Though they were best known for their iconic Pale Ale, Bass brewed a full set of other beers.They had to, seeing as they were supplying their own tied houses. Which would have needed a full range of draught and bottled styles.
Some of their bottled beers had been around almost as long as their Pale Ale. No. 1 Barley Wine, for example, which goes back to at least the 1860s and probably a decade or two further. It was a Burton Ale in the old style, so may even pre-date the Pale Ale.
Bass No. 1 was one of that rare breed of beers which, even after two world wars, still retained its 19th-century strength. Though you paid a price for that high gravity: 5 shillings or more for a pint. Not that anyone really drank it by the pint. Like all very strong beers of the period, it usually came in nip (third of a pint) bottles.
Imperial Stout, also known as P2, was another long-lived product. Though probably not quite as old as No. 1. It wasn't as lucky on the gravity front, having fallen from 1093º in the 1930s. Though there were few Stouts with gravities pushing 1080º in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Brown Ale will be of a much more recent date. I would guess late 1920s, but I have no data to back that up. My first analysis for it is the one from 1955 in the table. Based on the OG, it's clearly meant to compete with beers like Newcastle Brown Ale, rather than the weaker Manns style.
Finally Gold Triangle. Which looks like an intended competitor of Gold Label, given its nbame and very pale colour. Though it is quite a bit weaker.
Other Bass bottled beers after WW II | ||||||||
Year | Beer | Style | Price per pint | OG | FG | ABV | App. Atten-uation | colour |
1955 | Burton Amber Ale | Amber Ale | 22 | 1036.4 | 1008 | 3.69 | 78.02% | 20 |
1952 | Barley Wine | Barley Wine | 64.5 | 1104.1 | 1035.6 | 8.93 | 65.80% | 80 |
1953 | Barley Wine | Barley Wine | 60 | 1104.6 | 1036.3 | 8.90 | 65.30% | 80 |
1958 | No. 1 Barley Wine | Barley Wine | 63 | 1106.8 | 1039.8 | 8.71 | 62.73% | 100 |
1955 | Brown Ale | Brown Ale | 24 | 1054.7 | 1015.6 | 5.07 | 71.48% | 85 |
1959 | Brown Ale | Brown Ale | 36 | 1052.9 | 1015.6 | 4.84 | 70.51% | 105 |
1952 | H & O Pale Ale | Pale Ale | 1036.7 | 1007 | 3.86 | 80.93% | 20 | |
1948 | Export Stout | Stout | 1065 | 1018 | 6.11 | 72.31% | ||
1953 | Imperial Stout | Stout | 45 | 1078.2 | 1025.1 | 6.90 | 67.90% | 375 |
1955 | Imperial Stout | Stout | 1078.8 | 1018.4 | 7.90 | 76.65% | 375 | |
1956 | Imperial Stout | Stout | 54 | 1077.5 | 1027.9 | 6.43 | 64.00% | 350 |
1966 | Imperial Stout | Stout | 63 | 1077.2 | 1027.7 | 6.41 | 64.12% | 312 |
1963 | Gold Triangle | Strong Ale | 72 | 1063.6 | 1013 | 6.61 | 79.56% | 19 |
Sources: | ||||||||
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002. |
Dunns, the bottlers named on the Mild label, are still going as a wholesaler and soft drinks manufacturer.
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