. And no, those brewers weren't willfully deceiving the public. Just adhering to a different set of conventions and consumer expectations.

You'll notice other points that conflict with modern usage. Like those 80/- Ales from 1947 with gravities around 1034º. The BJCP defines the gravity range as 1040º – 1054º. Yet more consumer fraud by those bastard brewers. Or perhaps a sign that definitions - at least those in drinkers' and brewers' minds - are ephemeral.

You'll see that same with 60/-. All the pre-war examples are way over the upper limit of 1035º imposed by the style definers. Though at least it as actually the type of beer they describe, a Pale Ale. Unlike modern 60/- which is Dark Mild.

The only beers that fit into modern styles are the last few. Those Special Exports squeeze in at the bottom of the modern idea of a Scottish Export. Probably more by coincidence than anything else.