Extra Strong Mild Ale

Really strong Milds weren’t killed off by WW I. Quite. Almost, but not quite.

As this advertisement from the 1920’s demonstrates:

““SAMSON” ALE
we brew an old-fashioned type of Extra Strong Mild Ale.

A revelation to people who have not previously tried Ale of this class; it is far removed from ordinary beer and stout, and possesses the qualities of a fine old wine.

Try a “Nip" “SAMSON” Bottle of ALE, 5.5d, At Hotels supplied by The North-Eastern Breweries, Limited.”
Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Friday 12 February 1926, page 7.

A price of 5.5d for a nip (third of a pint) bottle implies an OG of around 1080º. Unless Vaux were thieving bastards. Which is incredibly strong for a post-WW I Mild. Low-1050’s is the highest other gravity I’ve seen for a Mild in this period.

Hang on a minute. I remember Vaux Samson. I’m pretty sure I’ve drunk it. But it wasn’t a strong Mild. It wasn’t a Mild at all, but a Best Bitter. Clearly at some point Vaux recycled the name and used it for a totally different type of beer.

Vaux Samson 1964 - 1982
Year	Beer	Style	Price per pint	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1964	Samson	Pale Ale	20d	1043.1	1011.1	4.00	74.25%
1967	Samson	Pale Ale	24d	1035.7	1007.1	3.58	80.11%
1967	Samson	Pale Ale	24d	1035.7	1006.8	3.61	80.95%
1967	Samson	Pale Ale	24d	1040.5	1008.1	4.05	80.00%
1972	Sampson	Pale Ale	13p	1041.2	1011.1	3.90	73.06%
1977	Samson	Pale Ale		1042.3
1979	Samson	Pale Ale		1042.3
1981	Samson	Pale Ale		1042.3
1982	Samson	Pale Ale		1042.3
1983	Samson	Pale Ale		1042.3
1986	Samson	Pale Ale		1042.3
1989	Samson	Pale Ale		1041
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Good Beer Guide 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990
Daily Mirror July 10th 1972, page 15

It wasn’t even consistently a Best Bitter, being relegated to Ordinary Bitter for part of 1967.