London vs provincial beer in the 1930's: Strong Beers and Old Ales

We're just about at the end of this table-heavy series. That's just how I like my posts: without too many words in them.

Based on the hugely diverging strengths is the samples - from 4.76% to 11.91% ABV - it's clear that they encompass several different types of beer. I'm not sure how meaningful any comparisons are going to be. But why let a little detail like that stop me? Especially now I've come so far.

I'm not just scratching my head, but turning my scalp into a bloodied mess, trying to work out which London beers these could be. Let's start off by saying what they aren't: Burton. At least not draught Burton. All are way too strong (draught Burton was 5% to 5.5% ABV). Even Fuller's Old Burton Extra is well short, strength-wise. Even Barclay Perkins KKKK was much weaker, 7 and a bit % ABV, 1080 OG.

No. 25 must have had a massive OG. It's 11% ABV and still has lots of unfermented stuff in it. Probably about as high as you reasonably go with gravity, 1140 or so. I'm sure I've never seen any 20th-century London beer anywhere near that level, other than Russian Stout.

As usual, we begin with London beers:

Composition of London Beers
					Calories per pint.
	Total Solids per cent.	Absolute Alcohol (by weight) per cent.	Ratio of Total Solids to Alcohol (T.S.=1).	ABV	Solid Matter.	Alcohol.	Total.
Strong Beers and Old Ales
No. 23	4.65	7.00	1:1.50	8.89	108	278	386
No. 24	6.11	8.62	1:1.41	10.95	142	343	485
No. 25	9.55	8.72	1:0.91	11.07	222	347	569
No. 26	5.16	9.38	1:1.82	11.91	120	374	494
Average	6.36	8.43	1:1.32	10.71	148	335	483
Source:
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 38, Issue 1, January-February 1932, pages 84 - 88.

The country beers are a real hotch-potch:

Composition of Country Beers
					Calories per pint.
	Total Solids per cent.	Absolute Alcohol (by weight) per cent.	Ratio of Total Solids to Alcohol (T.S.=1).	ABV	Solid Matter.	Alcohol.	Total.
Strong Beers and Old Ales
No. 79	7.97	7.14	1:0.89	9.07	185	284	469
No. 80	6.04	5.27	1:0.87	6.69	141	209	350
No. 81	6.72	4.72	1:0.70	5.99	156	187	343
No. 82	10.42	5.28	1:0.50	6.71	243	210	453
No. 83	5.47	8.53	1:1.55	10.83	127	339	466
No. 84	6.12	4.28	1:0.69	5.44	142	170	312
No. 85	6.57	5.86	1:0.89	7.44	153	233	386
No. 80	3.89	3.75	1:0.96	4.76	91	149	240
No. 87	4.44	4.33	1:0.97	5.50	103	172	275
No. 88	5.13	4.52	1:0.88	5.74	119	180	299
Average	6.27	5.36	1:0.85	6.81	146	213	359
Source:
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 38, Issue 1, January-February 1932, pages 84 - 88.

Some of the weaker ones look like the equivalent of a London Burton, while a couple look like Barley Wine. The lower ration of solids to alcohol in the country beers means that they must have been drier.

Finally the comparison of averages:

Strong Beers and Old Ales					Calories per pint.
	Total Solids per cent.	Absolute Alcohol (by weight) per cent.	Ratio of Total Solids to Alcohol (T.S.=1).	ABV	Solid Matter.	Alcohol.	Total.
London	6.36	8.43	1:1.32	10.71	148	335	483
Country	6.27	5.36	1:0.85	6.81	146	213	359
% difference	-1.44%	-57.28%	-0.77%	-57.28%	-1.37%	-57.28%	-34.54%

I can see a pattern emerging now: more of everything in the London beers.