Bottled IPA in 1960

We’re continuing our leisurely amble through the dales of 1960’s beer analyses. This time pausing to look at the noble vista of IPA before us.

The Which? report didn’t have a category of IPA. That’s my interpretation. But there’s no way I’m going to leave two classic IPAs, White Shield and Red Triangle, lumped with the Pale Ales. Greene King’s IPA they classified as a Light Ale. I can see the sense in that, but have still moved it in with the other IPAs. For no real reason, other than to make a slightly bigger table.

One thing really surprised me about the Which? analysis. That there’s such a difference in bitterness levels between White Shield and Red Triangle. You can see that the gravities are very similar.  I know that ten years later, they were exactly the same beer, just differently packaged. If that bitterness number is to be believed that couldn’t have been true in 1960.

It’s a pity the Whitbread Gravity Book has no White Shield entry for 1960. There is one for 1961, and it’s almost identical to the Which? beer.

Not the very high rate of attenuation of the Bass/Worthington beers. So high that they have a lower FG than the far weaker Greene King beer. Except for Blue Triangle. There’s a good reason for that. White Shield and Red Triangle were bottle conditioned while Blue Triangle was brewery conditioned. I assume the bottle conditioned beers had a longer period of maturation. The high attenuation makes Bass Red Triangle the cheapest per in terms of price per 1% ABV. In fact, it’s as cheap as some draught Bitters in those terms.

Courage Alton IPA looks to be along similar lines to the Bass examples, with a decent enough gravity of 1050º. Brickwoods Sunshine IPA is a little weaker, and looks closer to a bottled Pale Ale. The draught IPAs are a good bit weaker, though, unsurprisingly, are better value for money.

Here are the tables in all their glory:

Bottled IPA in 1960
Brewer	Beer	Price per pint d	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	Index of Hop Bitter	price per % ABV
Worthington	White Shield	32	1053.8	1007.2	6.10	86.62%	32	5.25
Bass	Bass Red Triangle	32	1054.4	1004.1	6.60	92.46%	55	4.85
Greene King	India Pale Ale	20	1033.2	1008.5	3.20	74.40%	24	6.25
Average		28	1047.1	1007	5.30	84.49%	37	5.45
Source:
Which Beer Report, 1960, pages 171 - 173.

Bottled IPA in 1960
Brewer	Beer	Price per pint d	Acidity	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation	colour	price per % ABV
Bass	Pale Ale	34	0.04	1054.2	1008.3	6.00	84.69%	21	5.67
Bass	Blue Triangle		0.04	1061.1	1012.7	6.32	79.21%	17
Brickwoods	Sunshine IPA	28	0.04	1044.7	1011.4	4.16	74.50%	25	6.73
Courage, Barclay	Alton IPA	32	0.05	1050	1011.6	4.99	76.80%	21	6.41
Greene King	India Pale Ale	20	0.02	1033	1007.7	3.16	76.67%	25	6.32
Average		26.7	0.04	1048.6	1010.3	4.93	78.37%	21.8	6.28
Draught IPA
Mann Crossman	IPA	19	0.06	1041.2	1009.9	4.06	75.97%	23	4.68
Simonds	IPA	14	0.04	1035.4	1010.2	3.15	71.19%	18	4.44
Average		16.5	0.05	1038.3	1010.1	3.61	73.58%	20.5	4.56
Source:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

It really will be Light Ale next. I promise.