The type of beer that I most associate with this part of the country is Boys Bitter. A low-gravity Bitter which often filled the price and strength slot that elsewhere still belonged to Mild. I'm not sure why I brought that up, as no beers of that type appear in the table.
As if to mock me, this set has the highest average OG so far: 1042.8º. Not so surprising, as half the samples are over 1040º and the strongest of all the beers analysed, Kingsdown Ale.
It doesn't come as a shock that the average price is the highest so far, even without the strongest beers included. Generally, beer on the periphery was more expensive. Value for money is also the poorest so far.
On the upside, the average quality score is the highest. There was a seven for Ushers BB, but all the others scored nine or above.
Despite having lived in the region for a couple of years in the 1980s, I've tried quite few of these beers. Wadworth 6X was always a pretty decent pint and a few places in Swindon (where I lived) sold it. I probably had Royal Oak at a festival. Can't be sure and I have no memory of it.
I'm not sure why Kingsdown Ale, which was pretty rare, was analyses, but not Arkell BBB, which was much more common. That was a lovely drop, with an underlying malty richness, which I found typical of the region's Bitters.
Southeast next to bat.
| Southwestern Bitters in 1978 | ||||||||||
| Brewer | Beer | Price | º gravity per p | % ABV per p | OG | FG | ABV | App. Atten-uation | score | Flavour |
| Arkell | Kingsdown Ale | 1059.5 | 1013.6 | 5.98 | 77.14% | 9 | Clear, strong and sweet. A good winter drink but too syrupy for me | |||
| Eldridge Pope | Royal Oak | 36 | 1.31 | 0.12 | 1047.3 | 1013.6 | 4.37 | 71.25% | 11 | Full-bodied malty beer with satisfying flavour |
| Devenish (Weymouth) | Wessex Best Bitter | 1042.2 | 1006.6 | 4.64 | 84.36% | 11 | Clean, tasty, refreshing with a good flavour. | |||
| Wadworth | 6X | 1041.4 | 1009.75 | 4.11 | 76.45% | 10 | Golden coloured. Slightly fruity but clean-tasting. | |||
| Whitbread (Tiverton) | Best Bitter | 33 | 1.18 | 0.12 | 1039 | 1007.8 | 4.06 | 80.00% | 9 | Clear, light, bitter. |
| Palmer | IPA | 35 | 1.09 | 0.12 | 1038.1 | 1006 | 4.18 | 84.25% | 9 | A well-hopped bitter with a tangy taste. |
| Usher | Ushers BB | 34 | 1.11 | 0.13 | 1037.7 | 1004.55 | 4.32 | 87.93% | 7 | Pleasantly light but slightly insipid. |
| Hall & Woodhouse | Badger Best Bitter | 33 | 1.14 | 0.11 | 1037.5 | 1008.85 | 3.72 | 76.40% | 10 | Pleasant nutty flavour with a hint of sweetness. |
| Average | 34.2 | 1.17 | 0.12 | 1042.8 | 1008.8 | 4.42 | 79.72% | 9.5 | ||
| Source: | ||||||||||
| Sunday Mirror - Sunday 17 September 1978, pages 22 - 23. | ||||||||||
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6 comments:
There are a couple of breweries I expected to see on this list, having drunk and enjoyed their beers on holidays in the Southwest, Donnington and Hook Norton, although the former might be too small to be included, and the latter is probably just outside the area.
Matt,
I put Hook Norton in the Southeast.
Bitters in the southwest of England seem to be on average stronger than elsewhere.
Oscar
St Austell used to do a Boys Bitter (although I think it was officially called Bosuns Bitter). Not sure if it was around in '78 though.
I had a Huntsman Ales Boys' Bitter, it was so astringent it was hard to imagine any boys enjoying it.
I fear the strength figures have been distorted by including both Royal Oak - the top-of-the-range Eldridge Pope beer – and Kingsdown. Arkell's "standard" bitter, BBB, was 1038OG, and Eldridge Pope's "standard" bitter, IPA, was 1041, while its "boy's bitter", Dorchester Bitter, was 1032.5, and Arkell's BB was 1033. So no, I don't believe south-west beers were generally stronger at all. Palmer's strongest draught beer, its IPA, was 1039.5, for example, and its own BB was just 1030.4. St Austell BB is in the 1978 GBG, and was 1031.
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