Imperial Stout in Scotland again

We're between the wars now. Sorry if it's all Imperial Stout. You know what I'm like when I get started on a topic.

It seems that Barclay Perkins wasn't the only London brewery flogging Imperial Stout in Scotland. Not even the only one with a Red Label Stout.

I say brewery. Brand, would be more accurate. The Combe brewery closed almost immediately after the formation of Watney, Combe, Reid in 1899. The same fate befell Reid's plant. What's odd, is that in London the Combe name was only used for Brown Ale. Their Stouts were branded as Reid.

Combe's Stout might have been called Red Label, but was it really comparable to the Barclay Perkins beer? After all, it's also billed as "Nourishing Stout" which could mean something pretty weak.

 These minimum prices agreed by the publicans of Aberdeen suggest that they were of a similar strength:

I.—SALES BY LICENSED GROCERS AND OTHERS FOR CONSUMPTION OFF THE PREMISES.
	Per Dozen Reputed Pints.	Per Dozen Imperial Half Pints.	Per Dozen Splits.
Bass. Allsopp and Worthington Beers	7/-	6/-	4/6d
No. 1 Bass	15/-	-	7/6d
No. 2 Bass	-	-	7/-
Barclay Perkins, Combe’s and Guinness' Stout	8/-	—	5/-
Source:
Aberdeen Press and Journal - Thursday 17 September 1931, page 1.

 

II.— SALES FOR PUBLIC BARS ON CONSUMPTION, i.e., IN PUBLIC BARS.
	Per Reputed Pint.	Per Imperial Half Pint.	Splits.
Bass, Allsopp and Worthington Beers	8.5d	6.5d	5.5d
Bass No. 1	1/3d	-	9d
Bass No. 2	-	-	7d
Barclay Perkins & Combe's Imperial Red Label Stout	9d	-	5.5d
Brown Stout and Guinness Stout	8.5d	—	5.5d
Draught Beer	7d per pint; 3.5d per half pint
Source:
Aberdeen Press and Journal - Thursday 17 September 1931, page 1.

As the two cost the same, it's safe to assume that they were of roughly similar strength. Also, a bit stronger than Bass Pale Ale. But nowhere near as strong as Bass No. 1, which was a round the same gravity as the the export version of Barclay Perkins Imperial Stout.